The world is facing uncertainty, with ongoing wars in different parts of the globe, an uncertain job market, and a tumultuous global economy. If you look at search trends on Google, terms like fear and anxiety are at an all-time high. In fact, one of my most-read articles is Swami Vivekananda’s Way to Overcome Fear and Anxiety.
In this article, we will talk about an incident that taught a former U.S. President an invaluable lesson about fear and anxiety.
Ulysses S. Grant was a military officer and the 18th President of the United States of America. Early in his military career, along with one of his comrades, Grant was on a long journey across East Texas.
They were in dangerous territory, with countless creeks and rivers to cross, at the mercy of hostile Native Americans and outlaws. To make matters worse, the two men were in a race against time, needing to cover seventy miles to Corpus Christi to avoid being declared absconding by their own army.
To further worsen their plight, at a point during their grueling journey, they heard “the most unearthly howling of wolves.” They couldn’t see anything through the tall prairie grass, but they were convinced the pack was near.
Recalling the incident, Grant said they were certain that “the pack of wolves were mean and ready to devour our party, horses and all, at a single meal.”
At that moment, Grant was so scared that he wanted to turn around; in fact, he secretly prayed that his companion would suggest it, wanting nothing more than to escape to safety.
The other officer, being more seasoned than Grant, smiled and pushed on. “Grant, how many wolves do you think are in that pack?” he asked. Not wanting to seem stupid or cowardly, Grant tried to downplay the impending doom. “Oh, about twenty,” he remarked, trying to act nonchalant.
Suddenly, Grant and the officer came upon the source of the sound. There, resting comfortably with mischievous confidence, were just two wolves. So unnerved by a danger he had never faced until then, it had never occurred to him to question the racing of his heart or the imaginings of his mind.
Later in his life, Grant often recalled this incident when confronted by fear and anxiety, remarking, “There are always more of them before they are counted.”
So often, when surrounded by obstacles, we accentuate our fears and make the situation scarier than it really is. We undermine ourselves and overvalue the opponent. During such situations, always remind yourself that it is just your mind playing tricks on you, and there are always more of them before they are counted.
I shall conclude this post by quoting Swami Vivekananda:
”If we are ever to gain freedom, it must be by conquering nature, never by running away. Cowards never win victories. We have to fight fear, troubles, and ignorance if we expect them to flee before us.”