Fear is always near like an ill advisor to the king whispering rumors of conspiracy, war and betrayal. We brush him away and try to listen to the wise and thoughtful but Fear’s voice is insidious and persistent. Fear is always there; ready to shove another folder of misinformation in your face. He is ready with pie charts, graphs, audio and video tapes of past conversations, past mistakes, and a list of damages. He is always whispering, “Sir, I really think you should take a look at this” and more often than not we do. In our heads we study the charts, we watch the video, and we listen with headphones to the audio – trying to gain new meaning, some new understanding.
But passion, passion is different. Passion comes into the room knocking over pie charts, dropping popcorn all over the place while watching the video, crashing into tables full of surveillance photos the whole time unaware of the seriousness of the situation. He moves lightly. His beard peppered and untamed, his hair clownish and unaware. His eyes sparkle and dance like sunlight off of the ocean. He moves through the room saying “wow! What a great pie chart! Hey, who took this picture? Is that you? Wow you look great.” He bounds up to your throne. Fear is there; dressed in his black three-piece suit, white starched shirt and red “power tie.” Passion pats fear on the back, “hey good to see you again” and then quickly turns away and focuses on you. Fear is showing a video of you at a talent show singing off key at 13 but with conviction. Fear is trying to teach you why it is bad to take chances. “Think of all the horrible things kids said about you behind your back. Remember all of the ridicule you received” he hisses. Passion smiles, “Hey I was with you when you did that. Man, that was great, you really knocked’em dead kid with that one.” He watches the video of you at 20 when you decided to take a month off and cross the country. “God that was a fun trip, it was just you and I back then. We were so free! Woo hoo! What an adventure that was.” Fear is whispering in your ear now, “but sir, remember you missed out on 6 months of managerial training. You could be further up the ladder by now if you hadn’t listened to him. Your bank account would be far more impressive. Now you are so far behind.”
Passion throws you a backpack and says, “lets go.” You look around the room, what is he talking about? You shout “are you insane? Didn’t you read the report? We can’t go out there. I could lose everything! I could be ruined!” Fear Whispers with his cold lips, “Sir he is obviously an idiot. He has no idea of the risks, the danger, and don’t forget the very real chance of DEATH. I mean seriously sir, just look at him.” Passion is on the floor sitting on a pie chart and spinning in a circle. Passion jumps up walks straight and confident and says, “Come with me.” All is quiet in the room. His eyes smile at you. Fear leans in towards you his lips once again against your ear but this time Passion silences him with a stare and a raised hand. Like a child pleading with his parents for one more ride on the roller coaster he grins a reckless grin and says, “Come with me.” The room is quiet, even the sun awaits your reply.
How many times do we choose to stay in our decaying castle, rotting, but maintaining our illusion of security? How many times do we listen to the voices telling us it is too dangerous to try, too unsafe to venture out, too reckless to dream. We think we are being safe. We think we are making the wise decision but in the end we disintegrate waiting for an attack that never comes, building our fortress ever higher never realizing that we have locked ourselves in.
Look at all of the people around you controlled by fear. Why do we all have the friend that stays in the bad relationship, job, partnership…etc? We talk to them, hold their hand when they cry, agreeing with them that the situation is intolerable and they are such a saint to deal with it. But what happens the next day? They go back! WHY? Fear is there whispering “but what if this is the best you can do?” “What if you can’t make enough money starting the business you really want to do? What if it fails? What if people make fun of you” – We listen.
Think of all the wonderful opportunities that come to our door that we pay no attention to. Think of all of the compliments we get and shrug off and pay no attention to….but FEAR…..yes we always fall silent and listen intently to his voice. How often do people see fear clearly for the first time when they are dying? Upon the realization that their life is over do they finally see fear for what he truly is, a thief; a thief whom they have let into their house and live amongst their dreams and loved ones. There is no one to blame except themselves and at the end of their life they are like a family coming home on Christmas Eve finding everything gone, everything taken while they were out. As we stand in our empty house at the end of our lives filled only with the memories of the trains we did not catch, the buildings we did not build, the songs we did not sing does fear open the door once more just to wink at us? When we grab for his hand do we find nothing but dust and shadows?
The greatest fear I see today is not a culture consumed with a fear of death but a culture consumed with a fear of life, a fear of living. Dostoyevsky said, “Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most.” Today and every day is the day for you to start stepping out of line and blaze a new trail. You will fall, you will fail, and you will have angry hostile people waiting to yell and scream you down but this is not their journey, this is not their song. They are fear-mongers and destroyers, they are not creators. You can only fail if you stay down – if you quiet your song. Let the cold whisper of fear dissipate in the wind and let your life be heard. Somewhere in the depths of your soul Passion has his arms outstretched and his eyes smiling bright, “Come! Come, boy! Grab your backpack. It’s not too late. Come on…..lets go!” Even the sun awaits your reply.
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