Fear

We say it so often: I'm afraid of being a failure; I'm afraid of failing.

Notice the difference between those two! 

Notice your own self-image.

And I think it's not really a fear of failure.  It's a fear of not being perfect. Not achieving perfection.

Although we do admire and love people who are clearly not perfect. They even have faults! [ :) ] 

We love them anyway, and admire them, and respect them.

But we fear our own worthlessness. So we have to overcompensate. And if we fail ... !!

It just means that we are human. 

It feels to me that we are born willing and happy to share. In fact, some insist on sharing their every thought and feeling. And remain that way all their life.

But there are others who learn early on, even before the end of their first year on earth,  that being vocal is dangerous. You might become the focus of anger and abuse. Sharing what you feel can result in ridicule, and shame. Or indifference - which might be even worse.

Those become the silent people. They may be raging inside, [and it can manifest in many ways, sometimes very creatively!] but beneath the rage is a great sadness. They grieve their loss of connection with others, the outer world. And to escape the grief, they avoid their own inner connection, too. The invisible people. They exist, but they do not LIVE.

For those people, learning to share takes great courage. 

I was told, by my self-mastery friend, Nigel Henry, to replace the word 'fear' with 'excitement'. Imagine it like a booster rocket: shivering, trembling, with a huge energy potential. It can take you to the stars!  - or as far as you're willing to go :)   We need that 'fear' to be able to unstick ourselves from our comfortable niche, where we hide.

Watch out, though, for the pressure-cooker lid!  [I've found drumming to be a wonderful outlet. More on that later]