Facing Fear with Trust

At the threshold, we often strain.
We push, we plead, we grasp.
But the door does not open to force —
it opens to presence.

This week, I had to face a truth I didn’t want to admit: sometimes in my desperation for depth, for meaning, for connection, I push too hard. I wanted a conversation that was rich and real, so I leaned forward with eagerness. But instead of inviting openness, I felt the energy slip through my fingers.

I see now that in my striving, I projected hunger instead of calm knowing. I strained to perform, to show up bigger, brighter, more convincing — when what was really needed was space. Listening. Trust.

It happened again when I wanted to create my own picture of serenity. I rolled out my yoga mat, imagining how peace should look and feel. And then my four-year-old came bouncing in, full of noise and Tigger-energy. Instead of softening, I felt the sharp edge of frustration. My perfect picture was broken.

But then something shifted. He sat down, cross-legged, eyes wide and steady. My energetic boy — the one who never stops moving — just gazed at me with a smile. And suddenly, the calm I was trying so hard to manufacture unfolded on its own. Not through control, but through letting go. Not through the picture I had in mind, but through presence with what was real.

That moment was the threshold: the edge between control and surrender. And when I stopped straining, when I let go of the expectation, I crossed into something deeper than I could have planned.

This is the lesson I carry forward — thresholds don’t open to force. They open when we stand in trust, listening, ready to receive what wants to arrive.

Ritual Invitation

Stand at the doorway of a room in your home.
Place one hand on the frame. Take a deep breath.
Say aloud: “I release control. I trust what unfolds.”
Step through slowly, feeling the shift as you cross.

Your Turn

Have you ever realized you were pushing too hard for something you wanted?
How did the moment change when you let go and trusted instead?
Share a few lines below — your story may be the threshold someone else needs.