Fear

Between checking my email, updating my facebook status, tweeting life’s second to second occurrences, and watching hours of film and television, I have “rediscovered” one of the original forms of communication—the book.  This week I happened to come across a nugget of wisdom by author Curtis Jackson.  In collaboration with author Robert Greene, Jackson discusses a single word and how that word impacts us all.  That word is FEAR. How does the author Curtis Jackson handle fear?  Even more meaningful to youth today, how does Curtis Jackson, (aka 50 Cent) overcome fear in order to achieve the success he has achieved today?

In 2000, Jackson faced death after being shot nine times.  In 2009, ironically a year for each bullet that entered his body, The 50^th Law is 50 Cent’s “bible” to success—in both appearance and message.  The hard bound book, complete with golden edges tasseled bookmark communicates a simple message on its back cover:  “nihil timendum est” which is Latin for “fear nothing.”

This straightforward statement is hard to attain for most.  The book not only usues Jackson’s life, but several historical and modern day figures that show how overcoming fears can lead to success and the attainment of goals both great and small.

“The greatest fear people have is that of being themselves.  They want to be 50 Cent or someone else.  They do what everyone else does even if it doesn’t fit where and who they are.  But you get nowhere that way; your energy is weak and no one pays attention to you.  You’re running away from the one thing that you own—what makes you different.  I lost that fear.  And once I felt the power that I had by showing the world I didn’t care about being like other people, I could never go back.” –50 Cent

50 Cent never did go back.  His debut album, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” in title alone declared his absence of fear.  On the track “Patiently Waiting” 50 reiterates:  “Fifty fear no man, Warrior, swingin’ swords like Conan /  Picture me, pen in hand writin’ lines knowin’ the Source’ll quote it / When I die, they’ll read this and say a genius wrote it.” Transforming from lyrics on a pad, to an album that sold millions of copies and a top grossing movie, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’ “ and its underlying message of fearlessness is proof positive of the 50^th Law.

The 50^th Law states, “If we are able to overcome our anxieties and forge a fearless attitude, towards life, something strange and remarkable can occur—that margin of control over circumstances increases.”  Simply put, the more you face your fears the more you can succeed against them.

My D.U.M.B.questions to you are these:  What is your fear?  How will you face it.?

“Fear” originally appeared as an article on www.justdumbproductions.com on September 22, 2009.