Being afraid is one of the feelings that can remind us the most of how alive we are. Being afraid means fearing the unknown not for what it is but for the consequences it might have on you. So to resume, we are scared because we do not want to be the casualties of the "new".
Now having said that, danger might be imminent and even inevitable is certain situations however we always have a choice. Either to flee or to face that danger. Now in some cases, the first option is largely the preferable one, but in the common world where being onstage is terrifying, we can always try.
That is one thing I learnt, either you keep running or you stand. You wait for the storm to come. What is worse is the anticipation not the actual storm. I also learnt that it is never as bad as it seems and even if it was, as long as your are STILL standing after, you are the winner in the story.
To be totally honest, I am not saying we should face all of our fears because sometimes there can also be good in it. The fear of failure pushes certain individuals to the peak of their potential and the fear of being forgotten encourages artists to be original and to stand out. Sometimes, we do lose control of the fear we have and we let it reign over us, like puppets.
That is when we have got to learn how to say no. No to our instincts that push us to recluse areas that only we know and in which we feel safe. If we do not force ourselves to get out there and to sometimes take risks, then life becomes meaningless. Then the purpose of having a brain which allows us to explore our surroundings becomes null.
It is an extremely arduous task, to reassure ourselves that danger does not mean The End. As a student in the economic stream of my school, I can strongly say that the probability that you succeed keeps growing with the number of failures you encounter. Each failure can teach us what we cannot learn through achievements.
My father made me read a book, and if I were to explain the plot it would sound eccentric and ridiculous therefore I will not, but when he handed me that book he said "It changed my life". I was so sceptic you should have seen my face. I somehow decided I would still give it a shot, because if my father, whom I admire, learnt something from that then I could too. So I did. I read that book in an hour, it wasn't long. At the end of my reading I realised my father was right. This book was way deeper than I could have ever imagined. I truly started to understand the toll it had taken on my life when I found myself talking about it to a friend. This was mind boggling for me. How did that author, Spencer Johnson, know how to convey a message that was and still is changing my vision of the world?
How do you know what is waiting for you when you are too afraid to explore? How do you know that after difficulties don't come great rewards?
I am someone who gets scared very easily. I love responsibilities but when I have to start taking risks that might have long-lasting consequences I panic.
So, after I read that book, I realised every morning when I wake up, I have to ask myself the same question: What would you do if you weren't afraid?
I find this question so beautiful. It opened up my mind on all the possibilities I had never considered before. It allowed me to see that security and fear were not always the best options.
That was a long, messy thread of thoughts, but I got it out of my mind.
For people who are interested, here is the link to a video which is basically a short cartoon of the book I keep mentioning, I warned you, it is strange but it still captures the essence of the plot:
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