Fear

 “It is said that before entering the sea

a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,

from the peaks of the mountains,

the long winding road crossing forests and villages.

And in front of her,

she sees an ocean so vast,

that to enter

there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.

The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.

To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk

of entering the ocean

because only then will fear disappear,

because that’s where the river will know

it’s not about disappearing into the ocean,

but of becoming the ocean.”

–Kahlil Gibran, "Fear"

In Kahlil Gibran's poem "Fear," the river represents the human journey of battling fears and accepting change. As it approaches the vast ocean, it pauses to reflect on how far it has come and how difficult it was to get to this point. The path it took had its share of challenges and beauty, but, everything up until this moment, is about to be left behind because turning back is not an option since this life's journey offers no escape. 

The river needs to plunge into the unknown in order to proceed. Once it blends with something bigger than itself, it starts to accept and understand that its brave deed was all part of the process. It did not vanish in the expanse of the ocean but it embraced it and became a vital part of it which opened the river up to all the space and beauty the ocean has to offer. 

Overcoming fear can feel impossible and crippling. It is heavy and confining as it weighs you down and blocks the view to how it can be conquered and even transform you if you find the strength to face it. Choosing to stay in its existence will never allow you the space or freedom to discover your inner wisdom and see life as trials and tribulations that must be lived and dealt with to keep a healthy and consistent flow during your journey here on Earth. 

Whether you are in the winding river, plunging into the ocean, or basking in the wide open sea, you will face or have faced fear to get there. The path doesn't tell you that it is vital to hold tight to your confidence but the water moving you along will remind you that each and every wave is necessary in the process of finding and keeping yourself not only sustainable but happy in that ocean.