The ideas that live the longest stick around for a reason. Here is one such idea from Plato:
As children, we are afraid of the dark. Now as adults, we are afraid of the light. We are afraid to step out. We are afraid to become more.
Can you remember the days you were afraid of the dark? The days that you didn't want to go in the basement or look under the bed?
(I sure as hell remember never wanting to go downstairs in case a burglar had broken in!)
That fear seems to have drifted away...
Is the fear gone? Or has it just been replaced? Plato says that our fear has not been overcome, but our fear has only migrated. It's transferred from a fear of one thing to a fear of another.
As adults, there is no boogieman to hide from. There are no monsters in the shadows. There is no burglar hiding downstairs. There is nothing to run from.
But our fear has shifted, away from what we ran from, and onto what we run towards. We're not scared of what's behind us, but what's ahead of us. We're scared of our futures, our callings, our next steps.
We're scared shitless by where we're headed. We're scared shitless by the part of life that is in broad daylight.
We sense there is more meaning to our lives that we're living. We sense a greater purpose. And we sense that we could go out and get it, and that feeling scares us shitless.
That feeling should scare any person shitless. That sensation is immense, so massive, so veiled, so illusive, so overpowering. We sense that there is more to our lives, but we have absolutely no idea of how to get there.
We look at the mountain of life that we're supposed to climb, knowing that we're supposed to head to the top, yet we don't know how to get there.
We're working a dead end job, but know we're destined for more. What do we do? We're in an average relationship, but know we're destined for more. What do we do? We're in an average life, but know we're destined for more. What do we do?
The distance between where we stand and where we feel called to travel seems impassable.
Our futures are in front of us, in broad daylight. And they scare us shitless.
I'm here to say, it's okay to be scared shitless. Your calling is so massive, it ought to make you feel like pooping your pants or getting sick. Accept it. Embrace it.
But step into that unknown regardless. Step into the world of uncertainty. Take a risk, make a change. Do what you wouldn't normally do. Become who you aren't becoming. Become who you should become.
It doesn't matter that you don't know how to get there, follow that inner voice. Climb your mountain. Take a Risk. Step into your future.
Accept the fear of what's ahead of you. But decide to move forward regardless. Go out into the world and step into your destiny!!