Dylan and I were catching our breath on a park bench after our usual morning jog. He took a sip from his water bottle, then said, almost casually, “I’ve been thinking a lot about Easter this year.”

“Oh yeah?” I said, stretching my legs out in front of me.

“Yeah. I’ve got a lot to be grateful for. Work’s going great, family’s in a good place and I’ve hit some personal goals I never thought I’d reach,” he said, then hesitated. “Here’s the weird part. The more things go right. the more I feel this tightness in my chest. Like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

I looked at him, curious. “You afraid something’s going to go wrong?”

“Kind of,” he replied. “But more than that… I’m scared I won’t be able to handle success. Like, what if I mess it up? What if I can’t keep it going? It’s like I’m sabotaging myself with doubt. And I don’t even know why.”

I nodded slowly. “That’s more common than you think. It’s called fear of success. It sounds backward, but it’s real. Sometimes, when life starts looking good, we panic—because deep down we’re scared we don’t deserve it or won’t live up to it. So we shrink ourselves before life can disappoint us.”

He looked relieved.

“Success isn’t a trap, Dylan—it’s a gift,” I added. “Here’s where Easter reminds us about embracing new life, even when it feels unfamiliar or overwhelming. And you don’t have to earn grace. You just have to accept it. You’ve done the work, and it’s okay to stand in the light. You’re not faking it. You’ve grown into it.”

Dylan smiled, the weight in his expression softening. “I needed that, Bob. Really. Thank you.”

Dear reader, sometimes the hardest part isn’t surviving struggle—it’s believing we’re allowed to thrive. Easter reminds us that we are. Let yourself rise. Don’t shrink from joy because of fear. You are worthy of the good that’s come, and the even better that’s ahead.