Is it really possible to conquer your fears? What do you think? Do you believe you have the mindset to develop a relationship with this very complex companion? Here is my story.
My first conscious encounter with fear occurred back in 2000 I was walking across the canopy at the Kakum National Park located in Assin South Ghana. I clearly had no idea what I had signed up for as it was totally spontaneous. I had done no prior research nor did I ask any questions regarding what to expect. I was on a business trip with a few gentlemen, and earlier in the day we visited the Cape Coast Castle and the National Park was up next. I was going with the flow excited and curious.
My only encounter with a canopy had been visual, watching persons who were featured in documentaries or acting a scene from a movie.
As I reflect I honestly don’t remember the trail and how or what happened on the way there. My adventure began with a few photos at the beginning of the walkway, from my group I seemed to have been the bravest of all, did I mentioned I was traveling with grown men… I believe I did lol. And when they opted not to take the walk, that should have been my cue but instead, I was all hyped and ready for the adventure of my lifetime. I think this is the most adventurous thing I have done to date. Hmmm!!! Let me not digress, but I definitely need to revisit or make a list of adventurous things to do.
I crossed the first walkway got to the first rest point and thought, not bad. By the time I got to the middle of the 4th walkway, all hell broke loose. I must have looked down and thought HOLY CRAP! What de bloody hell am I doing up here. The what-ifs flooded my mind like the ocean. My legs began to wobble and felt like they would give way under my body, it did not help that the walkway was swaying uncontrollably. At that point, I was frozen with fear from all the what-ifs I had entertained, I couldn’t move and people were walking behind me. I literally could not take another step. Thank goodness I did not pee my pants that would have been embarrassing. But of course, feeling embarrassed was the furthest thing from my mind, I just wanted to get the hell off. I felt stuck, not being able to go forward nor backwards.
Life without fear will be dull and dreary, fear keeps us alert when we are in danger, and keeps us aware, However, as you develop your own relationship with FEAR you will eventually learn the difference between the ones that are False Evidence Appearing Real and Face Everything And Rise.
The guide walking behind me must have sensed my fear and he gave me instructions. The first thing he said was, don’t look down. At that point, we were about 160 feet above the ground, the highest point of the walkway, a far way to fall. The next thing he said was, keep your eyes on the tree in front of you and the next very important instruction was relax and allow your body to flow with the rhythm of the movement of the walkway.
After the fact, I learned the length of the walkway is 350 meters and the height varied from 130 feet to 160 feet at its highest point. 7 bridges made up the canopy. It is held together by wire rope, aluminum ladders, and wooden planks secured by a series of netting at the side. At the end of each walkway, there was a tree that allowed one to pause before getting onto the next.
I eventually made it to the end and that’s when I was told there were 2 more walkways to complete the walk. I was scared out of my mind but very determined to complete what I started. I was also very grateful for the persons walking behind me they were very patient.
I realized then, in order to conquer your fears you have to look it dead in the eye, give it a head butt if you have to, and say let’s do this. It was in that moment as I walked across the next one and incorporated all the instructions given to me by the guide I received more Divine downloads that I carried into my everyday life which has served me for the past twenty-one years.
Here are my 4 main takeaways from this experience that have been serving me ever since:
1) KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE PRIZE – As I made my way to the next tree, I kept my eyes fixed on getting there I did not look around or down. There will always be distractions but it is important to master the art of “STAYING FOCUSED” Distractions can throw you off-course. Be aware that distractions range from the inner conversations, the outer conversations and the things in our environment. Shutting those out will be your biggest challenge to navigate.
2) ALLOW YOURSELF TO FLOW WITH THE RHYTHM OF YOUR ENVIRONMENT – I honestly don’t remember the exact number of persons who were walking with me that day, it was quite a few. I remembered when I allowed my body to relax and flow with the rhythm of the movement of the walkway, I felt a sense of calm and I was less fearful. My legs no longer felt like jello below my body. Life is all about going with the flow from time to time because there are some seasons that would require us to do just that, GO WITH THE FLOW. If you are in tune with your energy you would feel this inherent guidance guiding you every step of the way. Don’t try to swim upstream if the flow is going down.
3) TRUST THE PROCESS – Trusting the process in the moment meant that I needed to get out of my head and drown all the what-ifs that were intruding on my thoughts. Even though I am in the unknown, I am always guided and I am always protected and this is the truth for everyone. With every important decision and every unknown situation that you will face, none is ever 100 percent guaranteed. Fear will grip you every step of the way. Like I said early, grip your fear and do it anyway. There are no mistakes in life, only lessons. Trusting your process will mean you have to implement your own ways to stay out of your head.
4) BREATHE – Your breath is important. Breathing correctly helps to release fear-based energy and keep you centered. With every breath, you will receive renewed courage. One step at a time, forward movements, will get you to your destination. With every in-breathe, reaffirm I am safe and I am always guided. There are other ways to release anxiety, closing your eyes and breathing intentionally until you feel that sense of calm is one of the most powerful ways to get back to your center.
I made it back safely, weak knees intact, and was grateful for the experience. Would I do it again, MOST DEFINITELY. What is life without a little adventure? You can learn so much about yourself whenever you dare to get outside of your comfort zone. Not to mention the amazing things that you can accomplish. DISCLAIMER: I am in no way recommending that you walk on a canopy if you are afraid of height. It was this particular adventure that I learned the advantages of dropping the dreadful what-ifs which is the main ingredient for us talking ourselves out of some amazing experiences. We naturally have a fear of the unknown. Most of us want to know upfront the hows, whys, and whens of how our lives will unfold every step of the way.
The quicker you can master your fears is the more you are likely to accomplish or experience your best moments. I weigh my pros and cons with 2 questions depending upon the scenario. The first, what is the worse that can happen, can I live with? And the second, what is the best that can happen? Being aware of the worse according to my intellect, I honed in on getting the best results. It usually always works out even if it’s not the way I see it in my mind’s eye. That’s THE POWER of TRUSTING THE PROCESS. You always win because you are learning. But it takes the right mindset and perspective to embrace life’s outcome. In conclusion.
Life without fear will be dull and dreary, fear keeps us alert when we are in danger, and keeps us aware. Fear gives us deep inner-standings and helps us to connect with our Higher-Self/God/The Holy Spirit however you identify with that deep sense of knowing or as some say “GUT” feeling. However, as you develop your own relationship with FEAR you will eventually learn how to navigate between what is False Evidence Appearing Real and Face Everything And Rise. What I can tell you is to get used to the idea of FEAR being your constant companion because nothing major would ever be accomplished without it making itself present. Look over in its direction, don’t ever ignore it, give it a wink, a headbutt, or whatever you need to give it, and say “hey let’s do this”.
Refresh, Rejuvenate, Exhale, Reprogram 