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Fear happens for many good reasons. It is the safety switch that alarms us when we are in danger. Without it we would perish quickly.
Fear for the sake of fear is a deterent to enjoying some of life's most exciting experiences.
Conquering the fear of water has enriched my life with many of my most exhilarating adventures.
There was a time in my younger days when the fear of water, resulting from holding my breath too long, and two near-drowing incidents, deterred me from having fun with my friends.
I recall standing on the bank of the river as I watched my friends drift away in a canoe, wishing I could join them. I took action and convinced a professor from work at the university, to give me private swimming lessons. Chris is a surfer from Adalaide, Australia who trains for months prior to his surfing vacations in Hawaii. He is also an excellent swimming instructor.
I fondly recall the day I climbed up to the platform of the pool on campus where I swam laps before work each morning. I walked to the edge of the platform and looked at the deep end of the pool. Diving wasn't really my forte, but I knew that if I could muster up the courage to dive into the deep end of the pool and swim to the other side, I would be able to have fun with my friends, with no hesitation resulting from fear of water. I took the plunge into the water and swam to safety knowing that my fear was conquered, at last.
Over the years as I reflect on the best times I ever had, they almost always involve water activities. I have gone white water rafting in the Snake River. I swam in the ocean out of the sight of land while snorkeling and sailing in the keys. I kayaked in the Caribbean. One of our favorite activities as students was going canoeing, rafting, and camping on an island in the river. I learned to water ski and to catch big fish in the lake.
There is nothing quite like swimming near a waterfall. I have fond memories of the romantic evenings spent skinny dipping in the moon light with a warm tropical breeze.
Life's greatest adventures and some of my best memories would never have been possible had I not conquered my fear.
Each time I find myself reluctant to embark on new experiences or to take calculated risks, I think of a quote from Mark Twain: "I have suffered a thousand tragedies in my life...and one of them actually happened." Sometimes, fear is just a story that we tell ourselves.
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