Prudence and Madness

In many ways, fear pervades our lives and influences every decision we make: the clothes we wear (we want to choose the appropriate clothes so as not to be an outcast in our group), courses to take in college (because we fear getting stuck in a job that wouldn’t give us good income), person to marry (because we fear being stuck with the wrong person for a lifetime), whether to have children or not (we fear we have no one to leave our legacy to), whether to leave the country or not (we fear having to adjust in a new, foreign place). We can’t escape from having fears. This means every choice we make entails certain risks. It is only up to us how daring or calculated those risks will be.

But what if we weren’t afraid?

It’s an interesting question really. Am I to interpret being not afraid as the mere absence of fears or do I interpret it as the state of not being overwhelmed by fears, only considering it once in a while to check decisions are still rational? I believe the latter is what I should do.

The following list is inspired by a similar list made by Mr. Jim Paredes in his article, “Overcoming The Fear Factor”, in Humming in My Universe, in the Philippine Star Newspaper. The article is also posted in his blog.

1) Run a coffee shop and a library business. Coffee and books are two of the things I’m passionate in life. If I’d get the courage to start a business, this is what I want to have: a coffee shop where coffee drinkers can read books while enjoying their coffee. There would be novels from hundreds of authors, art history books, medical journals, books about creative writing, poetry, computers, business web designs, and so much more. I want it to have computer stations, too, with internet access so people could email/blog about their favorite books. Of course, it has to be a wi-fi hot zone, for those who bring their laptops and notebooks. And there would be events like poetry and short story reading. I want that coffee shop/library to be a place throbbing and overflowing with creative ideas. That is my paradise and I believe it could be every coffee drinkers’ and booklovers’ paradise, too.

2) Start a school that will not be a diploma mill but rather produce people with great love for work, reason, and learning. Like what I told Mr. Paredes, if I would be able to educate the person about life and what I know of it and that person has continued to be successful in living his life to the fullest, I’d be the happiest soul in the world. So, if I could feel that way with a handful of people, how much more if I could educate hundreds? Or even thousands? I would already be bursting with happiness!

3) Be an active environmentalist. Most of us today have become too much preoccupied with technology that we forget nature is already suffering from our insensitivity and carelessness. In so far that scientists have yet to discover another planet that can support life, we have to take care of the only place we can live for now.

4) Blogging and internet have provided us novel ways of communicating our ideas to the world. However, I still love writing on paper. I have my “scratch notebooks”, where I scribble rough drafts of my articles, and, of course, my journal, where I keep my private thoughts. I love paper so much I wish I could find a novel way of producing paper for writing without killing trees. Perhaps someday, somehow, somewhere, someone will discover it. But I wish I’d be the one to find the answer.

5) Travel and learn the different cultures of the world first-hand. I think it would be intoxicating to feel what the rest of the world is feeling.

Making this list has been a feel-good experience, like a dose of comedy chic flick or a sitting with a good book. I’d recommend making similar lists to anyone who has been feeling a little low or burned out or anyone who wanted to quit on life. Lists such as these can make you realize there’s so much to do that the possibility of not being able to do any of it just because you don’t want to live anymore is unacceptable. Try it. It can uplift tired and burdened spirits. It can liberate you from the death-hold of fear.

Fears cannot be totally eradicated. And even if it could be, I wouldn’t want to because our fears serve as checkpoints: it hold us back if we’re going too far or it can encourage us to take a step further, if needed. What we must do is master our fears, so we could live life, love, and learn.