This is in response to the Daily Prompt: Quote Me
Do you have a favorite quote that you return to again and again? What is it, and why does it move you?
6 years ago I read a book about a woman living in a small Norwegian town. I can’t tell you the title of the book, as I have forgotten it. I believe the book is being stored in my Jeep Cherokee behind an auto parts shop in Portland, Oregon. There is one quote in this book that is constantly wandering the back of my mind: “Fear is the possibility of freedom.”
When I am afraid, more often than not, it is usually because I’m about to put myself out there in a way that I have not yet gotten accustomed to. My muscle memory becomes useless; what I am about to do will not be comfortable. Things have floated to the surface and I’m about to deal directly with them, instead of pushing them aside.
Many times my fears are driven by other peoples expectations of my capabilities. Their expectations are generally based on stereotypes and a lack of creativity. When I can push aside other people’s doubts I am being true to myself and there is a freedom that comes with that. A freedom to answer to the only person that matters. If I didn’t constantly reach for this fear then I wouldn’t find myself in magical places off the beaten path.