During our interview, she mentioned that as a child she was actually very scared of heights. But she claims that fear can be used as a strength — which I found very interesting. Especially because despite her fear, she became an avid skydiver. When I interpret this further and think about my own life, I realize that it is indeed true that one can use fear to his or her advantage. Fear can give you some direction on what areas of your life to work on. In many cases, the challenges that have some fear element to them can turn out to be very positive in the end…if you choose to work through them.
Examples When Fear Gave Direction
The fear of heights that Laura had gave her some direction and motivation to take her first skydiving jump. She ended up liking it so much that she pursued this activity with a great passion. In my case, I had a fear of water — being a terrible swimmer as a child. But somehow I pushed myself during my teen years in the swimming pool and eventually became a certified scuba diver. Going on dives — sometimes over 100 feet deep — has enabled me to experience the beautiful underwater marine world, which I consider a deep privilege. I also had an extreme fear of dogs when I was young. But seeing some of my friends who seemed to be getting so much out of having dogs, I was compelled to investigate the world of pet ownership further. I became a dog owner in 1979 and today I just can’t imagine a life without having any dogs at home.
Let Fear Work For You
It’s natural that we all have certain fears in our lives. But instead of avoiding them all of the time, perhaps take some efforts to challenge yourself and let fear work for you. Force yourself, perhaps with the help of other people with teamwork, to work through some of these fears. You never know what the outcomes might be. The end result could be some new-found success and passions in your life that you never would have had if you had not faced the fear and went for it anyway. (Photo credit: Conceptual Image of Businessman Falling via Shutterstock)
