for MaRoNa

i know a woman
i only learnt her full name today
she is as beautiful as a full moon
she holds fear in the centre of her being
like the moon holds water

one day i sat with her
and counselled her these simple ideas

i told her not to fear
life is hard to live
life is challenging
with every challenge we accept, that we learn from,
adds to the richness of our experience here,

it is okay to be afraid,
but do not let that regulate all you do in life,
otherwise you are not really living life
you are just surviving it and managing it

you have already lived through the things you fear
being cold
being sick
being alone
being forgotten

the things you fear most you have already lived through, survived
you know what they are
so moving forward, you can let go of fear
because there is nothing to be afraid of when you
already have proven you have staying power over what you fear

to fear what i have survived is a waste of energy
fear itself is a waste of energy
you have only 1 life to live right now
so to be afraid wastes that life

every opportunity you have, every choice you have
is a path, to all the infinite variations
of life that you can have in the now
you can open doors, follow paths, skip down untrodden trails
in the forest if you like
but nothing you do in the future has to be controlled
by your past, your future is unwritten, and therefore
you move forward creating a new destiny with every new choice
if you lived the past in fear
choose to live the present and future
in joy, compassion, adventure, strength, courage
and all the other wonders you have inside you
underneath that sheer blanket of fear
i can see all this in you
and i know you feel your greatness bursting to get out

so just let it

choose without fear
choose from strength
you are in a position of power
you answer to no one

your life is yours to live
and you have people who love you unconditionally
and people who will support you
and help you get your footing when the path seems uncertain
and give you encouragement while you find your stride

understand that life is exciting
full of an essence that can calm you
bring you peace and contentment and fulfilment
when you surrender to being who you are
and when you reject being bound
by what anyone tells you are your limits

you are limitless