“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

We may hide it better.
But many of us still shut down when we feel misunderstood.
We still grip tightly when we fear being wrong.
We still hear correction as rejection.

And here’s the thing:
When the brain feels threatened, it literally narrows.
Perception shrinks.
The ability to take in new information drops.
We stop listening–not out of stubbornness, but out of self-protection.

“Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.” – The Alchemist

Life will bring waves. Emotions will rise. Change will crash. But there’s always a current of calm. And we forget that at our own expense.