My friend gave me a book of inspiring short stories written by a monk named Ajahn Brahm, Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? It spoke to me.

My most recent difficulty has been severe back pain and an inability to walk that curtails every one of my activities. Through his words, I have realized that fear is a major ingredient of pain.

Yesterday was my second injection. Because I already knew how much it hurt, I worried about it for days beforehand. I had a great fear that the needle would go into the wrong place if I moved. I asked the nurses to tie me down. But they assured me that wouldn’t happen.

The pain of the injection only lasted for a minute or two. It was the fear that had really hurt. The feeling that is attached to fear makes the pain more intense. I have tried many things in my ageless life, such as breath work, mindful walking, sitting meditation, and so forth, but nothing has helped as much as letting go of the fear of whatever is happening.

Some pain is still present, but the injection is supposed to kick in within three days. However, the wisdom of “Let go” will remain, as I sift through the truckload of dung that we all know shows up in every lifetime.