FEAR vs. LOVE

"Fear is stronger than love." ~ Tupac Shakur

pregnant & beautiful at home 

Why? How have we found ourselves living in a society that values everything that we are not more than everything we are and have the potential to become. I've seen people (myself included) look love directly in the face and instead of accepting it run towards fear. People will declare to the universe what they want and when it has been revealed to them, they will reject it and complain about not having it. People will live their entire lives depriving themselves of happiness due to their fear of unhappiness because they fear their circumstances and unhappiness is all they know. We fear the unknown. We fear possibility. We fear memories from the past. We fear so many things.

People reveal fear in various ways, but the rarest way is blatant admittance of fear, probably because that's the most courageous. We express it through anger, blatant denial, avoidance, projection onto others, silence--everything but admittance. To admit fear would be to admit vulnerability and indirectly weakness. For many exposing oneself as vulnerable reveals weakness, but it is actually very much the opposite. Those who fear vulnerability degrade those who allow themselves to be vulnerable, but only to try to maintain a sense of pride, power and comfort. This response reveals fear to those who are comfortable with vulnerability.

I once told someone I loved them and in response they told me they hated me, not because they hated me but because they loved me and hated being put in that position. It made them address a feeling that they feared. In such a space we find the power struggle between love and fear. In some cases fear is stronger than love, and in other cases love is stronger than fear. It's not about the emotions, but more so the strength of those who possess the feelings. Just because something makes you feel awkward doesn't mean you shouldn't address it. Just because something makes you feel uncomfortable doesn't mean that you shouldn't accept it. Just because you cannot see the story that does not mean that you are not living it. Just be. With being, fear will come, but fear exists for the sake of protecting one's sense of safety and comfort. You have to allow yourself to live comfortably uncomfortable if you want to grow. Those who allow their lives to be dictated more by fear than by love may find comfort and contentment, but they will never keep happiness. It will appear, but it will never stay because they unknowingly repel its presence because of their focus on their fear of unhappiness as opposed to their love of happiness.

See you. Be you. Do more. © John Harris III
11.25.13

pregnant Constance Marie