fear factor

doctors (and parents posing as doctors!) claim that one of the worse activities for the brain is watching television; that even educational programs on tv create a passive brain experience. hmmm.. whatever.. i’m not really into watching tv. i’d rather pass time browsing the web, if not cleaning the house on my free time .. except for a few programs that interest me – the likes of "the shield" and "the practice" (this is the closest i can get to being a criminal lawyer, something that could have been my fate had i heed mom's demand). when i chance upon them, i stay on awhile, watch until i’m able to get a gist of the story so i can draw my own closure for the issue. then i'm out.

but not when it’s "fear factor" time -– with this, i am totally a fan! i would even declare hunger strike just to make sure i catch the show from opening to closing credits.

no, i don’t love brutality; in fact, i don’t exactly enjoy seeing the participants battle with their emotions. i just can’t help but wonder how they would survive the call to stare fear in the eye. perhaps i'm hoping to get tips on what to do in case i get into such gruesome situation.

"IMAGINE A WORLD WHERE YOUR GREATEST FEARS BECOME REALITY."

that’s the show’s opening remarks.. as if we’re in a world where our greatest fears aren’t real yet?!

"IF YOU'RE TOO AFRAID TO ATTEMPT A STUNT, YOU'RE ELIMINATED;

IF YOU TRY BUT FAIL TO COMPLETE IT, YOU'RE GONE."

well, isn’t that, in actuality, the deal in our daily life??? makes you think if this whole experience we are into is just a tv program disguised as ‘human existence’.

i’ve been through / going through a few bold “stunts” in this life. pretty much, i can say i’ve had a taste of some fear factor episodes where the prize at stake is not $50,000 like what that show promises, but something more precious -- i call it peace of mind, side by side with peace of heart. grand, eh?
in some, i won unmatched; in others, i took the walk of shame, but only to run into a new stunt where, again, i would win based on my definition. it’s a cycle that goes on and on while i continue to choose to live.

i guess that’s where my fondness for the fear factor show comes from – it psyches me that no one shall perish in our struggles in this world if only we know how to put mind over matter.. that it’s not always the strongest that wins; many times, it’s the underdog who is the most focused.. that each daring stunt in life may afford us some serious pain, but it's all calculated risk, and those who don't hold back on their abilities can breathe a sigh of relief in 3 minutes, so to speak.

most of all, the show reminds me not to dip my hands on "stunts" that aren’t mine to even try. remember the warning:

"THEY ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED BY ANYONE, ANYWHERE, ANYTIME."

just conquer your assigned fear and you’ll advance.

nice realization from a relatively inhuman program, huh! definitely a need-to-know for those who easily give up.. and i thought watching tv is a no-brainer exercise?!

so, in a nutshell, life is a tv show??? that you’re either a participant or a viewer???

if indeed it is, dare to win where you're a participant, more so if fear confronts you. if you’re a spectator, choose to learn a valued lesson; coz in this case, you can’t change the channel.

but don’t fret; have no fear. bear in mind what my favorite pilot wants me to believe: all fears/hurts come to pass..

i trust it will, captain.. then evidently, every episode of our reality show shall end with us hearing the seven last words of these modern times:

FEAR - IS - NOT - A - FACTOR - FOR - YOU!

a s l i f e g o e s o n ..