Beyond fear
Fear drives most, more so than love ever did. You can't tame fear because it's ever-changing, never stagnant. It's like wandering through a labyrinth of mirrors. Even the dimmest reflections of an unexpected moment, and there it is, mocking what you owe to yourself: your triumph. Humans often construct mental images or visions of what they expect their lives to be. For some, the vision they've set for themselves is a different alternative to their present life. For some, it's what they know, what they've seen happen and nothing beyond. Then there are those born into lives that align perfectly with the limits of their imagination. If you are a part of the first group, then you very well know the downside of hope. Because oftentimes, you rebel against what you are familiar with. You rebel against your instinct of making a safe and guaranteed way through life, losing track of the big dream. The fears you face at this stage are cutthroat. You fear you've overestimated your potential, that you are a letdown for those who believe in you. You fear you are lagging behind people you know in status or just any other aspect of living a life. You start doubting if you were ever good at anything at all. Sometimes it is not fear itself, but the ‘fear of fear,’ a type of meta-fear, where the primary concern is not the object or situation that triggers fear, but rather the fear response itself. We tend to contemplate on something that is yet to happen or might not even happen. Much of what we fear may never come to pass, and even if it does, we often have more resilience and coping abilities than we realize. Even if we make it past the contemplation, we are struck with the fear of choosing to do it ourselves,feeling apprehensive about taking on new challenges, especially when they involve stepping outside our comfort zone. These fears impact you in two ways. They either paralyze you or empower you. Likewise, you handle them two ways: intrepid confrontation or resistance. Signposts are metaphors of transition or change in life. Passing a signpost might signify leaving one phase behind and entering a new one. Fear is one such signpost, not a stop sign. So, to those who dare to dream, know that within this crucible of fear, true resilience is forged. You will need a really great failure story to truly succeed. While facing fears may be difficult and uncomfortable in the short term, the long-term benefits often outweigh the temporary discomfort. In essence, this mindset shift allows us to embrace our fears. What started out as a pipe dream might just morph into a groundbreaking reality.