Fear is a powerful motivator. It can be positive, as when fear keeps us from driving too fast or jumping off a cliff. It can be negative, as when fear stops us from speaking to people or taking opportunities that can change our lives. Fear can be a tool that keeps us moving toward our goal, or it can be a brake that keeps us from excelling.

I hear a lot of people who are against independence expressing fear about the future, or fear of what will happen to them and their families. This is not an irrational or evil impulse. Fear can stop us from going where we shouldn’t. But fear must be tested to see if it is in fact grounded in truth or if it should be set aside. 

The history of Alberta shows us wonderful examples of what can be done when people refuse to listen to fear and step out boldly into a greater tomorrow. The people who came and settled this land were confronted with a seemingly hostile environment. When John Palliser travelled through the land that now makes up Alberta and Saskatchewan, he looked at much of it and describe it as “more or less arid” and no good for agriculture. But when settlers got to this land, they rolled up their sleeves and found ways to settle, and not just to ranch but to farm and created a wonderful place that was worth calling home. Despite the difficulties of climate and logistics, people were willing to ignore the fear and build. 

The Bible has a powerful quote for us regarding fear: “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7) This quote could have been written particularly about the people of Alberta. The people who came here worked together, built strong communities, cared for and loved one another, and created a province that was not just prosperous, but pleasant and joyful. Alberta is a place where a spirit of fear is not the dominating spirit, and where people can work for the future and be bold with their dreams no matter what. 

But this lack of fear, this willingness to dare where others wouldn’t, can be lost. If we forget to look to the fearless people of the past, the people who built our province, and instead think about all the ways that we should be afraid or doubt about the future, then we will be unable to experience the fullness of what could be ours as a province in the future. 

Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a famous speech said that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” This is a true and powerful sentiment. It is the crippling fear of the unknown or of the future that would cause us to shy away from the great potential that we have as a province and future country. We have all the building blocks of greatness: We have a great history, great traditions, a great land, and great people. We have limitless possibilities if we will step up boldly and build for tomorrow. We cannot allow the potential for failure to be a reason not to try in the first place.

This leads us to an important step: If we try, we must commit. We cannot be half hearted in our endeavours, we cannot go for perfect safety. At some point we will have to step out in boldness and risk the potential of failure or pain to gain the great future that is possible. We have a great example. This is one of the things that truly makes us Albertans. This is why we are one of the greatest places to live on this earth. We have a heritage of independence, a heritage of boldness, a heritage of looking fear in the eye and saying that we prefer power, love, and a sound mind.