How Not to Be Afraid

Seven Ways to Live When Everything Seems Terrifying

By: Gareth Higgins, Kathleen Norris - foreword

Narrated by: Gareth Higgins

The world seems terrifying. Whether your fear is about violence, shame, illness, money, meaning, or the collapse of certainty, you are not alone. Yet the power of the fear we feel depends on the story we tell about fear. Fight, flee, or freeze: Are these are only options?

Growing up near the troubled city of Belfast, Gareth Higgins was schooled in suspicion, mistrust, and paranoia. Would someone be lurking behind the door? Was there a bomb under that car? Yet fear feeds on the stories we tell ourselves, Higgins claims, and in How Not to Be Afraid, he delves into the mechanisms of fear, as well as the quiet, immense strength of individuals and communities that refuse to let it reign.

Grounded in personal experience and expert reflection on violence, conflict transformation, and trauma recovery, Higgins traces vulnerability as strength to address seven common fears that plague each of us at some point in our lives. By examining such topics as the fear of being alone, the fear of not having enough, and the fear of violence and death, he invites listeners into habits of hope rooted in Celtic spirituality and the mysteries of love.

©2021 Gareth Higgins (P)2022 eChristian

New Top Ten of 2022!

Fantastic! I think I’ve shared this with friends more than any other audible book this year!!

Important read/listen for current times.

Gareth is a tremendous story teller that draws you in from the moment he begins. as someone whose life was ruled by fear for most of the time I have been alive, it was refreshing to know that I am not the only one dealing with these things. the exercises that Gareth offers are a refreshing reminder of how to be present - especially in a world where we are being bombarded by fear from every direction.

I was able to heal with this book

Out of reading over 1,250 books this was one of the best. I thank the author for sharing his life story.

Deep Feelings

I liked the openness of Gareth’s writing style and his willingness to disclose his deepest and most personal views. It will help his readers understand and appreciate the depth of Gareth’s views. The book is well-written and easily understood. My primary criticism is that it is too long. Gareth would benefit from engaging a ruthless editor.