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by Cari Vollmer
Have you ever had a fear that kept you from living life fully?
Perhaps this fear
has stopped you from having MORE fun or
experiencing GREATER success. Yes? You're not alone. I have too.
The fear I conquered in the story below may not be my biggest
fear but with a little reflection I saw how it really stopped me
from enjoying my family and life to the fullest. It also taught me a
valuable lesson of how taking steps to overcome my fear resulted in
increased self confidence.
At the end of my story, I'll give you tips for conquering your
own fears.
A few weekends ago my husband and I took our daughter Kasie, and
my nephew Zach, to a water park. We all love the water and were
having a blast until my hubby and the kids took off for --- the
water slides.
As they enthusiastically ran to the slides I slowed way down.
In fact, I stopped, found a chair and proceeded to organize our
belongings. As I settled into a lawn chair I saw Kasie and Zach
whoosh down their side-by-side slides and plunge, feet first, into
the cool water. They quickly resurfaced, sputtering and laughing and
ready for more.
As Zach jumped out of the pool to run back up the stairs he
looked at me laughing and said, "Cari's being a wimp." He
was right. I was.
You see, even though I love the water I've always been afraid of
--- water slides.
On this particular day however, the kid pressure was too great. I
decided it was the time and place to conquer my old fear. As I
hurried to the steps my chest tightened and my breathing became very
shallow. Each step I took to reach the top of the slide made me feel
anxious, awkward and scared to death.
I focused my attention on the cute and fearless little girl in
front of me. I motivated myself by repeating the mantra, "if
she can do it, I can do it". As we reached the top of the
slide, I watched in amazement as she sprang from the last step to a
lying down, torpedo style position in one fell swoop. As soon as the
little girl shot out of sight it was my turn.
The time had come -- it was now or never. Copying the little girl
before me, I laid down on the slide feet first torpedo style and as
I did I heard the words: Don't fight it, just let yourself go.
As I whooshed down the slide I reminded myself I was OK, to keep
breathing and to relax. As I let my body go it seemed to understand
what was expected of it. It conformed to the twists and turns of the
slide and only seemed to tighten in response to my fearful thoughts.
Soon, I could see the end of the ride was near and as I flew off the
end of the slide into the waiting water, I knew I conquered my fear!
WOW! I did it! I went down a water slide. It was a blast! My
husband told me later, as I was coming down, he could hear me
screaming and laughing. All I could remember was feeling gripped by
fear, exhilaration and pure joy as my body whirled down the watery,
slippery path.
Now, I felt ready for more. Once wasn't enough. The second time
up the stairs was much easier and I took my position at the top of
the slide with much more confidence. The ride down the second time
was even more fun because now I knew the curves and the bumps. I
navigated the challenge with a bit more grace. I felt proud of
myself for taking action and for doing something I thought I would
never do.
What's your "water slide"? I bet you have one, or many.
We all do. What fear, if you conquered it, would allow you to have a
bit more fun, experience greater success, or live life a bit more
fully?
Some fears feel bigger to conquer than others. My water slide
fear may not seem like the biggest fear one could have, but having
it caused me to isolate myself from the rest of my family and kept
me from having MORE fun, joy and exhilaration in my life.
Conquering your fears, one by one, builds confidence and
increases your quality of life. Don't let your fears hold you back
from living the life you wish you were living.
10 Tips For Conquering Your Fears:
1. Recognize a fear is present
2. Declare you are going to conquer the fear
3. Expect to feel anxious, awkward and scared
4. Consider copying a style you like until you find your own
style
5. Focus your attention
6. Motivate yourself with affirmations
7. Step into the fear with abandon
8. Let go and have fun! Remind yourself to keep breathing
9. Pat yourself on the back when it's over
10.Notice how much easier it gets
When you have time, take a personal inventory of the fears
keeping you from living the life you want. Then make a commitment
and challenge yourself to face and conquer one them that's been
holding you back. Use the tips above to guide your way. To get
started, see if any common fears from the list below fit you:
Admitting mistakes or wrong-doings Adventure Being inadequate/not
good enough Doing something you've never done before Expressing
yourself Failure Healing emotional wounds Health concerns
Money/finances Never having enough Public speaking Promoting
yourself Saying "NO" Sharing your feelings Taking a risk,
such as starting a business or changing careers Traveling.
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