Fearful? Reframe How You See Yourself In An Instant, Embrace New Experiences, And Live Life Fully

I cling to the pole, white-knuckled.

I am dangling in an open gondola at the top of a Ferris wheel. The only thing keeping me from plummeting to the ground is a small gate. My son Lucas is staring at me wide-eyed.

“I’m sorry honey, I guess I’m scared of heights.”

We were at Six Flags because his older brother was obsessed with crazy roller coaster rides. Lucas was less enthused but afraid to admit it. I read his hesitation, so I suggested we let his brother and father chase thrills in the “adult” section of the park. We could go to the less intense part of the park.

He felt ashamed about not being “big boy” brave.

We started with the Ferris wheel. And that is how I found out I couldn’t handle hanging in the air by what seemed to be an impossibly thin metal pole. Lucas, however, was fine. I worried my anxiety would be contagious and make his amusement park fears worse.

But the opposite happened.

In that moment of seeing me afraid, he shed all of his fears. Watching his mother be what he was ashamed of, changed his self-perception. He was a little kid handling something an adult found scary. He had all the proof he needed to believe he was brave and courageous.

“Mommy, let’s go to the grown-up side of the park.”

That day, Lucas enjoyed every single scary roller coaster ride he went on.  I just kept my eyes shut and soldiered on.

Reframing how we see ourselves can happen in an instant, and change our lives forever. We embrace new experiences and live more fully when we do. It’s that easy.

Photo credit: "Ferris Wheel" by katerha is licensed under CC BY 2.0