October 10, 2025
Fear doesn’t always ask for proof. It doesn’t care about science, reason, or evidence. It just shows up, like an uninvited guest in your mind, sitting down at the table before you’ve even had a chance to say, “Wait, who let you in?”
I love this quote because it perfectly captures that quiet absurdity of being human. We say we don’t believe in ghosts, but the second the lights flicker, we suddenly start moving a little faster down the hallway. We double-check the locks. We pull the blanket just a little higher, because somehow that thin piece of fabric makes us feel safe from whatever imaginary spirit is lurking in the closet.
It’s not really about ghosts. It’s about how the mind works. We know something isn’t real, but we still feel it as if it were. Fear doesn’t need logic. It just needs imagination.
When my kids wake up in the middle of the night after a bad dream, I tell them, “It’s not real.” But even as I say it, I get it because I’ve had those moments too. When the house creaks, or the cat stares at nothing, or the shadows seem to move in the corner of my eye. Logic doesn’t always stand a chance against feeling.
This thought also reminds me of how we approach other parts of life. We might not “believe” in failure, but we’re still afraid of it. We may not “believe” in bad luck, but we still avoid walking under ladders or scheduling important meetings on Friday the 13th. Fear is stubborn. It shows up whether or not we invited it in.
And sometimes, the ghosts we’re running from aren’t supernatural at all. They’re the echoes of old mistakes, past heartbreaks, and things we wish we could undo or unhear. The real haunting happens inside our own heads, where those memories rattle chains just loud enough to keep us from moving forward. But ghosts only have power if we keep running. The second we turn around and face them, they fade.
The truth is, we’re all haunted by something a decision, a regret, a voice that still whispers, you could’ve done better. But those ghosts don’t want to destroy us; they just want to be seen. When we finally stop sprinting and take a look, we realize they’re made of nothing more than thin air and old stories we’ve told ourselves too many times.
This quote is a gentle reminder that being afraid doesn’t mean we’re weak. It means we’re alive. It means we have imagination. And it means we care about something enough for it to rattle us.
So, if you find yourself running from your own ghosts — literal or otherwise — take a breath. Turn around. See what they have to say. Then thank them for the lesson and keep walking.
Because courage isn’t about not being afraid. It’s about admitting that you are, and moving forward anyway.
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