FEAR of the unknown

To be completely honest with you, I have not been myself the past week. Although it is beautiful outside, the family is together, we are getting ready to celebrate another mother's day, etc, I just can't seem to get out of this rut. I think a few of my closest friends have seen the changes in me so one of them invited me to coffee yesterday.... just to talk. Anyone who knows me knows that I can't turn down a hot Starbucks coffee when I'm having a bad day. When I got to the coffee shop she greeted me with a hug and a book. I immediately rolled my eyes and said, "Oh great, what is this, one of those 'please save me from going crazy' type of books?" She laughed at me and told me that I shouldn't be so hard on myself. She reminded me, like my mom does on occasion, that I am human and it's ok to feel weak, fearful, and confused sometimes.

As I started into my coffee I also started into the book. Each page has a quote based on a certain topic. The topics range from "emotions" to "resistance" to "what we want from others." This book tells it like it is. There is no beating around the bush and no touchy- feely quotes. They hold you accountable for your thoughts and feelings. This was exactly what I needed to make it through the day. Although I want to sit down and read them all at once, reading two or three each day has provided me with something to look forward to tomorrow. Today I read the quote titled "Fear". In closing I will leave you with these brilliant words to live by...

"Fear tells us to stop, to stay within the boundary of our protected cocoon-world. Yet when we feel fear, if we take even one small step toward it rather than yielding to our habitual pulling away, we move one step closer to the vast mind that lies beyond. When we feel fear, instead of saying "I'm afraid," thus reinforcing our identification with our fear as who we are, we can simply say,"Fear is present." Thus fear's power gradually dissipates, and we begin to free ourselves from it. When we simply experience fear just as it is-without our opinions, judgements, and reactions-fear is not nearly so frightening." -EZRA BAYDA-


Amy