Love involves letting go of fear, and fear isn’t always that easy to drop. Kelly Clarkson’s song, “I Dare” does express in the metaphor of the wolf that strays from the garden, that fear can live calmly in a place that is relaxing and calm, and then suddenly escape to color life in seemingly everything we do. “Every heart you know seems cold and hardened” means that often times fear can be overwhelming. It can happen that whomever comes into your path and whatever happens can be colored over by the origin of your fear. When that happens, it is possible that you might feel unsure how to approach the fear.
Most often people do not know how to face the fear. They bury it. It can lay dormant for some time until it has to be expressed. The question is, where do you express it? “You may not have the stage, but you still have a voice; You may not have the strength, but if you have a choice . . .” In the performing arts, actors must learn about transforming pain and fear into energy for the stage, where emotions are respected. The “stage” is used as a metaphor for life and power. For an actor that is speaking on the stage means that they are “taking stage”. Taking stage means that the actor speaking is in charge and is expressing themselves confidently, communicating important information. When you believe in something, good or bad, it often involves the desire to express it. This leads to, most likely, a variety of feelings about your own strength and abilities to communicate. You have a choice, not always, but most generally, thus the lyrics “if you have a choice”. Choice is “an act of selecting or making a decision when faced with two or more possibilities.”
Having or making a choice can often be a challenge. If life seems like you don’t have a choice, it is an illusion. There is always a choice. Some choices are more difficult than others. “I dare you to love, Oh, I dare you to love. Even if you’re hurt, and you can only see the worst, even if you think it’s not enough, oh, I dare you to love. Oh, I dare you to love.” These lyrics challenge us to have hope and always know that there is a choice. It is important to remember that often times the choices we make may compound a situation you are already in, or it may seem like the choice is not strong enough, or you judge your choice to the point that you sabotage any hope of truly seeing that choice through. In the moment we make choices, especially in difficult situations when we are hurting, it is easy to let the fear overwhelm you. Even if you think the choice is not worthy of being expressed or you are unworthy, it takes courage to make it. This courage requires letting go of fear, and letting love in.
“I dare you to love”
is about taking that step forward, making a commitment to yourself that your feelings matter and they deserve to be expressed. The word “dare” is bold, and it offers up the challenge for us to take the highest road. In that short, yet powerful, statement all the energy of the universe comes into play. Love is an intense feeling of deep affection; a great interest and pleasure in something. This intensity of thought and feeling comes from the core of our being. It is the ability to live with intention and to see life through a positive and healthy lens.
When life isn’t going as planned and seems a struggle, the choice to love is transformative. It can change you in that instant. “We’re all full of hope, tryna stay afloat, tryna save one another; People let you drown ’cause they don’t know how to stay above water (oh); When they’re too broken to know what they’ve put you through; Do the only thing that you’d want done to you.” It is important to realize that we are in this together. Whatever you are going through someone is out there that understands or has been through a similar experience. We are not alone! Even if we are feeling in our most broken of moments, we can rely on one another or even a stranger at various times in life, and make it to the other side of the tunnel. There is a reason that the Golden Rule that continues to remain an important life rule that has lasted though time. It is the lesson of “doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Ultimately, when life seems to be so difficult and fear engulfs you, challenge yourself to love. Challenge yourself to connect with others, be open to change, and be part of the solution. Love reminds us that there is nothing to fear.