07/01/2026
Life begins to love you back when you shed your fears…
Till about the age of 34 or 35, I was s**t scared of dogs and was perhaps the worst guest to have at home for dog-lovers. I would jump at the sight of dogs and felt safe only when dog-lovers would tie-up their adorable pets or shut them in a room. Then one fine day, in my early thirties, I experimented with a process of writing in-depth about the first time I felt scared of a dog and later, burning it. I was learning: how to shed my fears. I somehow selected dogs despite having an intense fear of them and was quite unsure of the results of my experiment. Surprisingly, my trial and error method of “writing and burning” worked pretty well. A few days after the experiment, I found myself drawn to dogs and drawn to lift them. This was quite the change for me. I was prone to jumping onto sofas at the sight of a dog and here I wanted to lift them… My cousins had a lot of dogs and that helped me. Slowly, I found the courage of lifting small dogs and I was pleasantly surprised. These tiny creatures were so adorable and loveable. I loved their fur, I loved their touch, I loved when they wagged their tails and loved when they licked my hands (Yes, I did). I couldn’t get over the fact that I had missed out on so much love in my life. I came to realise that I was born a dog-lover, but that love never surfaced — till the time I shed the fear of dogs that I had acquired early-on in life.
That’s the whole point — we don’t know how our fears hold us back. Our real personalities are stunted by our fears. Learning to let go of our fears gives us so much freedom and joy in life.
I do have to clarify that letting go of any fear is a process and not a one time affair. Recently, I visited a beautiful family with a German Shepherd. The dog was securely tied, but I felt a bit scared and on edge. I could feel the hair on my skin rise and my heart was gripped with fear whenever I heard the dog bark from across the room. I continue to be scared of large dogs and dogs that bark viciously. I have never had a pet too. I do have a long way to heal. Still, I have found love, solace and beauty in smaller dogs and enjoy playing with them.
This year, post-midnight on 31st Dec, I held a 10 day old pup for the first time. To be entrusted with a life so delicate and fragile, even if momentarily was such a beautiful and indescribable feeling. Had I not begun to shed my fear of dogs a few years back, I would never have got to experience this precious moment.
So much of our life goes by without realising — what we are missing just because of our fears.
In 2026, I wish that bit by bit, you learn to release your fears and that life fills you up with joy and embraces you wholeheartedly.
Happy 2026 everyone!
🌷✨
Warmly,
Astha.
In the pics: Bringing in 2026 while playing with my cousin’s pet dogs at her beautiful home. 🙂💫
