The Cage

I felt trapped in my own life. Not by anything external — I had a good job, a nice apartment, friends who cared. But inside, I felt like I was suffocating.\n\nEvery morning, I woke up and went through the motions. Brush teeth, shower, coffee, commute. Repeat. The days blurred together. Months passed without me noticing.\n\nI started therapy. "What do you want?" my therapist asked.\n\n"I don't know."\n\n"What would you do if you weren't afraid?"\n\nThat question stopped me. What would I do if I weren't afraid?\n\nI would quit my job. I would travel. I would write a book. I would tell my family I love them without feeling awkward. I would wear bright colors. I would dance in public.\n\n"Then why don't you?" my therapist asked.\n\n"I don't know."\n\nBut I did know. Fear. Fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of the unknown.\n\nThe next week, I did something small. I wore a bright yellow shirt to work. People noticed. No one laughed. One person said, "That looks great on you."\n\nI started small. Then bigger. I started writing. I took a dance class. I told my mother I loved her.\n\nThe cage was real. But the door was unlocked. I had just been too afraid to push it open.\n\nI'm still scared sometimes. But I do it anyway. That's what courage is — being afraid and doing it anyway.