Fear begets fear. Power begets power. I willed myself to beget power. And it wasn't long before I actually wasn't afraid. - Cheryl Strayed

Fear begets fear. Power begets power. I willed myself to beget power.

Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me. Insisting on this story was a form of mind control, but for the most part, it worked.

"A proclamation of love is not inherently "loaded with promises and commitments that are highly fragile and easily broken." The terms you agree to in any given relationship are connected to, but not defined by, whether you've said "I love you" or not. [...] The point is, Johnny, you get to say. You get to define the terms of your life. You get to negotiate and articulate the complexities and contradictions of your feelings..."

Every last one of
us can do better
than give up.