In my experience, I have found that what I reject out of fear is actually a portal that I’m supposed to walk through. I was taught that fear is something negative. That I’m not supposed to walk toward, but something to avoid. So, I avoided all the parts of myself that I was told to hate. My shadows. Even things I felt in my soul were truth, I avoided because of what someone else might think of me. Or because it challenged things I’d learned throughout my life. I harbored deep loathing for myself because I pretended to be what others expected me to be while desiring to simply be myself. As I reflect on my life this beautiful Becoming morning, I can clearly see where facing fears in the past was what I needed to do, but I pushed it away. And that portal would come back around. Over and over until I surrendered to it. Whether the fear was around religion, being too much, being not enough, detox, healing, magick, or sex, everything I suppressed has found another way to come forward. What I’ve learned through my own experience is that if I encounter something that I fear, I might automatically dismiss it. But I usually catch myself and reframe it to: I’m not ready for this today. This leaves the door open to explore later when it might begin to resonate. I use this photo because I have an enormous fear of roller coasters. Yes, I went on this coaster. No, I did not think it was fun. But my hubby did. You can see him at the back of the train. Having the time of his life. I found that there were coasters I enjoyed. Because I experienced them. Instead of standing outside of them, I dove in and rode them. It was okay to like some and not others… at this time. But there may be a day where I can love them all. The same stimulus that I fear is something loved by someone else. It’s not about the content of the fear, it’s about the internal reason for the resistance. Following the thread of the fear back as far as you can see it will help you understand why it’s even there.