Face Your Fears...

Today was the day for me to face my fear head on....The funny part about it all I never knew I had the fear.  After that past 2 years of intense training and now needing to relax a bit, some friends and I decided to go Extreme Canyoning.  It's something I've always wanted to do since I've arrived here, but never felt like I had the time.  All I ever heard was how much fun it is.  My date with destiny was today.

I was all gun ho about the excitement and ready to go right?  Wrong...Once we got to the first cliff I was over taken by fear.  But, I thought I could still do it so I got strapped in and now it was time for me to go off the side of the cliff.  The guide a very nice man would assist you with a small push that totally freaked me out.  I could not understand nor did I appreciate him pushing me.  I thought he was crazy.  So, that made me even more nervous.  "Please stop pushing me," I told him.  He replied if I don't push you will never go.  Well, at that point in time, I was not going and that was that...I got out the gear and stood over to the side to let the others go.

As I watch them do it so effortlessly, I was so over taken by intense fear.  I could not stop the tears.  I could not stop crying.  I was not going to go off the side of that cliff..that was out...I was ready to go home...I could not believe I even consider such a crazy idea....

So, after totally embarrassing myself by crying hysterically..I finally calmed down..Everyone had already gone off the side and now it was my turn to give it another try...Well, this time with the help of our guide I went down escorted.  What a relief...as we got down to the bottom there was a pool of the most wonderful feeling water ever.  We swam and laughed a bit..then it was time to journey to the next cliff...

This time I was ready or was I?  I literally had to meditate and picture myself successfully going down on my own..  I took about 5 minutes to visualize my success..and sure enough..I did it!  I went down every cliff after that alone.  I even jumped off a few cliffs into the water below..It was a blast.

Quickly, I realized that the feeling I felt was unwarranted.  The intense fear I felt was false evidence appearing real.  The thing that was stopping me from experiencing the extreme excitement of the adventure was all in my mind.  And the interesting thing about this is I had no idea that I was afraid.  When I was in the Air Force, We use to go canoeing and jumping off of cliffs, and swimming in the Mississippi River in Montana, all the time.  So, I did not think twenty and some odd years later I would have an issue with it......I was so proud of myself because I did not let the unknown stop me from achieving and going after what I wanted to do.  It is a great feeling.

I shared all this to say to you...face your fear (s)..trust that GOD have you on a path that can only lead to GREATNESS...As you allow others to push you into greatness, you will see that it is all apart of who you are.  Greatness is within you. LET IT OUT!

2 Peter 1:3 Amplified
For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that (are requisite and suited) to life and godliness, through the full, personal knowledge of Him who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue)