The one who was learning to tame her monsters

Welcome to “Almost No Filter”, the podcast where I share my almost-forty-something chronicles, between life reflections, daily struggles and small realizations. Here, we talk about everything that is part of our journey: the ups, the downs, the doubts, and even the moments when we feel like we've got it all wrong. The goal? To be as honest as possible with ourselves and with you, without filter or pretension. Because we're all a bit in the same boat, trying to understand what makes us move forward, or sometimes what makes us go round in circles. So, relax and let yourself be carried away. Let's go!

You often say that you're not afraid of anything.
Except maybe spiders. And even then, not the small ones, just the ones that run faster than you.
But if we scratch the surface, we discover that you're afraid of everything. Of disappointing, of bothering, of talking too much... or not enough.
Of not pleasing, of pleasing too much, of making a mistake, of being judged, of failing, of being alone.
In short, the complete package.

What's funny is that at Halloween, everyone plays at scaring each other: zombies, ghosts, killer clowns.
You find that rather amusing. Because your real monsters don't wear masks.
They look like a "seen" notification with no response.
An awkward silence followed a somewhat too honest statement.
At that moment when you post something you think is great… and nothing happens Nothing.

Fear, for you, doesn't need a haunted mansion.
She's already living in your head, with the lights on.

So you decide to change tactics.
Instead of fighting them, you sit next to them.
You observe them. You talk to them.
“Why are you here? What do you want to tell me?”
And, to your great surprise, they answer you.

Fear is not a monster to be destroyed.
It's a messenger that signals to you what matters to you.
What matters to you. What makes you feel alive.
And sometimes, just sometimes, listening to this messenger allows you to understand that you are stronger than you believe.

Then you learn to tame your fears.
To walk with them instead of running.
To breathe when they knock at the door.
To transform them into guides rather than tyrants.

And for Halloween, you don't need a costume or scary makeup.
Your monsters are already there, inside, but for the first time, you smile when you look at them.
Because you know that fear can become your ally.
And that courage isn't about never being afraid, but about continuing to move forward... despite everything.