Fear is a stealthy stalker. Invisible. Scentless. Soundless. It slips in and takes up residence without our even realizing it’s arrived.
All of which makes it hard to realize it is present and holding us in its thrall. And then, without warning, we catch ourselves holding back from stepping out, turning away from an open door, hiding in the shadows of some dark and heavy thought. If we’re lucky, if we’re awake enough, we become aware of its presence and its sinuous tendrils clinging to our every thought and action.
It is then we have a choice.
To live in fear or Love.
.I started this Dare Boldly: No matter your age series because I did not want to fear ageing. I wanted to dance in wondrous gratitude with all I am and all I am becoming as I continue this ageing and ageless journey called, my life.
Yet, until I started focussing my thoughts on daring to age boldly, I hadn’t realized how much fear was also present.
What a wonderful gift. To become aware of fear inviting me to shy away from being all I am in this moment right now. To become conscious of how fear was keeping me from true and full self-expression.
It isn’t that I’m afraid of ageing. Intellectually, I know ageing happens. It is a natural outcome of living.
The thing I’m afraid of is the consequences of ageing. The tangible, visible, hard-to-ignore evidence that time is having its way with my body
And here’s the thing, in writing and talking about it I am learning to embrace my fear, to welcome it in as a co-conspirator of my awakening to the wonderful gifts of ageing. They are all wrapped up in the beauty of each breath, each heartbeat, each step I take every day. They arrive n the beauty of each day’s awakening. The gentle slumber of each night’s rest and all the in-between moments where I am free to express myself, move, and be myself in a world of beauty, wonder and awe.
The more I meditate on and write about fear of ageing, the more I recognize it as a companion on this path.
The more I also realize, fear doesn’t have to lead the way.
That’s my heart’s job.
Like the pistons converting fuel into energy and pumping it through the engine of a car, my heart converts all I experience, all I know, all I am into the energy that fuels my body, my life.
My heart knows the way. It has the beat. It is the rhythm of my life. And, when I get out of its way, fear loses its grip and fades into the background chorus of my heart joyfully beating its song of love.
In that place, I become fearless in fear’s presence.
Dare Boldly 
LG, not to critique – but to add …
I think fear – is ‘FalseEvidenceAppearingReal’ quite often, but understandable at any age and during any week of dour headlines
I think framing our thinking, not in fear or absence of fear, but in ‘abundance OR scarcity’ is helpful. We think scarcity, that begets fear and anxiety; if we start from an appreciation of abundance, our outlook is cheerier and we are likely see more abundant opportunities.
Keep up the good writing – it’s seem’s you’ve shifted gears recently, more positivity – and it looks good on you …
Mark
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That is always such an interesting phrase “FalseEvidenceAppearingReal”. It contains both truth and falsehood! 🙂 Because sometimes, fear is our motivator to get out of danger’s way!
I do appreciate your perspective and your comments — it is what makes these conversations rich — and learning from each other is vital to growth!
Hope you are well too btw – Your writing is deep! ❤
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Thanks Louise – I appreciate your kind words; I’d clarify and say ‘clearer’ rather than deep necessarily. I LOVE my AHD meds ..
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