Breathe Magazine Issue 045 Edizione posteriore

Growth, adventure, emotional freedom. Some aspects of life seem naturally to be deemed worthy of taking up more room than others. But who gets to decide which is most important and why are some viewed as less deserving of space than others? Take fear, for example. It’s unlikely to top many a list headed ‘Things to make more time for in my life’ yet to deny it any room can inhibit personal growth, freedom and honesty
of expression.

As with most things, fear comes in different guises. Many will worry that a new business venture will fail, some that an attempt to learn an instrument will hit a duff note, while others will be anxious about whether they can get through the day. Fear is nothing if not personal.

It’s important, however, to acknowledge fear’s presence, its validity, to allow it to exist and to challenge why – as is the case with many so-called negative emotions – it’s frequently presented and perceived in a one-dimensional light. Emotions are, after all, nuanced. And how they’re viewed depends on background, family, cultural influences and society. They are rarely – if ever – all-good or all-bad.

On occasion, a fear will be borne out. A business will fold, an instrument will lie forlorn in an attic, the day will prove too much. But there’ll be plenty of times when the opposite is the case. Either way, to step forward is to grow – and that’s something for which there’s always more room.