Conquer Fear

We're all afraid of something. Sometimes those fears are rational, and sometimes they're not. But I think we can all agree that our fears hold us back. We become so afraid of what might go wrong, we don't chase all the amazing things that could go right. Writers and artists, in particular, can easily get tripped up by our fears—of rejection, failure, not measuring up to our standards or someone else's. Sometimes getting over a fear is a slow process. And sometimes you just have to count to three and do it.

I posted a writing exercise a while back about identifying traits that would make you an interesting character. In it, I mentioned a few of my fears:

1. ​Geese
2. Dolls
3. Rock walls

So the first one isn't so much a fear as an intense loathing. I really don't like geese. I mean, come on, those critters are mean! They chase me while I'm running (I do not want to find out what happens if they catch you) and I swear once saw one hiss at a car. Not trying to hard to mark that one off.

​I'm 99% sure the fear of dolls comes from the combination of seeing Chucky too young—and Toy Story.

Source: https://ifunny.co/fun/b79YdXGV3?gallery=user&query=DisneyMan

Which brings us to rock walls. When I was little, we had a rock wall in our elementary school gym. I remember climbing onto that sucker, getting about two feet off the ground, and feeling my knees shaking like the inside of a rattle. I tried a few more times as I got older, but there was something about the feeling of being latched onto a wall that never sat right with me. I'd start shaking and freeze up.

I am not afraid of heights. I've looked over cliffs, and I love views like the one of Gatlinburg from the Space Needle. I climbed rope ladders with no problem. But rock walls were something else.

Conquering Those Fears
​

Flash forward to 2017. I'm 23 years old. I've lived in three different states, broken my face, started my own business, and come out the other side of a traumatic brain injury. I decided I'm done with fear. And that includes rock walls.

​I met someone who knew what they were doing and headed over to Onsight Rock Gym. A signed waiver and a brief safety video later I was standing in front of a big green wall wondering what the hell I was doing and if I were about to embarrass myself.

Onsight Rock Gym: https://www.onsightrockgym.com

I took a deep breath and grabbed onto the low handholds. As I stepped away from the ground, I wondered how long it would take for my knees to start shaking. I was halfway up the wall before I realized they weren't going to. My legs were steady. My arms were strong—thank you Olympic weightlifting!—and I was actually doing all right. I'd worked myself up so much, though, I came down before I got to the top.

After some water and working out my fingers, which were curled up like dead spiders, I hit the wall again. This time I made it to the top. I came down feeling proud, adrenaline racing. Then I climbed a tougher wall. And then a tougher one after that. I climbed for four hours—closed down the gym.

You Never Know What You'll Find
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A couple weeks later, I headed up to Obed for "Coffee and a Climb," something the rangers there put on the first Saturday of each month. They bring equipment—harnesses, shoes, helmets—and belay for people who want to climb. I showed up and looked at this thing:

Near Obed Wild & Scenic River

Once again, I thought What am I doing? But I strapped myself in and gave it a shot. I definitely did not make it to the top, but I gave it my best effort. I fell at least six times on one section and kept going.

That's life, ain't it?

So here's what I learned from rock climbing.

1. My grip strength is not as good as I think it is.
2. The moment you think you're done, you find a hold.
3. The thing that scares you may be exactly what you need.

Click image to tweet.

Now, I love rock climbing. It's amazing stress relief, and that adrenaline rush is like no other. Plus, after facing something I've been afraid of for years, everything else seems easier.

​So take a deep breath and conquer what you're afraid of! You never know what you'll find.