Last night, I went to my wife’s friend’s girlfriend’s birthday celebration.

I was a little anxious about going. It can take me a while to feel like myself around new people, and I often find it hard to connect with people during brief encounters at parties.

However, I’m thrilled I went because I met Raymond. He was one of the first people I started talking to that night and we ended up chatting for most of the evening.

Raymond’s an all-around awesome and inspiring guy. Our conversation spanned from design, to travel, to parenting.

Though he’s not much older than myself, I learned that he had two kids aged eight and 10 years old.

I feel rather unprepared to be a parent, so whenever I meet someone around my age with children, I try to learn as much as possible.

Raymond keeps a journal of things he has read or seen, which he shares with his kids when he thinks they are ready for the lesson.

I loved this idea.

I dug a bit deeper, “What is an example of a lesson you have written down?”

“Well,” Raymond responded, “here is one. It’s a quote from a sci-fi movie with Will Smith. In the movie, Will is talking to his son and says:

‘Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist… Do not misunderstand me, danger is very real, but fear is a choice.’

Wow. What a powerful concept for someone of any age to grasp.

Separating danger from fear is not something I consciously do or did in the past.

But the more I sat with it, the more I realized what an exercise in mindfulness it was.

Taking a moment to see our feelings before becoming our feelings.

Each of our monthly Holstee Action Guides starts with these exact words — “Let’s take a moment for… [Intention, Kinship, Wellness...]”

In a world of non-stop action and reaction, simply taking that moment is often the most difficult but also the most important step we can take.

Join our community and start taking that moment for yourself each month.

Dave Radparvar
Co-Founder, Holstee