Be bigger than your fears

I’ve grown so much since this day 7 years ago. Yet I remain the same restless and energetic soul that constantly questions the impossible.

I started a pretty intense journey for self-liberation when I discovered that *fear* is what limits me. Fear of failure, fear of being alone, fear of getting hurt, fear of rejection, fear of criticism, fear of not being good enough.

Those fears are very valid for those of us that face so many barriers that we get trapped in cycles of negative self-talk. It is so hard to break those cycles when society keeps beating us down and reinforcing those fears.

Sometimes the only way out is by embracing self-liberation and acknowledging that we are bigger than our fears. Mountains are the ultimate form of freedom for me, and they’ve taught me that I am much much bigger than I thought.

So much bigger that what started as a very personal journey of acceptance and healing, has shaped me into a community leader to support others doing the same. This past year has been particularly liberating as I connected with other people that share the same values.

Many of us have broken through, and together we are expanding from self-liberation to collective liberation. That expansion is what community in action mean to me.

We support each other when our fears trickle back in, and step into our power to address the barriers that instilled fear in the first place. I am so honored to be a part of this generational change that brings joy to more people.

I’m also excited to soon have the capacity and support system to push myself in the mountains and find new freedom. I’ve been building mental, emotional, and creative resiliency in my time as a PhD student and plan to bring that full energy to face new fears once I wrap up this chapter of my life.

Anyway, idk what the next 7 years of my life will be but I do know they’ll be rowdy af so long as I stay true to myself and to my community.

Nepal. March 2015.