Lessons of Life

I feared being alone until I learned to like myself.
I feared failure until I realized that I only fail when I don’t try.
I feared success until I realized that I had to try in order to be happy with
myself.
I feared people’s opinions until I learned that people would have opinions about
me anyway.

I feared rejection until I learned to have faith in myself.
I feared pain until I learned that it’s necessary for growth.
I feared the truth until I saw the ugliness in lies.
I feared life until I experienced its beauty.

I feared death until I realized that it’s not an end, but a beginning.
I feared my destiny, until I realized that I had the power to change my life.
I feared hate until I saw that it was nothing more than ignorance.
I feared love until it touched my heart, making the darkness fade into endless
sunny days.

I feared ridicule until I learned how to laugh at myself.
I feared growing old until I realized that I gained wisdom every day.
I feared the future until I realized that life just kept getting better.
I feared the past until I realized that it could no longer hurt me.

I feared the dark until I saw the beauty of the starlight.
I feared the light until I learned that the truth would give me strength.
I feared change, until I saw that even the most beautiful butterfly had to
undergo a metamorphosis before it could fly.

~Bobbete Bryan