Fears--Conquered!!

"May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears" -- Nelson Mandela

*****

In my 25 years...I have definitely conquered fears...I have definitely got into situations that instilled fear...and I feel I overcame them...but it was a matter of necessity.

I remember when I was 5 years old...maybe 6...when I was horrified at the thought of going on any thing at the fair that exceeded the scare-level of the swinging boat-- at least that didn't even get close to going upside down.

Myself and my sister Camile.
Circa 1991

 I'll never forget...my beloved sister Camile...I idolised her, anything she said, it went!Despite being scared to all hell; She convinced me to get on her favourite ride: The Highflyer. I'll never forget the look or the name of that thing...Basiclly you're in a cage and it flies up high and around...basically you go upside down. I remember being strapped in and those safety bars coming over my shoulders, and the reality of it all set it. I had a full on panick attack. Camile laughed and laughed and told me to take it easy. The ride started and the understanding of my non-existent escape came upon me and you know what? I LOVED it. But I did not go on my own accord...I was game...I overcame the fear until the moment of truth and I completely freaked out. Had I not been strapped in-- I would have walked away at the last second. 

 A week and a half ago, within the span of 48 hours, I conquered two fears. The first being jumping off a ledge into a pool of water I could not see more than 2 feet beneath. Before I moved to Australia, my friend Jessica took me to Lake Washington to jump off the diving boards...I barely managed to dive off the kiddy dive board...I have a healthy fear of not jumping into literal pools or caves or anything of which I am unawares of what lies beneath. Quite the opposite for figuratively speaking...

I told Foreste if she jumped, I'd jump...

About 15 minutes later...I finally did

Pretty sure I was damn near crying...I was so happy!

Another thing that happened right before I moved to Australia was my opportunity to hold a snake... a really small one....it was a pet of Tims roommate...and I stepped up...just as I had to that ride 20 years before...and right at the last minute...luckily for me I was not trapped into holding this snake haha...I did what I would have done back then, decide at the last minute I just couldn't.

Not this time...about 48 hours after jumping off that ledge near that humongous waterfall, I was holding a python around my neck!! I backed up because I knew the guy giving us the reptile show, was producing a python...but as he was holding it... I felt drawn to this diamond back python...I walked up slowly and put my hand out to the snakes head...and let it slowly slither on to me...

and just like that...

Allowing my irrational fear to disappear...

....aaaand gone. 

I've decided from now on, my choices will reflect things I hope for...not the things I fear. I've always wanted to overcome these fears..and so my action..my choices reflected that hope-- and I am so happy I did it.

My prayer for us all, is that we ALL will do thus. And my message is that you CAN!! That if you hope for it...but are afraid to take the steps...know that you CAN take those steps...you just actually have to do it...and you will see the things you've hoped for...are absolutely within your grasp.

I promise you...the more and more you say yes to hope and no to fear...the more and more you make those difficult leaps, bounds, even baby steps...the easier they are to make. Gotta start somewhere...

You're incredible...no go forth and conquer!! :)