The tightrope we all walk!

February 2, 2026

Welcome to another beautiful week. When an idea sparks that I think is worth sharing, it becomes this weekly newsletter. If something hits home, write back. I love conversations. This is Weekly Spark #36.

Fear stops us from moving forward.

Or at least, that’s what we’ve been taught.

Fear feels primitive.

It tightens the chest.

It clouds the mind.

It whispers all the reasons why now is not the right time.

And yet… every single one of us lives with fear.

The question isn’t whether fear exists.

The question is what we do with it.

A Moment I’ll Never Forget

I clearly remember that day.

My wife and I were standing at the international airport in India. Our lives, and our two kids. packed into two suitcases. 

(And no, the kids were not in the suitcases. They had their own tickets.)'

We were holding four one-way tickets to Australia.

We were saying goodbye to our parents. Our friends. Our families.

We didn’t know when we’d see them again.

After an exhausting flight, we landed 10,000 kilometres away from home.

As we walked out under a banner that read Melbourne, I felt it.

Fear.

The Tightrope We All Walk

Before I talk about courage, I want you to imagine something.

Imagine you’re a tightrope walker.

Standing 40 feet above the ground.

About to take your first step.

Your heart is pounding.

Your palms are sweating.

The fear of falling races through your body.

Fear grips you.

Fear limits you.

Fear tells you to stay still.

But what if fear isn’t there to stop you?

What if fear is there to focus you?

This idea of life as a tightrope, a funambulist, as Shah Rukh Khan once described it, stayed with me.

Being up there is terrifying.

But staying frozen on the pedestal guarantees one thing: You never move.

How Fear Is Taught to Us

Growing up in India, fear was everywhere.

• Study hard… or you’ll fail.

• Get a good job… or who will marry you?

• Follow the rules… or God will punish you.

Fear was used as a tool for control. For compliance. For safety. And without realising it, we internalise it.

We stop exploring.

We stop questioning.

We stop choosing.

What Fear Has Taught Me

Fear was never my enemy.

Fear was my messenger.

It told me:

• When I was outgrowing a version of myself

• When comfort was costing me too much

• When staying still was more dangerous than moving forward

Courage wasn’t the absence of fear. Courage was choosing to walk with it.

Final Spark

You and I cannot predict the future.

We don’t even know what we’ll be thinking 14 minutes from now.

So why do we let fear of an imagined future dictate our present?

You are the author of your story. You have the right to rewrite the manuscript.

Fear will show up. Let it.

But don’t let it decide for you.

This is your moment to walk the wire. This is your moment to be courageous.