When you are afraid of crying
It is time to embrace sobbing
For fear must be swept away
In the flood of your soul’s tears.

When you are afraid of speaking
It is time to shout at the top of your lungs
Until you have eliminated fear’s voice
And have replaced it with your own.

When you are afraid of moving
It is time to use all your energy to dance
With all your passion and your strength
As your limbs pummel fear into submission.

When you are afraid of the world
It is time to step into it and force yourself
Beyond who you were when held in your box
And push back at fear with your every breath.

When you are afraid of seeing yourself
It is time to strip naked and stand in front of the mirror
Until you can see the beauty in your every scar and bruise
And prove to yourself that fear no longer cloaks you.

When you are afraid of pausing and being still
It is time to give your body, mind, and spirit
The gift of stillness so that you will be mindful
Of the infinite worlds beyond fear.

When you are afraid to seek help
It is time to allow yourself to be loved
And celebrate it as a source of great strength
That will restore all that fear had hidden from you.

© 2017 by John David Higham: All Rights Reserved