Look fear straight in the eye, and it will quickly hand you back your strength’ (my late grandmother)
We are often unwilling to admit our frailties and our weaknesses because of fear — fear that people will use those weaknesses to cause us more pain or do us more harm. But the truth of the matter is that fear only begets more fear.
Here’s another truth, though, if you don’t face your fear, it will eventually face you. It’s only always usually just a matter of time.
Your journey to self-knowing will have to begin with facing your fears, yes. And it will often not be easy because it will demand a level of in-depth, intimate knowledge of you. Such deep intimacy rarely happens without coming face-to-face with fears of one kind or another. But if you are wise (not lucky, wise) enough to face those fears and soldier on to know yourself, you will reap benefits that will astound you for years to come. Treasures of exceedingly high values are seldom discovered lying about here or wherever; they don’t litter the ground to be picked at will by all and sundry. Instead, they are almost always buried deep beneath the earth. Only someone with determination and patient can unearth them — think diamond, for example.’
The same goes for the benefits of facing our inner fears and demons to discover who we truly are.
Most things of exceedingly high values are often buried in unusual places!
I once read a story of a young boy of about nine who was bullied at school to the point where he became reclusive and barely spoke to anyone except his mother. Then one day, he watched someone played the violin. The music touched him so deeply that he told his mother he too wanted to learn to play that instrument. I am pretty sure the mother was afraid. What if it led to more disappointment — or bulling if he couldn’t see it through. But the boy had persisted. And eventually, she enrolled him in a course. Two years later, the boy was drawing crowds with his mastery of the instrument, and a few more later, he was playing on renowned stages in the world. Those who used to mock, ridicule and bully that precious boy stood on the sideline watching… in awe.
YOU are not what happened to you. A diamond encased in dirt is still a diamond, regardless!
