This week, let's look at a story from the Zen tradition.

A story about other people's fears... and why they don't have to become yours.

Let's dive in...

There once was a young monk who had a dream.

A dream to climb the most treacherous mountain in his region.

A mountain that had turned back everyone who had ever attempted it.

One evening he shared his dream with the other monks at the monastery.

Nobody said anything for a moment.

Then an older monk who had always looked out for him spoke first.

"It's dangerous," he said... genuinely concerned.

"People have tried before. The weather alone..."

Another monk shook his head.

"What's the point?" he said.

"What will you find up there that you can't find here?"

Someone else in the room giggled…

The young monk listened to all of them...

And by the time the entire drama was over...

The dream that had felt so alive in him just hours ago... felt different.

For him, it felt like something he now needed to justify.

So he went to another elder monk who was his teacher.

And he told him everything.

He told him about the concerns that were raised... the laughs... Everything.

His teacher listened to it all, without saying a word.

Then he looked at the young monk and asked...

"Has any one of them climbed that mountain?"

"No," said the young monk.

"Then they are not describing your climb to the mountain," the teacher said.

"They are describing their fears."

"They are describing their insecurities... their doubts."

"Their fears... do not have to be your reality."

When we share something we're excited about...

A dream, a plan, a decision that we've been sitting with for a while...

We can rarely be prepared for what reply comes back.

And in that moment it's easy to think... maybe they're right.

Maybe I'm missing something.

Maybe I'm not seeing this clearly.

But here's what's worth understanding...

When someone responds to your dream with fear or doubt...

They're almost never reacting to you.

They're reacting from within.

From the times when they tried something and it didn't work.

From the belief that they were handed by someone else that certain things aren't possible.

From a version of the world they built around their own experiences...

From their unhealed places... or from their own unlived dreams.

And naturally, they see your journey through the lens of their own story.

And if their story says this kind of thing doesn't work out...

That's the only lens through which they'll see yours too.

This doesn't make them bad people...

And most of the time they genuinely care about you.

Their concerns are real... Their love for you is also real.

But their reality... is not your reality.

Their fears... are theirs. Not yours.

So how do we recognize this pattern when it happens?

Pay close attention to how they speak about your dream.

Are they asking you questions...

Are they genuinely curious about what you're thinking about it?

Or are they telling you what will go wrong... before they've even understood what you're trying to do?

Because one comes from real interest.

And the other comes from their fears.

And once you can see this difference...

You can take their concerns with warmth.

Without letting their fears become yours.

You don't have to argue with them.

You don't have to convince them anything...

You just have to know... whose fear it actually is.

That's all for this week. I hope this story reminded you that not every concern directed at you... is actually about you.

Thank you to everyone who's been replying and sharing your thoughts.

Your feedback means more than you know, and I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to let me know what resonates.

If something in today's edition moved you, made you think, or reminded you of something you needed to hear, hit reply and let me know.

And if this story reminded you of someone… share it with them. Some things are worth passing on.

If you missed last week's edition: The Things We Leave Unfinished

See you next Sunday.

— Manifest Chronicles | The Mindset Behind Change