Rochester, Minnesota - Our life as a human is complex. We exist in many dimensions – physical, emotional, social, occupational, educational, financial, political, spiritual - and many others. Each dimension adds a rich flavor to the soup of our experience. This complexity comes at a cost - we simultaneously defend many forts on several fronts. Unable to defend them all 24×7, we experience fear.

Fear makes us hyper-vigilant. It creates paranoia. A handshake isn’t enough. Word of mouth has little meaning. We need to test and verify and again test and verify, just in case.

I don’t like myself in this state. I don’t wish to live in such a world.

I would rather not live in fear. I choose not to live in fear. I accept I will get hurt. I will lose. That’s okay.

My fears do a poor job of protecting me. Over a lifetime, my fears have hurt me more than the potential hurt they might have protected me from. My fears are a trap – a reflection of my ignorance.

Shedding fear, however, doesn’t mean I will let go of caution. To be safe, I will still lock the door. But then I will sleep soundly. I choose not to be safe and miserable.

Our fears keep us safe and miserable. Use appropriate caution, and then let go of fear.