A Buddhist tale tells of the importance of facing things we'd rather not at times :
Three monks went toward a gate.
The first monk went up to it but a snarling beast was there. He shook with fear and ran but the beast ran after him and ate him.
The second monk went to the gate and also ran away but the beast caught up with him and gobbled him up.
The third monk approached the gate and sized up the beast quickly. He gave the beast no time to gnarl but charged at him yelling fiercely.
The beast whimpered, placed its tail between its legs and ran like mad away from the monk.
The moral of the tale is to face your fears before they eat you up.
Being yourself includes facing your fears and not letting them get the better of you, for as soon as you let fear run your life, you start marching to other people's tunes, often tunes aimed at making you subservient, obedient, and in conformity with their preferences.
Ponder on what your fears are doing to YOU.
Set yourself free.
Just for today
