Highs and Lows

Image Credits | Creator:Daniel Grill, Getty Images/Tetra images RF

Fear is a primitive mechanism that can keep us safe; but it's also a menace that keeps us stuck if we allow it.  Gut feelings are often accurate, but sometimes "gutting it out" is necessary to overcome obstacles and escape our previous parameters.  It's a dichotomy of sorts, but it's applicable in many arenas of life. 

If we never faced fear, humans would have failed to survive this long, afraid to risk rejection or worse.  If we boldly raced into scary scenarios without any discretion, we would have put ourselves in precarious positions that would certainly have deadly consequences.  Wisdom, experience, and awareness must come into play.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, one of my favorite humans has tackled his self-protective (and understandable) fear of box jumps.  Today, he hit a new personal best - twenty inches in height.  As humans, there are risks with leaving earth's gravity to leap onto a higher place with both feet - and to be "all in" with both feet in the context of any venture generates a physiological response and a psychological one as well.  That's one reason tears often come when we get to the other side of fear with success.  It's a high that's earned. 

Confession:  I'd probably wanna wear some kind of 

protective gear to mitigate risk of injury, 

like these...

...but such gear would feed fear and starve me of the freedom of movement...

The human experience includes fear of high places and low places alike.  I'm a very optimistic person, and that's always been the case for me, even in the direst circumstance.  I'm grateful for that part of my wiring, even as I recall a wise counselor point out that I'm lousy at staying low.  Fear has kept me from embracing and expressing the entirety of my emotional experience; and that fear has permitted some unhelpful patterns within myself and in relationship.  Fear of conflict, fear of letting others down, fear I won't be enough for some situations/people, and fear I'm too much for others...

When I step over that fear threshold, it's not comfortable...but on the other side is victory, liberation, and joy.  It's a high point, regardless of the circumstance.  When I lose fear, I win.

Jotting with Johnna

• Are you facing a precipice at which you must decide faith or fear?
• How can you muster the strength to defy the gravity of fear?
• What might happen when you cross the threshold?

Remember:  you are so very worthy of the decision to demolish fear, even as you care for your heart.

Stay tuned.  Stay focused.  Stay well.