Conquering Fears

July 29, 2023

Last summer, I climbed the steps of the ropes course and froze. I was proud of trying.

This year, I decided to try again and gave myself permission to stay at the top of the stairs again.

But when I got there, something different happened.

Axe, an amazing human we met tonight, showed up behind me.

He told me he was scared his first times too.

He told me the first times are the scariest and then it gets easier.

He told me that I could do it.

He showed me the best first path to try and how to understand the course lay-out.

He told me the first step is the hardest.

He went ahead of me on the first section and held my harness so I could steady myself on the wobbly section that followed.

As the sections got increasingly difficult, he never pressured me, but gave tips and encouragement.

It was exactly what I needed to face a fear, to do a hard, scary thing.

It seems like just what we need whenever we face any hard thing.

Let’s be like Axe.

Let’s keep looking for ways to validate, stand with, encourage, support.

It makes a difference.