I’ve always been confident when it comes to facing my fears. I used to be afraid of water when I was younger, so I fixed it by joining a swim team. When I realized I was afraid of speaking in class, I forced myself to raise my hand in my 400-student lecture class. I faced my fears head-on and did what I could to outgrow my fears.
A few weeks ago, I faced another one: the fear of heights. As part of a team building experience, my club went to the 4-H High Ropes Course in Tucson. If you’ve never heard of a high ropes course, it is basically an intricate obstacle course… except it’s forty feet in the air, which is taller than a three-story house. If you need a visual, take a look at this video:
I’ve done courses like these many times before. In fact, this was the seventh time I’ve done it. Feeling super experienced, I walked up to the ladder with extreme confidence. I probably even told the newbies to “watch and learn”.
I climbed the ladder like a champ. I was ready to take on the course and make it look like a flawless effort. I reached the top… and then I looked down.
All hopes of being the most graceful gazelle on the course flew out the window. (That analogy was weird, but I’m going with it.) My legs were shaking and I held onto the pole as tight as I could. By the time my team yelled, “Just Don’t Look Down!”, it was far too late. WHY WASN’T THIS EASY BY NOW?
With the encouragement of my team, I eventually made it across the course. I leaped off the platform, walked across a wire, and swung like Tarzan at 45 feet in the air. After it was all done, I had an incredible rush of adrenaline that can only be felt after facing a fear. I lived to tell the tale… and share pictures!
Finally, just a little piece of inspiration for you…
Stay Fearless, my friends.
-Briana
Leave a Reply