It's Halloween.
Tonight people dress up as ghosts and monsters and laugh about being scared.
But the fears most of us carry around don't come in costumes.
They're quieter.
They sit in the stomach and follow us into bed.
So let's spend six minutes with No yours.
jump scares, I promise.
Just you, a warm fire, and some breathing room.
Get comfortable.
Let your eyes close if that feels If okay.
you'd rather keep them just open,
let them rest low.
Breathe in slowly through your nose...
And let it out through your mouth, like blowing something on hot.
In again...
And out...
letting your shoulders come down from your ears.
Now let the fear come up.
The one that's been nagging you lately.
You probably don't have to look far.
Put it into one sentence.
Plain and honest.
"I'm scared I'll fail."
"I'm afraid of being alone."
"I'm scared they'll leave."
Say yours quietly, just to yourself.
You don't have to argue with it.
You don't have to be ashamed of it.
It's just a fear, and you're allowed to have it.
Notice where you feel it in your body.
Maybe a tight throat, or a knot low in your belly.
Just notice.
You don't need to fix anything yet.
Now let's give that fear some room.
As you breathe in, imagine the space around it getting wider.
And as you breathe out, let the edges of it soften.
Breathe in...
more space.
Breathe out...
the fear gets a little less sharp.
Picture it like a small dark cloud inside a very big sky.
The cloud is still there.
But look how much sky there is.
You're the sky in this picture.
You're so much bigger than the fear is.
If your mind starts spinning the old story again, all the what-ifs, that's okay.
It's done that for a long time.
Just come back to the breath and the big sky.
Now look for the brave part of you.
It's still in there.
It got you out of bed on hard days.
Where does it live in your body?
For some people it's the chest.
For some it's the belly, or the spine, or the soles of the feet.
Wherever you find it, imagine a small warm glow there.
Like the fire in this room.
Steady and golden.
With each breath in, it gets a little brighter.
With each breath out, it spreads a little further.
Say these slowly, one at a time.
I can feel afraid and still be brave.
I've been scared before, and I'm still here.
Now think of one small brave step you could take this week.
Small is A better.
message you've been A avoiding.
question you haven't asked.
Picture yourself doing it.
Your hands might shake You a bit.
do It it anyway.
doesn't have to go perfectly.
it Honestly,
might go a bit awkwardly.
Doing is it all the brave part,
and the fear usually shrinks once a little
it sees you moving.
Rest by the fire for a little while.
Warm glow inside.
Lots of sky around the cloud.
Listen to the wood crackle and the wind outside, and let yourself feel safe
in here.
If the anxious feeling flickers back up, that's alright.
Rest a hand on your belly and breathe slowly until it settles again.
Okay.
Let's come back.
in deeply...
And let it go.
Move your fingers.
Roll your shoulders back.
Maybe put a hand on the place where your courage lives.
When you're ready, open your eyes.
Tonight, while everyone's pretending to be scared, you actually faced something.
Enjoy your evening,
and keep that step in mind.