I Chose To Tell Myself

“I knew that if I allowed fear to overtake me, my journey was doomed.

Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told.

I decided I was safe.
I was strong.
I was brave.
Nothing could vanquish me.

Insisting on this story was a form of mind control, but for the most part, it worked.

I simply did not let myself become afraid.

Fear begets fear.
Power begets power.
I willed myself to beget power.
And it wasn’t long before I actually wasn’t afraid.

I was working too hard to be afraid.”

~ Cheryl Strayed, Wild