I got dressed in a hurry at 7am this morning after 3 hours of sleep to beat the rush to climb the Duomo. When I got home, I noticed I was wearing the socks my dear friend and fellow heroine, Nicola, gave me on my birthday. They made me smile but the truth is that I am full of fear. It’s what makes me human. But in the wise words of ‪Nelson Mandela‬,

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.“

I am strong not because I am fearless but because I don’t let those fears stand in the way of the life I want to lead. ‪