Feel The Fear Climb The Ladder Anyway

Feel The Fear Climb The Ladder Anyway

Fear can be our friend or foe. It can support us in moving forward or stop us in our tracks. This year has become the fear buster year for me. I have accepted the challenge to face fear and forge forward. One of the fears I had was climbing a ladder. I have such an aversion to climbing ladders that I figured out a way to paint my sixteen foot ceilings without ever having to use one. But, alas, when I wanted to paint an aquatic mural over my storage closet in my office, I could not afford a ladder. I took it as a sign that I needed to move beyond this fear when a ladder just the right height appeared. I knew then it was time to feel the fear, but climb the ladder anyway.

It took several weeks of having the ladder in my office before I could actually climb it. Finally I could wait no longer and up the ladder I went. It was a little challenging at first, but once I did it I was fine. I actually enjoyed the freedom and mobility the ladder provided. What I realized was that the scariest thing about climbing the ladder was not climbing it, it was thinking about climbing it. This has been my greatest lesson about fear. The fear in our head is much worse than actually doing whatever we fear. The fear mostly comes from what we think about doing. The fear dissipates once we do it.

It isn't the fear of doing something that holds us back. It is the fear of thinking about doing something that holds us back. Once we do it, the fear will move us forward and turn into adrenaline, which will keep us going. What we think is what is actually creating the fear and keeping us from taking on the challenge. Fear isn't a bad thing, just the opposite. It helps keep us safe and prevents us from harming ourselves. But, the message from fear isn't always stop. Sometimes the message is simply to be alert and aware, and then proceed. Fear is our friend, not our foe. Follow the fear, learn the lesson it is trying to teach you, and keep on moving.