"Lions and tigers, and bears, oh, my; lions and tigers and bears." With all those vicious predators, it is a pretty scary world. Since we don't have a ferocious attack dog like Toto at our side we are left feeling pretty vulnerable.

Which is more debilitating, getting old and rusty, being scared by even the simplest of creatures, or not having the intellectual confidence to deal with the complexities of the day? Which would you dread most: no courage, a chest void of a heart, or an empty skull? What about depression, anxiety or mindlessness?

Exaggerated nerves or habitual worries make it hard to follow the yellow brick road. "Is this the right way?" "We are not there yet so obviously we are lost." "Did I mention I hate flying monkeys?" "What will it be like along the way?" "Can I afford taking the time out of my busy schedule to go?" "Is it safe?" "We're not talking about real lions, tigers and bears are we?"

These queries are part of the process of planning, but it is the apprehension behind the questions that is concerning. Chronically worrying if our life's path is a two-lane brick road or a freeway does harm. Excessive stress hormones alter our whole being. We heal slower, we get high blood pressure, and we ache all over, especially in the head. We can't sleep; our thoughts race around, often distorting the truth, enhancing the dread. We are tired. We excuse ourselves from responsibility. We fail to share our feelings because the apprehension of rejection or hurt exceeds the know-how to seek the antidote from someone we love. We do wrong because it is easier than facing the truth; we die young. We don't roar.

Being heartless is more than being sad, it is being unable to love. Being unable to love is associated with the inability to be loved. Selfishness is born out of this loneliness. The optimal capacity of love is the ability to calm someone with just our presence. Watching a child discover peace when his mother walks into the room is the foundation of love. Love is also laughing during the fun times, but there is no test in that. The true test is to be there in a time of crisis and crying. The tough part is to absorb the pain of others and metabolize it and not avoiding the discomfort or ignoring the agony. If we don't we will get rusty.