28/10/2025
Once, there was a woman who lived behind a locked door. She felt sure that behind the door was everything she said she wanted. The relationships, the book she’d write, the call she’d make, the life she promised herself. She told herself she’d begin “soon.”
Every morning, she’d touch the handle, then step back. “Maybe not today,” she’d whisper. “I just need to be more ready.”
And as she turned away, she’d tidy the hallway, answer some emails and tell herself she was preparing.
But the longer she waited, the heavier the air around that door became until she started to fear she might never get to open it.
One night, she dreamed the door whispered to her. It said, “I am not the problem.” And when she asked what was, the door became a mirror. In its reflection, she saw her fear. It was soft-eyed, familiar and not a monster at all. As she looked closer seeking to understand that fear, she suddenly realised that it was her guardian trying to keep her safe from the unknown.
And when she woke, she understood something she hadn’t seen before. Procrastination was never laziness. It was fear’s way of saying, “You matter too much to risk this.”
So the next morning, she didn’t force the door open. She simply placed her hand on the handle and said, “It’s okay. We can be afraid and move anyway.”
And for the first time, the door clicked open all on its own. It didn’t need to be pushed. All it needed was for her to stop running from what was behind it.