By: Roseanne Masone ~
An excerpt from her new book, Chasing the Shark: A Journey from Fear to Freedom ~
Have you been trying to summon up the courage to undertake something considered risky and exciting, despite an initial reaction of fear? Are you teetering at the water’s edge and peering down, wondering if it’s safe to put your toe in or just hold your nose and jump? Do you recognize there is more to life than you have been living up till now?
Sure, we all feel bounded by fears at one time or another. These fears may, in some ways, protect us but they can also stop us from enjoying all that life has to offer.
For most of my life I was controlled by a fear that actually limited my day-to-day existence. That fear was a fear of water. It was so irrational that I even refused to wash my hair in the shower! Instead, I’d shower with a cap on, then wash my hair in the sink! It wasn’t until the late 80’s that I decided I’d had “enough.”
I had realized that as I held myself back in a seemingly small way, I was short-changing my life in bigger ways.
So how did I manage to overcome my fear of water and eventually become a certified PADI Rescue Diver who loves diving with sharks? I faced my fear head on, and when I did, it literally started to crumble. I empowered myself to rise above my fear by determination and will. And once I decided to no longer be bound by that fear, I was able to deal with it.
Fear is a powerful force to be reckoned with. It can cripple and isolate us from what we would normally enjoy doing or having. But finding the courage to face our fears is a life-long process. It’s one we must work at continually if we are to reap the rewards that lie ahead.
So how do you eliminate or at least, control your fears? First you have to identify them. Is it fear of change? Fear of failure? Fear of water? Is it a tangible fear that a shift in circumstances will eliminate? Or is it an intangible or irrational fear that is “just there?”
To answer these questions, you must devote some quality time for soul searching; time for introspection, realization, and self-discovery.
Identifying your fear is the first step in mastering it! Awareness allows you to see it for what it is; a limiting filter that only allows you to see what it wants you to see. Once a fear is identified, you then need to find a motivating force to help give you the strength to overcome it.
This motivation can come from anywhere. For example, a friend or family member might want you to share an experience with them, but your initial reaction may be “no, I can’t” rather than, “yes, I can”. Instead of hiding behind your fear, use that invitation as a motivating factor to look at it from a different perspective.
Remember, desire is a powerful motivator. It can come from a hunger deep inside you to just feel better about the life you’re living and a need to get more out of it.
We face choices every day that can make or break us. Sometimes the small ones go by unnoticed. It’s the big ones that catch our eye and make us catch our breath! Those are the ones that can stop us in our tracks or become the portals to possibility. It’s all up to you! You have the free will to choose!
But in doing so, we can too often settle for the mundane, for the safe. Worse than that, we also only travel the road others choose for us. Taking the wheel yourself can have its risks, but it also holds the promise of enormous reward and growth, not to mention adventure. Making your own choices is powerful. It’s liberating and exhilarating!
Start by changing one thought at a time and see your life change! Whether it’s scuba diving, mountain climbing or just wanting to say “hello” to someone who caught your eye, knowing you have the power within you to do so makes all the difference in the world. Whatever it is, take that first step and be positive. Then, before you know it, you will be saying I CAN actually do it.
Be brave, allow yourself to be challenged. Be true to yourself and your inner voice. You, too, can chase the shark. So c’mon girls, jump right in!
About the Author:
Roseanne Masone is author of Chasing the Shark: A Journey from Fear to Freedom and co-author of the upcoming book, A Juicy Joyful Life. Masone is also an inspirational speaker and life/wellness coach as well as a certified PADI Rescue Diver. Visit her at www.giantstridescoaching.com.