Near the Edge

[Fear - VII]

Fear lives near the edge.

At the edge of the unexplored dark forest.
At the edge of the cliff of meaningful change.
At the edge of the horizon of uncertainty.

The consequence of fear is often negative. It stops us in our tracks. It derails progress. It can even be debilitating. But the fear—the sensation in our body that we must fight or flee—is not in itself bad. It often indicates a premature conclusion (which I’m thankful my ancestors, in an effort to survive, listened to.)

With patience, fear "matures”. And as it matures, it ripens. It becomes palatable and eventually, like an aged elixir, invigorates.

This is the brilliance of artists and creatives (and good leaders). They approach the edge where fear lives, and they wait and pace and even dance.

Ideas emerge.
Images manifest.
Solutions arise.
Alternatives come into focus.

The fear matures and their very best work happens.