Self knowledge is not easily acquired; not by a long shot. It takes tenacity, strength, and courage to travel to the darkest interior of one’s self. Goodness, who knows what we might find there? J.R.R. Tolkien, writer of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings Trilogy, advised us that “It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him.”
As I believe our dragons are our fears, our shadow stalkers, our night sweats, I could not agree more with Mr. Tolkien.
· Fear of the Unknown
· Fear of Failure
· Fear of starting something new and not finishing
· Fear of rejection
· Or the real fear, the ones that sends shivers up our spines: the fear of succeeding, of becoming who we were truly meant to be and facing the changes that it will inevitably bring.
We might not be happy with the way we are living now, but at least we are comfortable with its familiarity.
When we begin our true journey of life, we don’t know where we are headed and it is terrifying. Old dreams are resurrecting, new desires are wooing. Instead of clarity, we feel disoriented, befuddled. At moments like this, it is comforting to consider the belief of one of my favorite Poets T.S. Elliot: there is really NOTHING to fear from self-awareness because at the end of all our personal exploration, we will arrive back exactly where we started and know in our hearts that we finally belong there. You see, all roads lead to where you already are.
Mothers and Fathers have always known how to deal with dragons hiding under beds or lurking in closets. We turn on the lights and reassure worried souls with love. We need to slay the dragons in our minds in the exact same way.
So today, dear readers, when you feel frightened or unsure about the future, join me in picking up a double edged sword of light and love. Always remember, it’s simply not an adventure worth telling if there are not any dragons. Just know that, at the end of your journey, you will live happily ever after.
Sending you Light and Love
