Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself.

In Paulo Coelho’s novel “The Alchemist,” readers meet a young boy who has fallen in love with “a woman of the desert.” But the boy is afraid to take action on his heart’s desire because he might get hurt in return. That’s understandable — many of us fear putting ourselves out there because it might not work out. But it’s important to remember that the fear is usually worse than any hurt you might experience. We can handle suffering, but when we are afraid we tend to underestimate our own strength. And of course, we may not be met with suffering after all, but we won't know until we muster the courage to go for what we want.