Just heard about a brave TV weather presenter who was employed in the currently heavy regulated media in the US. She became increasingly upset with the channel's lack of reporting sound news and faced the option to either speak out or leave the toxic environment. After her inner turmoil mounting she decided to act. She mingled her message of truth into a weather forecast which was indeed a very original way of protest but also one that of course cost her the job. She is now happily working at another media outlet and has experienced more positive things in her life than ever before. It was with great anxiety that she took the step of no return, but as she says now, never let your fear bind you into a situation that makes you cringe as it will eventually only destroy you.
Of course she is spot on. Fear is the worst shackle one can have. It does not just restrict you from moving on, it actually begins to strangle you on the spot where you think you are safe, not feeling the shackles because you no longer move. But shackles turn into the strangler vine, that grasps you in an embrace of deadly strong arms, squeezing you tighter and tighter while sucking you dry and growing more arms so that you are finally nothing but dead wood left to rot without the outside even noticing. After all, the strangler has enmeshed you so completely as if it was to erase you even from memory of all who once saw you trying to get on with your life. But fear is a fiction of your mind. You put the shackles on yourself. You tighten the ropes yourself. You give the strangler vine your life juices voluntarily and I wonder why would you do that to yourself? Well, nobody but you can answer this question. But one thing is sure, if you are not willing to ask the question, you are already dead before the vine actually strangles you. Do I mind, should I care what you do to yourself? Yes and no! I am here to help but in the end, it is up to you, if you want to make yourself happier or live with shackles on.