Overpowering Fear

I remember standing on the diving board, bouncing ~ waiting for fear to dissipate as the cool, blue water enticed from below.

I recall making hollow deals as I talked myself into making the splash from the plank that hovered over the deep end. One, two, three, I counted . . .I will jump on 15. And, then I would retract my ambition and courage,. That didn’t feel good. I noticed that while I had fear, giving into it felt like giving up.

But, the lure of the diving board kept reeling me back. I could see the smooth splash of a perfect dive, and feel the way the water would separate for my body and glide over my skin upon entrance head first.

The desire to have this experience was so great and so real, that it eventually overpowered the fear.

I could feel the sandpapery, platform under my toes as I gripped for comfort. I stood there ever-present and still, just before plunging head-first into the inviting water. Cool, exhilarating, bubbling. . .I rose to the sunlit surface, smiling and energized.

The next thing I did was race back to the diving board to do it again, and again, fully engaged with life.

What does it take to overpower fear? What will it take to give yourself the time and space to feel all of your feelings and acknowledge them, so you can move forward? As a fellow human, certainly you must have your own story.

“You can’t be that kid standing at the top of the water slide, overthinking it. You have to go down the chute.” - Tina Fey