Feel the Fear
My daughter is 11 and she just took her first real roller coaster ride. She didn’t seem to be afraid at all. It was a wooden roller coaster that topped out at 73 mph. As one who has spent my life riding roller coasters I must admit it was the most violent ride I have been on.
My daughter confessed after we finished the ride that her legs were shaking. I told her I thought she did fabulous and I couldn’t believe she didn’t hesitate when we said we were going to ride the coaster. She said that she figured if her mom was going to ride it then she could too.
She really didn’t know what she was in for but she knew it was scary. So here are the lessons I took from her bravery.
- Things may be scary but that doesn’t have to stop you. Feel the fear
- You can be afraid but do it anyway. Feel the fear.
- It’s alright if your legs shake. No one said you had to be fearless. Feel the fear.
Scary Things
We all find things that scare us in life. This coaster scared me too but I did it because I know the thrill I get from riding things that scare me. It also makes me feel accomplished to know that I did something that scared me. I feel brave. I feel I can do anything and there is a rush from knowing I conquered my fear. Business is no different.
I remember the first time I did public speaking. I had a 10 min presentation to do in front of a room full of my peers. My voice shook the entire time I spoke. My legs were weak and I was afraid but I was prepared. I had done the work that I needed to do to prepare for the speech but it didn’t make me less afraid or breathless when I finished. Each time I spoke it got easier. Now, I get a little nervous but not completely fearful like I once did. The more you do the scary things the less scary they become.