Love and Fear
Yeah, I do.
I believe.
That’s what a life
Succeeding and failing
and succeeding again
has taught me;
what a decade of listening
and watching
has taught me:
The things a lifetime of reading
the best of books
did not teach me.
In the end there is only
love and fear,
and the one you choose
determines everything.
About this poem
A while back I got a note from a young woman in India who approached me on the coaching side of my life and work. “Do you really believe anyone can reach success”” she asked. I do. Not without work. Not without persistence. But a decade of coaching has taught me pretty much anyone can. In the end, it all boils down to dealing with love and fear and which one drives us most.
This was going to be an essay. And maybe it should still become an essay. Essays allow me to be more expansive, to add supportive information, stories and background. To be more complete.
But sometimes, you just want to reduce a thought or message to its essence.
Tom
The Wisdom Letters 
Every mentor, every teacher, every book, every lesson and sacred moment in my life points to this as the key to everything. Still, it is always affirming to hear and no surprise it came today from your wellspring of wisdom. Be well my friend.