In the TV series "Twin Peaks," arguably the most spiritual program ever to appear on American TV, there are two metaphysical houses:  the white lodge and the black lodge. There is one doorway to both, but the key is different for each. Major Briggs tells Dale Cooper that the key to the white lodge is love, and the key to the black lodge is fear. These are the same keys that determine what our world looks like every day. Every day we choose, with either love or fear, which lodge we live in.

Much has been written about good and evil, and we like to assume that some things are inherently evil, and therefore bad. But everything is part of the experience we create, both personally and collectively. Evil is not a naturally existing state that "just is" and will always be. It is born of choices that stem from fear. Evil, therefore, is just another word for fear.

So, what's the problem with fear? We all feel afraid at times. If someone points a gun at us, shouldn't we feel afraid?

Biologically, fear has its purpose. The saying, "There are old deer and bold deer, but there are no old, bold deer" applies here. Caution can be a virtue, if properly balanced with risk-taking. If no one ever took a risk, there would be no innovation. On the other hand, if you play in the street regularly, you'll probably get hit by a car. Fear as an instinct for survival is a necessary thing. However, once the danger has passed, the fear should also pass. Animals do not live in a constant state of fear. Humans can and do, because we internalize it.

When humans are exposed to an extreme, extended state of fear, it can incapacitate them. Soldiers in a war zone who are exposed to highly stressful conditions for a long period of time frequently suffer from mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. Fear changes who we are.

When we choose fear, it runs our lives. It influences every choice that we make and how we think. Our perception of reality is distorted by the lens of our fear. This leads us to make judgments and poor choices. It causes us to close ourselves off from other people. It increases the illusion of our separation from others. It encourages us to blame others for our situation, instead of taking responsibility for ourselves. It prevents us from healing.

Whatever we focus on, we create more of it. When we focus on our fears, the Universe will challenge us to heal them. The thing that we fear will come to us again and again until we can work through it. Perhaps you fear lack of money. This fear will perpetuate itself in your life, and you will experience this lack until you can heal it. Or maybe you're afraid that your romantic partners will abandon you. This fear will lead you to choose people who are more likely to do just that. Our fears shape our world.

If you really want to suffer, try personalizing everything that happens.
—Deepak Chopra

The other choice you can make, however, is love. So what does a loving choice look like?

When you choose love, you acknowledge your role in creating your reality. In essence, you take your power. Instead of seeing yourself as a victim of what you fear, you choose to view the events in your life as challenges that can be overcome. This requires trust on your part:  trust that the Universe, God, can and does support you. Love frees you to discover this trust. 

Where fear encourages us to see an external conspiracy that constantly works against us, causing us to feel more and more afraid, love shows us that there is a divine conspiracy to help us succeed and be happy. Love knows that the judgment of a thing is not the thing itself. Love knows that compassion is more powerful than indifference. Love knows that gentleness, with yourself and others, will produce more effective results. Love overcomes fear, allowing us to overcome our challenges with grace and ease, instead of struggling.

Love works because when you choose it, you open your heart. You cannot choose love without opening your heart. When your heart is open, you can connect with everything around you. Trust cannot live in a heart that is not open. And we must trust our path. We must trust that our divine purpose is completely, fully, unreservingly supported. We must trust that we cannot fail. Failure is not possible. There is only learning process, which is the gift that comes with our challenges. Embrace your learning process. There is a divine order in all things. It's our job to accept and trust this, instead of fear it. Then watch the doors of opportunity and happiness fly open all around you.

Related articles:

• Opening the heart
• We are One: The world is a reflection of you
• Out of control
• The voices of fear
• Letting go of violence
• Stuck in judgment ruts