Beyond fear and embracing imperfection

They say there are only two forces in the world: love and fear.  Neale Donald Walsch says that fear is "the thought that we are not going to be able to have something we think we will need", therefore "if I don't need anything from you, I don't need to fear you".

How often have I looked from approval from another?  Too many times would be an overly simplistic answer!  And that fear, that need, has distorted how I have interacted with those people. 

I met one of my greatest teachers years ago.  He was a facilitator on a summer camp.  What struck me so forcibly was something that I was not able to identify until recently... he wanted nothing from us.  He wasn't trying to impress or play the victim.  He was 'empty' - there was no feeling of being pulled or pushed when he spoke.  He was simply being, needing nothing.  His lack of need, his fearlessness, was the first lesson he taught me.

Years later, by a twist of fate, I worked with him.  I discovered he too had flaws, he wasn't perfect.  But perhaps that's the genius of life: we don't need to be perfect to inspire, uplift and enlighten others.  We simply turn up and be ourselves.  His second lesson.