The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek. ~Joseph Campbell
Many times during the walk I come across a flock of Canadian Geese.
Most of the time they are on the pond or on the lake. On a few occasions these birds are close to the walking trail or crossing it. As I come up on them, my heart starts racing and fear of them attacking me comes to mind.
I had a little run in with these birds a few years ago when I was going into one of my favorite retail shops, I accidentally walked to close to a nesting ground. The male bird started to fly towards me, squawking at me. I knew I was definitely in the wrong place. It frightened me and many of other patrons that tried to enter the shop that day. Ever since that incident, I try to stay mindful of their presence and respect their space.
Recently, I have decided to give these birds names. 
My names are not meant to be harmful to these birds in any way. My names are meant as a visual reference for the fears generated in my mind. Instead of the sign saying “Caution Feeding Wildlife Can Be Harmful” I see “Caution Feeding Your Fears Can Be Harmful. For instance, in the picture above, I would name these birds confusion, worry, criticism and doubt. By giving the geese these names, I started learning to recognize the emotions that fear generates inside. By feeling and accepting the racing heart beat and the nervousness that arises, I recognize these are feelings of fear. It’s not that the fear will disappear, it is the fact that I have to feel the fear, breathe and keep on moving.
Goose Photo Source: This image was created by Matthew S. Staben http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_goose#mediaviewer/File:Geesespokaneriver.jpg
Quote Source: http://www.quotegarden.com/fear.html
Sweet N Social 
