Speaking Notes:
I had my toes firmly placed on the limestone rock. But my heels hung over 50′ of cold, Kansas air with hard packed clay at the bottom.
My heart hammered as I slowly leaned backwards.
It could have been my mom’s fault that I ended up on the edge of that cliff. She told me that she lifted me up to look over a railing when I was little and I got scared. All I know is that I was afraid of heights as a child and young adult.
My dad built me a treehouse when I was 6 – a platform about 10’ off the ground.
I couldn’t get on it. I tried.
(No seat belts, bike helmets, school playgrounds were gravel or asphalt)
The treehouse mocked me every time I walked through the yard.
And, as a teenager: School trip to Atlanta. Hyatt hotel. Elevators exposed – full glass.
I was crouched on the floor. My friends were embarrassed.
My fear continued as an adult. Any time I had to climb a ladder or get on a roof, my whole body tensed up.
So how did I end up on the edge of a cliff when I was 35 years old?
I met a man who found out about my fear of heights and said, “I can cure you.”
He had experience rappelling out of helicopters when he was in the Coast Guard.
He took me to Echo Cliff and put me in a harness and showed me how to control my descent.
Then he said, “Follow me,” and we both backed toward the cliff.
The rope was nylon and it felt like a stiff bungee cord as I leaned back.
I went down that cliff about 15 times that day.
And my friend was right. It cured my fear of heights.
I’m still nervous. But I don’t lock up in fear any more.
So what does this have to do with mindset?
I didn’t realize it at the time, but that decision to take action and accept help in dealing with my fear of heights was the first step to getting to where I am now.
I had a lot of other crap to deal with – limiting beliefs that took years to get over.
But the process is the same.
No, not rappelling down a cliff.
- Wanting something different for your life.
- Making a decision to change.
- Take action. START
Now I know there are other, less shocking ways, to deal with fears.
Therapy is an option. Behavior modification programs.
But the mindset is the same.
If you aren’t living the kind of life you want (epic life), follow my three steps.
Figure out what you want.
Decide
Start
Step 4: Don’t stop
Anon says
These are exactly the steps I followed to get divorced. I was terrified, but my desire to want something better for my life motivated me to face the fear, decide, act and keep going.