Remembering what you once feared.

An exercise in looking forward by looking back.

There are several concepts that once made me feel anxious, uneasy, or even fearful.

Needles in a medical setting.

A disheveled homeless person.

The dentist.

An unmanicured corpse.

However, with time and varied experience, I have come to feel no dread-filled response to any of these things.

This being said, there are still new concepts all the time that bring dread. A slight poke in the guts and ribs.

To grow as and be more comfortable in my skin, as I encounter these new queasy occasions, I must remind myself:

“Remember those situations that once brought you squeamish anxiety, yet now do not? Why is this situation any different?”

In moments of unnecessary anxiety, it's helpful to remember how we're not done growing.