Every Monday, I look forward to an email in my inbox from Shola Richards with a message about positivity. Confronting fears was the theme of last Monday’s email, and the message spoke directly to me, especially the opening quote:
“Inside the cave you fear, lies the treasure you seek.”
I have a fear of caves, so the very idea of stepping into the darkness of a cave made me shutter. But the idea that the treasure I seek is hidden within made sense to me.
“The only way past the pain is through the pain,” came to mind as I pondered entering a dark, fearful place like a cave.
What I fear won’t go away on its own; I need to confront it and move through it. I need to step into what seems ominous and threatening. The only way to find the treasure is to enter the cave.
I had an insight into this truth a few weeks ago. I was talking with someone about being a rape survivor, and I said the name of the man who raped me.
Two things happened almost immediately.
The first was that I had not realized that fear had me in its grip, but as soon as I said his name, the fear dissipated and was replaced with a sense of power. Instead of standing outside the cave, fearing the darkness, just saying his name sparked a light.
The second was something from the Harry Potter books. The main adversary in the series is an evil character commonly known as “He who must not be named.” In that instant of speaking the name of the man who raped me, I realized how much power I had been giving him all these years just by protecting his name.
Why had I been protecting him? Why had I not spoken his name? As in the Harry Potter series, once Lord Voldemort is named, his power is diminished. Fear is replaced by freedom.
When I relayed these events to a friend, she quoted scripture, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:38).
Fear can be crippling. It can keep us stuck in darkness, giving up our power and limiting our potential.
Naming our fears can break the spell, and we can reclaim our power and our freedom.
I invite you to step inside the cave and claim your treasure.
Madeline Bialecki 