So, today’s Halloween.
You’re probably trying to figure out what you costume you’ll wear to a party tonight, and, by the way, have you stocked up on candy?
(I’ve been joking that instead of candy, this year I’ll be giving out toothbrushes. Hey, I’m all about what’s good for kids, even though I don’t have any.)
A couple of years ago, I wrote a post about the spirit of fun that Halloween injects into our daily lives. I hadn’t actually experienced this festival until I moved to the US; we have so many festivals in India, replete with gods and demons (which my family enthusiastically participated in despite being a fervently Christian one), that Halloween – at least, at the time – was given short shrift.
Having now lived in the US for more than a decade, I still see that spirit of fun whenever Halloween comes around. Heaven knows we have more than our share of worries to deal with every other day of the year; why not be a kid for a day and throw caution to the winds?
More than that, though, I’ve come to see that, with all its ghouls and ghoulies, beasts and besties, Halloween gives us a chance to face our fears.
From its pagan origin of Samhain, to the Catholic Church influencing our modern-day festivities of the day, it’s really a day (and night … mostly night …) when you and I come face to face with our fears, isn’t it?
The fear that something might strike us down, sight unseen.
The fear that something much larger, much more powerful, than any of us will take control of our lives … and, possibly, our after-lives.
The fear that our deepest desires will come to the fore, regardless of whether or not they should.
By putting on costumes and makeup, aren’t we essentially trying valiantly to arm ourselves – with a more prepossessing outer self – to come to grips with our fears?
Despite the commercialism that permeates almost all our festivals these days, what I find particularly fascinating about Halloween is not simply its power to liberate the children in us.
It’s the gift the day gives us – this most pagan of days – to open the Pandora’s box that lives within each of us and face our fears.
Because it is only when we face our fears that we stand even half a chance of conquering them.
So, regardless of whether or not you’re going to a Hallowe’en party tonight, regardless of whether or not you’re trick or treating tonight (don’t come by my place, you’ll get a toothbrush, I already told you so), I wish you fearlessness.
Because it is only when we face our fears that we stand even half a chance of conquering them.
Image: guadiramone via Flickr, CC 2.0
@kbkcomm Belated thanks and also to @TomRedwine @lisaatufunwa @MattLaCasse @mdbarber
@shonali Belated you’re welcome :)!
@jgarant Thank you!
didn’t get to do anything this halloween :(
Love this post Shonali! So simple, but so effective. I’ve actually just been reading Seth Godin’s ‘Poke the Box’ today, and it’s amazing how we almost condition ourselves to avoid any fear, uncertainty or doubt – perhaps out of self-preservation. As you say, it’s only when we face fears that we can overcome them and continue to grow – whichever part of our lives we apply it to. In that respect, we should welcome fear and the opportunity to analyse, question and overcome it- and become better professionals and people through the process.
@JGarant Do you ever think about the fact that most of the things that we need to do, which can have the most impact on us, are – at least conceptually – really easy? In fact, frighteningly easy. But it’s actually doing it that is so tough. I don’t know why.
@Shonali Absolutely. As they say- actions speak louder than words. It’s easy to sit down and write down actions/plans on a piece of paper and determine that this is the course of action that is best for you, and that will deliver you the desired result you’re out to achieve. A lot harder to follow through. As Gary Vaynerchuk says- nothing substitutes for hustle. You can say you’re going to do something without any effort at all. To actually go out and do it is a very different story.
@JGarant Also Seth Godin. Man, does he make things happen!
@John_Trader1 @shonali Thx John! Hope all is going well. Took myself offline for one week. Today’s post here http://t.co/o1bWP6r5
@kdillabough Welcome back to the digital world KD. Glad you had a good time in #Aruba. One day, I must visit that island paradise.
@John_Trader1 Thx for the lovely RT and kind words. You’ll love Aruba. Make sure it’s on your priority list:)
Thanks Shonali. The post is great, but the quote is great and inspiring. Love it.
“Because it is only when we face our fears that we stand even half a chance of conquering them.”
