Risk vs. Fear

"Come to the edge, he said.

They said, we are afraid.

Come to the edge, he said.

They came. He pushed them.

And they flew...

- Guillaume Apollinaire
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I'm reading Neal Donald Walsh's book When Everything Changes, Change Everything. What do you think? Which comes first (no, not the chicken or the egg), thought or emotion? Or does it matter? Walsh goes with thought then emotion and he believes that all emotion derives from the one basic emotion, love. Wow, that's a simplistic view of emotion and puts the debate about defining the basic emotions (fear, happiness, sadness, anxiety, anger, and so on) to rest!

Whether thoughts or emotions come first, emotions are the problem that pushes one to seek help, is an issue that will remain up for debate, in my opinion. I don't think I've heard anyone say, "I need to see a therapist because I love myself and I don't want to risk getting hurt or losing that love". Perhaps my interpretation is mistaken, but so far, that's what I'm hearing.

Personally, I don't think it matters. What matters is what approach works for that person to help them create the life that they want for themselves. The approach that supports risk taking and calms fear and anxiety is what's important. Why am I even writing about this? I don't really know. Maybe to convince myself that there are lots of "right" ways to accomplish a desired outcome. Maybe just to ramble on. Oh, well, those are my thoughts and I'm sticking to them! (For now...have to keep my options open!)