Week 17: Lessening Fear

"Fear keeps us focused on the past or worried about the future"

We are linked in our humanity the way the earth holds a tree, so that tree can hold a nest, so that nest can hold a bird, so that bird can drop a seed that will in time give birth to the next tree.

• Week 17: Lessening Fear
• The Book of the soul - 52 paths to living what matters by Mark Nepo 

I am not sure exactly when fear came into my life? It must have been during my childhood or early teens, and throughout life, my fear grew with me.  Becoming a parent delivered its own set of worries, and as the children grew, so did the concern.

Before children, my greatest fear was the loss of my parents. This thought of being untethered in the world began with a dull ache of worry, knowing one day I would have to face it.  Little did I realize, there were greater fears to come. 

It is often during the quiet moments that fear creeps in. As soon as my head hits the pillow, I imagine all the what ifs, and losing Ryan only magnified those alarms. Eventually, I understood that fear does not stop heartache, it instead hinders the moments of joy. 

I have learned to soften my fear through gratitude and meditation which helps reveal the power of the present. Gratitude offers an anchor to my worry, settling any negative thought that arises.  With each message of gratitude, I am witnesses the beauty of life.