We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

~Plato.

Fog is ominous. There is a deep mystery behind it that allows us to write our own story. It might be a horror story like John Carpenter’s 1980 flick “The Fog,” or it might be the next breakthrough in science to save the world. What one considers to be negative, another may consider thrilling. I love the thought of the “not knowing,” but Behind the Fog is much more than either of these because it may be found within each individual.

What is behind my fog? If only there were an easy answer to this, but we also tend to make things more complex in our heads. Which, like many others, is one of the main things behind my fog. I get trapped in my thoughts more often than not, and it can cause a strain in “real” life. At this point, you may have realized that fog is purely metaphorical for our own conscience. Think about what that means for you.

The objective here is not to simply recognize what your fog is in order to tackle it overnight. That would not be realistic. It may not even be something that needs to be tackled, at least right this moment. There does, however, need to be self-awareness. Know what is behind your fog so that there are no surprises, especially if someone close recognizes it before you do.

Here are the main objectives for identifying what is behind your fog:

• Self- awareness.
• What are the peaks in your life right now? It’s a cliché question, but what makes you happy. I do not mean what you think sounds politically correct as an answer, but what truly makes you smile when no one is around?
• What are your valleys? This may be more difficult to address because it will bring up a lot of emotional negativity. I find myself being aware of these often at work. I will address these in future posts. Right now, it’s all about you, and finding your own self-awareness so you can follow me on this journey!
• How can you optimize your life based on those listed above? What would ease these feelings in an instant? For me, it is travel, nature, and being outdoors. Please list anything but money!

Think about all of this, and what you plan to accomplish from it. No action aside from making a list of your awareness; identifying what is behind your fog. Once that fog clears, what will you see? Is it not better to already know what is hiding there now so you can expect it? Do not be afraid of who you are. I will continue to reiterate this, but this is all about your own thoughts, and not what seems like the right answer. If you are embarrassed or ashamed of what it might look like written down, then only think about it. Honesty is the objective. If you can only be honest with yourself, then complete this when you are alone.

I hope to connect with others that constantly think about these same conceptions. I find myself writing about these in my journal often, but even then, I leave things out in case it is ever found. No one can judge you in your own mind, so take this seriously when generating your list, and I will do the same.