Fear not the mutability of all things
for little is more beautiful than a fitting farewell.
Fear not your own limitations
for they are merely the perception of things yet to be attempted.
Fear not that which is yet unseen,
whether hopes or apprehensions,
for time exposes the invisible dreams of the soul and shows the monsters to be mere shadows of a greater truth.
Fear not the Past behind you
for though he seems to grip you unyielding, he can have no hold greater than that which you give him.
Fear not the Future ahead
for she is waiting patiently and is as kind as you believe her to be.
Fear not this present confusion
for always the present gives way to new and clearer realities.
Fear not the judgments of jaded men
for they have allowed themselves to believe lies and now hate the truth they see in you.
Fear neither the doomsayers nor the naysayers
for they have allowed themselves to fall victim to their own foolish thinking:
that life is the sum total of the choices of others.
They take no responsibility for their roles in the present and so must condemn the masses for their roles in the past.
Fear not your own humility
for though the proud and powerful may become like gods, it is the gentle who are loved.
And is it not better to be loved than to be gods?
Fear not the middle path
for many are those who decry it as lukewarm and easy,
but I tell you it is the more challenging way.
Avoiding the simple narrowness of extremes is a lonely road,
but those who traverse there are the more commendable for it.
Fear not the happiness of which you feel undeserving
for merit has no meaning or place in simple joy.
You wouldn’t deny others happiness so why yourself?
Fear not the cards in your hand,
fear not the stakes of the game,
fear not the well-lost chips after you cry, “All in!” and are beaten,
for the cards are not yours to choose,
the stakes can only be raised,
and your chips were never yours to keep.
Fear no liar.
You know the truth so be not swayed by anything less.
Fear not the admission of guilt
for there are few more worthy of veneration than the one who says, “I was wrong.”
Fear not your absence from the dazzling exploits of others
for often they look at your life with similar jealousy and it eats away at the soul.
Fear not the wisdom of silence when you see one who is loud and wrong.
You waste your time trying to win him over.
Some people only wish to be belligerent for belligerency’s sake.
They are terrified of being invisible and lash out for attention in the only way they know how.
You yourself have been one of them so you know how it feels.
Pity them, but do not give them what they desire for it will only fuel their sickness.
Fear not the word “yes,”
especially when saying it will remove you from the realm of comfort you mistakenly think is your home.
Comfort is no place for you to remain.
Fear not the word “no.”
Though others may ridicule you for using it, do not pay them undue heed.
Often they simply lack the resolve or strength of will to utter it themselves and therefore cannot understand why you should be so contrary.
And often they resent you, as though it were a malicious slight upon their reputation that you would dare decline their suggestion.
Do not let them sway you with their own unhealthy self-perceptions.
Fear not the well-placed act of recklessness
for Destiny smiles upon those who have the courage to be bold.
Fear not gratuitous generosity
for what is more honorable than kindness?
Fear not the vast, uncharted depths of Love.
Love is a bottomless chasm and when you throw yourself from the ledge upon which you have long stood,
you will not die,
but will learn to enjoy the everlasting fall.
Fear not the virtue of being lost
for adventure is what begins when the familiar has passed away.
Life is a forest teeming with possibilities unfathomable and we were made to be lost herein.
Your home is deep in Wanderlust’s consuming embrace
and always has it been so.
Heed her call when she beckons.
Fear not the tedium of the journey.
Foolish are they who resent the process.
Those who harbor only bitterness for the path will find only bitterness at its end.
Fear not the ignorance of others.
You can do little to widen any mind but your own.
Fear not the arrogance of others
for sad is the existence of one who believes himself superior to another.
Fear not the daunting nature of your dreams
for who is to say what you can and cannot accomplish?
You least of all are capable of guessing what your future holds,
but you alone are responsible for creating it.
Fear neither sickness nor injury
for things will come to pass over which you have no control.
This is not an evil; it is simply the way of things.
Fear not your own responsibility
for many are those who attribute their failures to others, but their successes to themselves.
Be unlike them for they are fools.
They have become the unwitting prey of toxic thinking and if they do not repent, they will suffocate under the unbecoming weight of Self-righteousness’ heavy hand.
Fear not that which you do not understand.
Too few are there who have given themselves up to Wonder.
The why of a matter is seldom as satisfying as the matter itself
so do not let yourself fall into the great debates concerning why.
Only frustration, anger, and division lie therein.
Fear not your demons.
They have less power than you imagine.
Fear not your convictions.
Take away all else and still these will stand.
Fear not the giants or their weapons of warfare
for small, smooth stones can be just as effective as sword and spear
and strength of character is of far greater import than the size of the foe before you.
Fear not the quiet rebellion.
Volume does not affect change faster than perfect integrity.
Fear not the healing of past wounds
for you were not meant to live as part of a whole nor were you meant to remain broken.
Forgiveness is conceived in the mirror and escapes through the door.
Fear not the sound of your own voice
for it is in speaking that we are known.
Do not think so little of your beliefs that you fail to give them life,
but take care to remember that others may believe differently.
Furthermore, let that disparity not affect the respect you ought to have for everyone.
Neither right nor wrong have any place in your relations with others,
whether friend or foe or lover.
Fear not Father Time
and do not think of Time as one who passes beside you;
think instead of Time as one who journeys with you.
While others do all they can to stave of the advances of Time, what if you embraced him?
What if you called him friend?
I tell you, there is no closer friend than Time.
Fear him not
for he is not your enemy if you do not wish him to be.
Fear not the pleasure you take in simple things
though others think you simple for it.
Fear not the brevity of a moment.
In an age where all is documented, to see a sunset and be moved without imprisoning it in photograph is a marvel not to be underestimated.
Know when to savor and when to save
and know the difference between the two.
Fear not the music that burdens your soul
for the soul poured out in song is never a bad thing.
Fear not the kind voice of Honesty.
Heed her and do not silence her
for she speaks out of love and not malice.
But beware her twin sister who is malevolent as Honesty is kind.
Though both speak truth, only one speaks out of love for you.
Know whom to heed and whom to disregard.
Let hateful words fall to the wayside and jade your heart not
for what good is truth that destroys?
I tell you, it is worse than a lie!
Fear not the praise of others.
Gratefully accept it and do not belittle it
for if anyone deems what you have done to be praiseworthy, who are you to say that his opinion is meaningless?
But be wary of flattery
and take care that pride finds no home in your soul.
Fear neither hard work nor complete rest.
It is not good to forsake either
for they are at their best when there is a balance between them.
Fear not that peace which you do not understand
for peace can be fleeting.
Do not waste its gracious presence by seeking to explain it.
If you manage to illuminate for yourself its meaning, but it dissipates as soon as you have done so, what good was the elucidation?
It has only robbed you of joy.
Fear not the task set before you
for you were born for such a time as this.
Leave no rock unturned, leave no love unspoken, leave no kindness unshared, leave no story untold, leave no song unsung, leave no pain unfelt, and so much as it is in your power, leave no life untouched
* * * *
Be not afraid, my friend, of that which others fear,
of your own mistakes,
of your faults, your flaws,
for they are merely a footnote in the great saga, that is, your life.
And you are merely a footnote in the biblical epic, that is, history.
And history is merely a footnote in the unfolding story of the universe yet to be told.
Be not afraid, my friend, for this is all you are given.
And it has been given.
Do what you will with what you have,
but whatever you do, let it be done intentionally.
Go. Do.
And be not afraid.