Don’t be afraid of anything… except fear itself.

Each one of us, as earthly beings, has their own fears (some fear failure, some fear heights, some fear depths, some fear public speaking, etc.). While the most common fear for all and undoubtedly the greatest for each of us is the fear of death. However, as much as the instinct and desire to live are innate and natural for everyone, just as true and unavoidable is the “inescapable” penalty of death for all of us who are born.

Regarding the fear of death, it is worth quoting a statement from one of the greatest thinkers of humanity, Socrates: “To fear death, my friends, is to create the perception of oneself as wise… without being so. This is because death, for each of us, is as unknown as it is inevitable… Can there be a more shameful ignorance than to think we know what we do not know and to believe we can avoid what we cannot avoid?”

In my opinion, not only should we cultivate the absence of fear of death (fear of death is like the proverbial ostrich, which thought that burying its head in the sand could avoid being pecked by enemies), but we should also periodically and regularly practice reflection/meditation on death. In fact, reflecting on death as an inescapable reality for all of us has rejuvenating effects on life in its two dimensions. On the one hand, it makes us reflect about our life priorities, valuing and dedicating ourselves to things that truly matter in life, such as health, family, hobbies, and passions. On the other hand, it makes us more considerate, more modest, more virtuous, less selfish in our relationships with others, contributing to the cultivation of higher-quality relationships—thus avoiding unnecessary arguments and meaningless conflicts that cause stress and resentment in each of our lives.

Each of our fears contributes negatively to two important dimensions of life:

1. In (not) experiencing the experiences we desire to have but avoid due to the respective fear, living our only life in mediocrity and with a sense of unfulfillment (e.g., someone, due to the fear of depths, never experiences the joy of deep-sea diving, someone, due to the fear of failure, doesn’t pursue their talent or passion, someone, due to the fear of heights, doesn’t experience the pleasure and convenience of traveling by plane, etc.);

2. Our personal and professional growth and development because only when we confront our fears and triumph over them, we strengthen our character and grow in personality on a personal level, and we self-improve and grow professionally.

If you genuinely desire self-realization, character strengthening, personal growth, and self-improvement in every aspect (personal and professional) of life, then start planning to do the things you wish to do but have avoided due to fear, cultivating and practicing the mindset of not fearing anything… except fear itself.