Here is my story about facing fear and how a young student took up the challenge brought by her teacher:
Once there was a young warrior.
Her teacher told her she had to do battle with fear.
But the young warrior felt reticent and resistant to this.
It was scary, overly aggressive and an overwhelming idea.
But the teacher insisted on this assignment and decreed it so.
The day of the ensuing battle arrived.
The young warrior stood on one side; fear stood on the other side.
She felt small and contracted as she stood before fear, and her breath caught in her throat.
Fear stood over her looming large and full of heated energy.
The young warrior let out her breath and, breathing slowly and deliberately, presenced herself before fear.
She bowed before fear three times and asked, “May I have permission to do battle with you?”
Fear replied, “Thank you for showing me the respect of asking me permission. And, yes, I grant you permission.”
The young warrior hesitated and listened to the silence within her, breathing gently and steadily into the moment.
Fear stood waiting.
And the young warrior had a vision, which she decided to act on.
She saw herself at the peace table with fear, quietly conversing.
She took another breath and let it out as she steadied herself and looked into the eyes, with fierce conviction blazing in her heart.
“I have changed my mind. I would rather extend you an invitation than do battle with you.”
Surprised and curious, fear asked, “What is your invitation?”
“Let us sit down together and make peace instead,” she offered to fear.
Suddenly, all of the tension in the air dissipated, as fear’s stance shriveled in front of the young warrior’s very eyes.
The two adversaries sat together at a table and made peace with one another.
The young warrior saw the power and value in fear.
And fear saw the power and value in the young warrior.
In their recognition, they each accepted each other unconditionally.
The young warrior returned to her teacher.
She asked, “What do you think of my solution to doing battle with fear?”
The teacher replied, “The solution was always inside of you. You only had to find it.”
