If you aren’t familiar with this extreme activity, participants explore a series of obstacle courses leading from tree to tree high above the ground. The views are beautiful from above and our destination was located beside the loveliest lake.
NOTHING TO FEAR RIGHT? Wrong!
I didn’t give it a second thought until I started climbing the ladder way up to the top of what seemed to be the tallest tree I had ever seen. Things got drastically worst when I came face to face with my first ariel challenge.I was to cross from one tree to the next one on what looked like a tightrope. What??? Who signed me up for this ?
It was in that moment that I panicked. My heart was racing and my palms were sweaty. My mind told me everything it could come up with to get me down from that tree.
Voices in my head said things like…
“There is no way Sara you can do this”!
“You have never done this. What makes you think you will succeed”!
“You are going to fall and break something. Even worse you are gong to DIE” !
My mind was smart and it knew exactly how to keep me safe. After all, it was dangerous and death defying and frankly quite stupid to be 40 feet above ground perched in a tree and forced to walk a tightrope to get to the other side.
OR WAS IT? (Enter record scratch and a few chuckles)
I forgot to mention one thing…
We were actually equipped with a safety harness and were attached at all times to ropes and large metal hooks. There was virtually no way I could get hurt as long as I was attached at all times. And if I did slip off the tightrope I would only fall….wait for it….about two inches.
I know. Now, it seems funny to me too. But isn’t that what happens when fear takes over? We don’t see clearly what is up ahead and we make up stories that paralyze us. We are convinced with all certainty that we are in danger.
OFTEN WHAT WE FEAR DOESN’T EVEN EXIST!
So back to my tight rope adventure. I made it across with some tears, coaching from my sister and some positive self talk. Most importantly I didn’t quit and faced my fear head on. It became clear to me more than ever on that day that what I often fear doesn’t actually exist. The laugh was son me but I had gained so much clarity around the concept of fear in my life.
How many of us do this with our personal goals, in our relationships, and in our jobs and businesses? We make up stories that hold us back. What if we could laugh at fear and see it for what it really is…or isn’t ? Here are three ways we can face our fears head on.
Look At Fear In the Eye
One of my mentors once said that a good question to ask ourselves before doing anything that scares us is, “If I do this, am I going to die? If the answer is no, then my fear is made up, grossly over-dramatic, and it should have no power over me.”
Look at what you are fearful of and check in with yourself. Whether it’s making that dreaded sales call or procrastinating on that goal you are afraid you won’t reach, what is the worse that can happen ?
Journal about your fears. A brain dump can lessen the anxiety and give you a new perspective. Be sure to write down the pros and cons if you were to follow through or not. You will probably find the list of pros is longer and this will give you more motivation to follow through. And never lose sight of the prize. Everything you have ever wanted is on the other side of fear.
Afraid? Do it anyway.
Everyone feels fear. This is what it is to be human. Yet those who are afraid and do it anyway are those who experience true happiness and joy and success in their lives. I know. It seems counter intuitive to walk into a burning building or confront an angry bear. When we are stuck and put off what we know will serve us we make what we fear even bigger than it really is and we don’t live out our true potential.
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Change Your Mind
Knowledge is power and when we apply what we learn we are unstoppable. But it takes work to grow and to get closer to our true potential. That includes thinking big for our lives and putting fear aside. What we fuel our minds with and who we surround ourselves with can help us create more resilience in our lives and in turn help us face those demons that can stop us in our tracks. Where do we start?
Begin growing your personal growth library. There are so many wonderful personal development books out there. You can listen to podcasts that you can a download on your phone. I love to listen to great audio books in my car. I call it my personal leadership library on wheels. I spend many hours a week in my car so why not use that time effectively and expand my mind. Please reach out to me if you would like my recommendations.
I hope these quick tips resonated with you and you feel somewhat empowered to take on your next fearful challenge in spite of the fear! You’ve got this girlfriend. I would love to hear from you.
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