Al
@Al Smith Thank you! I’m glad you liked that. :)
All I can say if you break out the toothbrushes you should fear if your house will get egged or not…..just sayin’…………
And another thing I will vouch for is when my Indian friend celebrated his 50th, you guys sure know how to put on a festival. With all the family and friends it was one grand event; the place was literally hopping….:)
The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself………..oh wait, somebody else might have already said that.
Happy Halloween you jeans wearing girl; have a good one.
@bdorman264 I knew someone who gave out toothbrushes at Halloween…seriously. How to turn a party into a pooper!
@KDillabough It was you, wasn’t it? That’s as bad as giving out a penny…..
@bdorman264@KDillabough Did they really? Ha! That’s sad – I joke about it, but I wouldn’t actually do it.
@KDillabough It was you, wasn’t it? That’s as bad as giving out a penny…..
@bdorman264 Or papered… right?
Well, I didn’t break out the toothbrushes after all, so the kids can have their teeth rot another year, LOL.
Yes, we do know how to put on a party! Have you ever been to an Indian wedding, Bill? I don’t think there’s anything like it. I mean a Hindu ceremony with all the bells and whistles.
I hope you had a good Halloween too… and yes, I’m thrilled to be able to wear jeans again!
You must have psychically picked up on what I’ve been focused on these past few days. Yesterday I actually worked at letting go of some very old fears and I am in bliss that your post so easily captured the importance of facing our fears and also celebrating the fun Halloween offers us. @Shonali thank you so much for writing this post! FYI – I am dressed as a mermaid this year. I think I may be forcing other people to confront their own fears this year! ;-)
@kiki Well, thank you for taking the time to comment! And I would like pix of the mermaid, please. :)
Talk about facing fears. I am dressing up as Clark Kent this year! (a female one but still…) I love this idea because I think we all have a Superhero buried inside us, and that is fun to realize that and let it out.
I love Halloween. I am taking my son Trick or Treating later and will be enjoying a party for grown ups later!
@NancyD68 You go girl…I mean, Clark! Be the superhero that you are.
@NancyD68 I want pix of that too! Did your son have fun trick-or-treating?
I thought it was about egg and shaving cream fights. In fact rumor has it that Barbasol the shave cream of choice for fights (really it actually is) was an initial creator of Halloween. Just like Hallmark created Mothers and Fathers day (damn marketing gimmicks).
All kidding aside love this holiday even though I am not participating this year (Lili is going as a Lady Bug btw). But regionally it is different. I grew up on Long Island and it was the biggest holiday of the year for kids even over christmas. Taken very seriously. In Los Angeles it is not. Most neighborhoods because of the mix of single family homes and apartment buildings and safety issues kids do not go trick or treating. If they do, the parents drive them to the nicer safe neighborhoods to do so vs knocking on neighbors doors. In 8 years in my apartment in Redondo Beach I had 17 trick or treaters…TOTAL! Lol
I just can’t view the holiday as Halloween when it is 75F with Palm trees (don’t get me started on Christmas with such weather LOL). It needs to be cool out, windy, trees whipping with leaves flying and then…..BOOO! everything makes you jump and run. And yes I was sad when in a huge costume/halloween store recently how much of the stuff was plastic and throw away. 8(
@HowieSPM And when it snows on Halloween, it’s Canada eh?
@KDillabough@HowieSPM It snowed in Northern New Jersey two days before Halloween! I got 4 inches here which is a lot for that time of year! Some of my friends are still without power.
@HowieSPM When we lived in the Bay Area, it was fun to watch everyone in San Francisco dress up for Halloween – they really take it seriously over there (why am I not surprised?).
Oh – do I have a story for you. A few years go (in DC), it was Halloween and I was sitting on our porch with the candy. Suddenly, a car comes zooming down our street, and I mean, ZOOMING. It came to a screeching halt at the end of the road (our street dead-ends into a park). I was a little taken aback but figured it was someone who was trying to get onto the parallel main road and would turn around in a couple seconds. Nu-uh. It was followed by another ZOOMING car… and then another… and then another… and by this time, I was so spooked that I ran inside the house.
A couple minutes later, my neighbor called me to tell me to stay inside. Apparently the cops were chasing some bad guys and guess where all the action was happening? Yup.
Talk about made for Halloween!
@KDillabough @shonali Have a fun-filled day with lots of giggles.