THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS DRAGONS

"You are only confined by the walls you build around yourself”

‘In ancient days cartographers carefully crafted the world's first maps by depicting the earth as flat, surrounded by flowing water, inhabited by treacherous monsters and dragons. Etched into the colorful, artistic renderings of these creatures was a warning to all sailors; "Hic Sunt Dragones" or "There be Dragons”.

It was a warning to all that if you dared to venture beyond the parameters of safety, danger was waiting. It was an attempt to dissuade would be travelers from venturing too far beyond what was known. For centuries, these unknown creatures stifled expedition, halted trade routes, and prevented the discovery of the Americas.

One day, Amerigo Vespucci and 10 years later Christopher Columbus tempted fate and challenged the status quo. They believed that there was something else out there. They would not allow imaginary boundaries of fear and uncertainty prevent them from experiencing a brand-new reality. What they discovered was and still is the greatest discovery of all time. No, not the hidden Americas... they discovered that there were no such things as dragons.

Why declare that there are dragons out there? It’s simple. It’s a basic human instinct. Humans have long feared the unexplored and unexplained. Humans have always had the tendency to face the unknown and then draw back.

So, rather than admit we are either too afraid or too uncomfortable we instead create imaginary monsters to justify our inaction.

Each of us struggle daily with the same philosophical fears. So in an attempt to keep ourselves safe, we build walls around our lives, our potential, our futures, and even our hope. We live our lives in fear of one day venturing too far beyond the status quo simply because we've convinced ourselves "there be dragons”.

Dragons are mythological creatures, they don't exist. They were created to instill fear in the minds and hearts of men and women. Today, we don't hear much about dragons, but the philosophical similarities are striking. We still create imaginary scenarios, imaginary outcomes, and imaginary walls that keep us from venturing out of our comfort zones and experiencing a whole new reality.

If you've been struggling to overcome your fear of the unknown, let me encourage you. I've got really good news...

THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS DRAGONS.’