We all are afraid of, or very uncomfortable with, something. I have many, many things.
Some of them are irrational and make me sound crazy. Some of them are quite common, like my fear of spiders.
My fear of horses, however, baffles other people. Horses are a beloved creature, often being described as majestic, stunningly beautiful, and creating deep connections with their humans.
They freak me out.
I’m not really sure why they scare me so much. Perhaps because they remind of a time in my life when I felt unsafe.
A few months ago, some friends and I were driving around the countryside and saw some horses in a field. There were a few horse lovers in the car, so I stopped for them. I sat in the car, terrified to move.
This sounds so ridiculous if horses aren’t something you fear. But, what are you afraid of?
Do you face those fears? Or, do you steer clear?
As I sat there, I started berating myself. “Seriously, Paloma? You’re not afraid of snakes. You’ll walk in the desert, barefoot, with scorpions and rattlesnakes hiding who knows where. But you’re afraid of these things? Please.”
In order to function, I have had to face a lot of fears that, left unchecked, would have paralyzed me and stolen my life altogether. So, I knew that if my feelings were so strong that I was keeping myself in the car, I was going to have to face it because I refuse to let fear win.
I did some tapping and stepped out of the car. I stood there, with the car and an electric fence between us, staring in amazement at how the others were actually enjoying the experience.
By the time everyone else had gotten back into the car, I had mustered up the courage to get closer.
I asked the friend who knows horses the best to pick one that might be brave enough to deal with my fear and let me get close enough to pet it.
Amazingly, there was one horse that would interact with me. He patiently and calmly stood there, maintaining eye contact. I nearly electrocuted myself reaching my shaking hand out to touch his long face.
I walked away from that experience with a renewed confidence in my willingness and ability to overcome any fear. That’s a priceless treasure.
Do you regularly force yourself to face your seemingly irrational fears? It isn’t easy. But, it’s absolutely worth the effort. Imagine all the things you could do and enjoy without those fears!
What fear will you bravely face today?
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