Perhaps you have seen, or even been, the child who approaches the high dive, looks down, pauses, climbs back down the ladder, climbs back up the ladder, goes back down the ladder, climbs up the ladder again, pauses, looks, and finally takes the big jump. Somehow, in the climbing and the looking down and the watching others jump and survive and race to jump again, the fear doesn’t necessarily go away, but the longing for the sense of flying grows until it outweighs the fear, and the scales tip.
What leap into the unknown have you taken in spite of the fear?
Two things come to mind. Skydiving and getting married. Both were a real rush that took more courage than I thought I could muster. I’ve only done either of them one time. The thrill has lasted me a lifetime.
Returning to the UU faith and the CLF after so many disappointments at other houses of worship. Wondering why I waited so long. One of the best feelings in the world is the feeling of contentment.
I’m afraid of almost everything, so most things I do require me facing my fear. Since October, I’ve taken the bus alone to a nearby city twice a week to work in a protected workshop. Even though it’s a job that’s only open to people with mental illnesses too severe for normal jobs and thus has a lot of support built in, the fear was strong. Now that I’m more used to going there, the fear isn’t that bad.
Going for job interviews. Getting a pilot’s license at 40.