Trolley Thoughts: Fear Starts in Your Mind — Keep It There

Let your mountains be mountains — but only for a while.

If I put it very simply, there are only three steps I have to take to move to Italy. Somehow, last night, it felt like staring at three mountains that would take me weeks to climb.

Today, those mountains still look big but I feel like I could actually climb them.

Tomorrow, the mountains will probably look like they’ve shrunk. In a week, maybe they’ll be molehills.

What am I afraid of? I’m afraid it won’t work out. I’m afraid I won’t have the money. I’m afraid I’ll get the dates wrong. I’m afraid they’ll reject my student visa application. I’m afraid it’ll be too hard.

But all of these fears — even if they are a little bit likely — are just in my head. There’s no proof that they will occur.

There’s nothing wrong with being afraid or with the thoughts that tell you everything is going to be hard.

The problem is when you let the fears in your head seep into your reality. They sneak into your blood, become you, control you. Then it makes no sense.

I’m afraid of the process. But what would happen if I let my fear stop me? I just wouldn’t go? It seems ridiculous that I would stop…