Vivir con miedo es como vivir a medias
A life lived in fear is a life half lived.                
       ~ Spanish Proverb  

My whole life,
I’ve wanted to be brave.
I perch on the edge of cliffs,
I capture spiders.
I watch horror movies.
And most importantly of all, I never EVER cry in front others,
To prove to myself,
To prove to others,
That I am unafraid.  

But here’s the truth.
I am afraid.
I live in constant fear of what others think of me.
No matter how many roller coasters I ride,
Or new sports I try,
I can’t shake that constant need
To uphold my reputation,
To put others at ease,
To please.  

But the shackles of expectation feel looser now.
I don’t know if it comes with age,
Or that I am simply fed up,
But somewhere down the road,
A voice inside started whispering
It’s okay. You have permission to be yourself.
And it’s growing louder by the day.
It says, My God! Stop wasting time and start living your life!  

I want to climb to the top of the Pinnacles,
And scream my fears away.
Maybe if I scream loud enough,
They will fade,
Like echoes
Swallowed whole by the mountains.