Courageous & free - Oh, what a great way to be!
Dear Valued Reader,
When I was five, my family fled Iran for the UK to escape the relentless bombardments of the Iran-Iraq War. My early school days were challenging. I found myself in an unfamiliar environment, surrounded by classmates and teachers who looked and sounded different to me. This made me acutely shy and fearful of school life. For weeks, I spoke to no one except my mother, who had to stay by my side in every class. But with the kind and steady support of my classmates, teachers, and my mother, I slowly faced my fear of being alone and gradually grew in confidence.
A Setback That Changed Everything
All was well until a setback a decade later. As an adolescent, I experienced a sudden and unexpected panic attack in class. My teacher, classmates, and I brushed it aside, never discussing it further. Yet, that single incident planted a seed of doubt in my mind, triggering an unrelenting stream of anxious thoughts that snowballed into a constant state of fear. What began as one moment of panic turned into a downward spiral that shaped my later high school years and early adulthood.
I masked my inner turmoil with humour, avoided certain people and places, and at times, turned to alcohol as a crutch—though not excessively. Eventually, loved ones noticed something was wrong and encouraged me to embark on a journey of self-discovery and healing.
What I Learned About Fear
That journey, which initially involved medication (for a short while) and CBT therapy, ultimately led me to two key realisations:
Fear thrives on the stories we tell ourselves—our minds are wired to latch onto automatic negative thoughts (ANTs), convincing us of dangers that often don’t exist.
The only way to move past fear is to face it, not to erase it. True freedom is not the absence of fear but the ability to live fully despite it.
For years, I believed that overcoming fear meant eliminating it altogether. I thought I had to be perfect, fearless—to always appear strong and in control to be accepted by others. But the more I resisted fear and tried to hide it, the stronger it became. Only when I allowed myself to feel fear without judgment did I begin to move through it, rather than be controlled by it.
Redefining Courage and Freedom
I’ve come to understand that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s the willingness to step forward even when fear is present.
While we can’t entirely stop anxious thoughts from surfacing, we can choose how we respond to them: with awareness, acceptance, and a quiet confidence that—whilst these thoughts are a natural part of us—they do not define us. Each time we face what scares us, we reclaim a little more of our freedom. Over time, it becomes instinctual to follow our hearts instead of our fears, unlocking the potential that so often lies trapped behind self-doubt. To be free, in this sense—oh, what a great way to be!
Poppy the Pea and Spreading Her Message
These experiences and realisations ultimately inspired me to write and illustrate Poppy the Pea - Oh, what a great way to be, a story that embodies the lessons I’ve learned about fear, courage, and resilience. They also fuel my work of taking Poppy the Pea into schools, running workshops that spark conversations about fear and setbacks—not as things to avoid, but as challenges to face, understand, and grow from. I sometimes wonder: if someone had spoken to me about such ideas at an early age, could it have spared me from my adolescent panic attack—or at least helped me to better deal with it afterward? Many of us—especially as children—have a healthy relationship with fear, but if a simple conversation can help even one child (or adult) struggling with it a little more, then that’s a wonderful thing.
Poppy’s Journey and Yours
If you have already read, or are about to read, Poppy the Pea - Oh, what a great way to be, you may notice that Poppy’s short but important first journey mirrors my own—and perhaps yours too. It is a journey of ups and downs, fear and courage, adversity and resilience, and, above all, hope. My wish is that you and your little ones enjoy reading and listening to Poppy’s story as much as I have enjoyed creating and sharing it.
With my deepest thanks and warmest wishes,
Farzad (Dr. Fuzz)