Tonight as I was sitting around, mind wandering, I realized something amazing. I’m not afraid anymore.
Let me say that again. I’m not afraid anymore.
I’m not afraid of being hurt. I’m not afraid of being vulnerable. I’m not afraid of relationships not working out. I’m not afraid of putting myself out there in the world.
I’m not afraid.
Powerful shit, right?!
I don’t exactly know when this happened. I’ve been going through something recently, and maybe this is an outgrowth of that.
Or perhaps it’s me finally recognizing that in life there is really so little that is in our control, so what’s the point of fearing something that may or may not come to pass.
Or maybe it’s just me realizing that despite a laundry list of things that have happened in my life that I would have preferred to have gone differently or ended better, I’m not only still alive and kicking, but stronger and wiser from having had those experiences.
This is not to say that I’ll never be afraid of anything ever again. I doubt that any of us could or should make a statement like that, lest fate test us promptly.
But more that I’m finally in a place in my life when I can say, well, how bad could it be? As long as I and those whom I care about are still alive to tell the tale, there’s still hope.
I’m standing in my strength and ready to face whatever challenges life brings my way. And that, my friends, is a very precious victory.