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I’m going through a major growing phase on the cusp of turning 53.

I am celebrating two years of sobriety this month, April, 2025.

When I received a medallion after my first year of being alcohol and drug-free, these words were engraved on it: More Faith. Less Fear. This has now become my daily mantra.

Since entering my fifth decade of life on this planet, I’ve dealt with my fair share of challenges. Sometimes, I’m shocked that I can even get out of bed in the morning. Reinventing myself continues to feel like an overwhelming task. I still have a hard time speaking kindly to myself. I’m a literal work in progress.

But, I am so grateful that I no longer have an obsession to drink alcohol or smoke a joint to numb my pain. What I’ve done differently in the last few years is deal with my uncomfortable feelings head-on. Having an open mind and allowing myself to be vulnerable have been the keys to getting over my emotional hurdles.

It was so frightening for me to start over after ending my marriage and losing my father to cancer three years ago. I felt like I was flailing in the wind at the beginning of all the turmoil I faced. When I have tough emotions that wash over me, even today, I often have to remind myself how far I’ve come. It’s the only way I can keep my head above water sometimes. Honestly, I have everything I need to live a good life, and I must learn to be grateful for all of it more often.

I’ve read that courage is the willingness to do hard things even in the face of fear. I still wake up in the morning with a little anxiety because I’m usually the type of person who forecasts what the day may bring. Getting up in the morning with a positive mindset is so important to set the tone for the day ahead. This often takes an incredible amount of effort and courage on my part. If I don’t put good thoughts into my head as I begin my day, how do I expect my body and spirit to follow suit? What the mind conceives, the body believes.

Each day, I repeat the words engraved on my medallion: More Faith. Less Fear. Sometimes, I find myself saying it many times in the same 24-hour period. Faith and fear cannot live together in the same dwelling. It’s okay to be filled with fear and doubt, but there must be some faith in order for the fear to eventually fade into the background. It’s important for me to believe that there’s a power greater than myself, that is guiding me to greatness. Every morning I say aloud that things are going to work out, no matter what. I have a daily morning prayer that I recite reminding me not to take anything for granted, that my health is a blessing, and that I’m unique and beautiful just as I am, even when I’m having a bad moment or a hard day.

Having more faith that I am exactly where I’m supposed to be, even with all my struggles and occasional feelings of inadequacy, is the key to keeping all my fears at bay.

So if you’re reading this, remember that all your fears are temporary. Fear is an illusion and it will cease to exist if you have faith that everything will fall into place in its due course.

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