Eliminating fear: a step-by-step approach

Working through the fear passage in the Big Book on a specific issue:

'Notice that the word "fear" is bracketed alongside the difficulties with Mr. Brown, Mrs. Jones, the employer, and the wife. This short word somehow touches about every aspect of our lives.'

Which area(s) of my life is / are touched by fear right now?

'It was an evil and corroding thread; the fabric of our existence was shot through with it.'

What harm is it doing? What is it corroding?

'It set in motion trains of circumstances which brought us misfortune we felt we didn't deserve. But did not we, ourselves, set the ball rolling? Sometimes we think fear ought to be classed with stealing. It seems to cause more trouble. We reviewed our fears thoroughly.'

What misfortunes has it brought?
Did I dread these things happening?
Did I meditate on these things happening?
Did I develop attachments to particular outcomes in the world?
What are these particular outcomes?
Can I see that these are what produced the fear?
Has fear in this situation caused me to act impetuously, obsessively, avoidantly, controllingly, or in any other unhelpful way?

'We put them on paper, even though we had no resentment in connection with them.'

List the fears.
What am I frightened of not getting?
What am I frightened of losing?

'We asked ourselves why we had them. Wasn't it because self-reliance failed us? Self-reliance was good as far as it went, but it didn't go far enough.'

Is my identity tied up in these? Is my value tied up in these? Is my purpose tied up in these? These are my self-reliance!

'Some of us once had great self-confidence, but it didn't fully solve the fear problem, or any other. When it made us cocky, it was worse.'

Has thinking it through rationally failed to entirely eliminate the fear? Has a mature and robust practical response failed to entirely eliminate the fear? Has coming at this problem aggressively made things worse?

'Perhaps there is a better way—we think so. For we are now on a different basis; the basis of trusting and relying upon God. We trust infinite God rather than our finite selves.'

This means my identity, value, and purpose are housed in God, not in the world.
 
I actively reject the attachment to the particular outcomes in the world I am attached to. I repudiate them. I declare: I am indifferent to them. I actively deny my identity, value, and purpose are tied up in these things. I actively declare that these are housed in God, and that God is not mocked, so these cannot be harmed if safely housed in Him.

'We are in the world to play the role He assigns.'

What, practically, would have me do today? What plans for the near, middle, or distant future would God have me draw up today, out of prudence and foresight, to then be set aside for later so I can come back to today?

'Just to the extent that we do as we think He would have us, and humbly rely on Him, does He enable us to match calamity with serenity. We never apologize to anyone for depending upon our Creator. We can laugh at those who think spirituality the way of weakness. Paradoxically, it is the way of strength.'

Pray: 'God, show me what to; help me rely on You and not me. God, give me strength.'

'The verdict of the ages is that faith means courage. All men of faith have courage. They trust their God. We never apologize for God. Instead we let Him demonstrate, through us, what He can do.'

Pray: 'God, give me courage. Help me trust You. May You show others through me what You can do.' 

'We ask Him to remove our fear and direct our attention to what He would have us be. At once, we commence to outgrow fear.'

Pray: 'Remove my fear and direction my attention to what You would have me be.'
 
Recognise that Now is the time to grow past fear as a tool of my spiritual immaturity. Now is the time to rise to a Higher Level.