A Leap of Faith

Often, we allow fear to control our lives. Currently, the entire world lives in a constant state of fear. The unknown and the unforeseen have ways of controlling people and changing their behavior. Fear causes anxiety over the circumstances which we cannot control.

Growing up, I learned this fear from an incredibly young age. Our lives and actions were almost all controlled due to wars. As children, we were held back from behaving like how normal children do. At times, we were forced to grow up and think like adults, as circumstances were difficult. We learned to be responsible at an earlier age. We learned to emulate our parents because their ways were best.

As children of war, we were unable to explore as many young children around the world did. Fear kept us in a small circle of interaction. We were comfortable with being close to all that was known to us. We felt safe with being surrounded with things and circumstances that were familiar. The unknown might bring unwanted consequences, just as wars did. We became far too comfortable in our own safety.

As we grew older, it was difficult to adjust, especially when you relocate to another country. A place where all that you have known will no longer suffice for day-to-day living. A mere existence in a new country is a waste of opportunity, an opportunity not many people were lucky to have had.

It is easy for me to realize all such things now. But, when I was younger and in fear because of all the changes that had taken place as a new life was being introduced, I allowed myself to enjoy the comfort of my surroundings. It is basic human nature to survive, and on hindsight, I was on survival mode. That is how I learned to live my childhood. The sudden new changes were overwhelming. At times, it was difficult to deal with all the freedom and the opportunities. Therefore, my goal was set; focus on education. I felt that education was the key to a future I needed.

Education did help lead me in the direction I was aiming for. It opened doors to many places. However, it did not help me overcome my fears. I was feeling extremely comfortable with my state of being. As years went by, my inner self knew it needed more from life. My comfort-zone had to be expanded. My fears needed to be extinguished.

With the encouragement of a friend, I decided to travel to Europe alone. This was the first time I had gone on a vacation alone. It was not just travelling alone, it was meeting new people and creating memories, alone! Those who know me well were surprised at my decision. Many were encouraging, others thought I was not in my right mind. However, being alone, I was able to reflect on many aspects of my life. I had, for the first time, only myself and my own thoughts to think about. This by no means implies that people should be selfish, but there are times when we must try to heal our souls before we are able to help others heal.

Selfcare is a lesson I had to learn. It is a healing process I must maintain. I recommend that, if you can, take a leap of faith, explore; the world and most importantly, yourself. The truth I discovered was simple, something that I always knew deep down and was taught to me by my humble parents: happiness and beauty is found in the simple things around you. We just need to take few moments out of our fast-paced life and remember to reflect on all that is a blessing to us. Yes, life is not simple, trust me, I realize that more than you know! But we must keep hope alive inside our heart in order to determine the path we all must take, leaving all your fears behind.

What will your path be?
2020, somewhere in the United States of America