Fear is a lie we choose to believe. Because fear thrives inside of you and of me.
It robs us of life, and so many great things, when we stay inside and knowingly clip our own wings.
And we think that our fear is what keeps us so safe, telling us not to attempt anything great.
It’s safer to swim in the waters we know, then to venture to oceans or caves down below.
And it’s better and practical, even admired, to stay in a job where we are uninspired.
After all, we worked so hard just to be hired. But what happens when eventually, we hope to be fired?
We hope this because change requires a voice, and if it was forced, we would not have a choice.
It often seems better to stay then to lose, because fear keeps us there when we know we must choose.
The grass isn’t greener on certain sides, but what happens when you don’t see it with your own eyes?
When you don’t make mistakes or try something new, you will never know the joy that could be waiting for you.
Life is a sum of the chances we take, and there will always be choices that we must make.
But if we listen to voices inside our minds, telling us to have fear and stay afraid all the time, then we’ll never know just how far we can go, or the limitless options of things we can know.
And we’ll never know all the people we’ll miss, by not saying hello and keeping pursed lips.
And we won’t know what it’s like to feel very afraid and stand outside our comfort zones in an uncomfortable way.
And it sounds awful, it is, standing outside, but your zone will expand if you don’t tuck tail and hide.
And take it from me, the worst kind of afraid is the kind where you keep silent when there is much to say.
Because fear robs your joy and it steals all your thunder and if you let it, one day you will start to wonder:
What if you were younger in this day and age? Knowing all you know now would you still be afraid?
Would you be afraid to stand out on your first day of school? Would you color in the lines, or would you break a few rules?
Would you be afraid the first time you went on a date? Would you kiss him or her, or would you still hesitate?
What if you had to pass your driving test again? Would you be as nervous and scared as you were back then?
I doubt these things that were once so scary, strike fear in your heart. But imagine if you never stood up to start.
What if you had let fear dictate your moves? What would you have missed when you had nothing to lose?
I implore you to sucker-punch fear in the face and live in a way that makes you unafraid, to color beyond lines you’ve never missed, to go out on a date and give them a kiss, to drive for as long and far as you wish, and live life as if fear doesn’t exist.
Have a wonderful day!
