Stepping Over the Edge: Embracing the Scary to Discover the Extraordinary
Photos from Martha Lynn Mangum
How often do you do things that scare you?
You may ask yourself, why on earth would I do scary things? We tend to be creatures of comfort, preferring the safe zone of the known and predictable. While there is wisdom in this for our survival, staying in our comfort zone keeps us stagnant. If we are not willing to look over the edge or see what lies on the other side of the mountain, we could miss out on something extraordinary.
Recently, I returned from an annual adventure trip with a remarkable group of women. The sponsor of this fitness group, Neissa Springmann (founder of iGnite), plans the entire trip. We only know where we are going and what to pack. The rest of the trip is a surprise, as we learn each day what the activity will be. I cherish these trips because they require me to trust and push myself to do scary things. This year, we participated in white water rafting, aquatic canyoneering, rappelling, hiking, biking, sea kayaking, and whale watching. It was a blast!
The most challenging activity for me was rappelling off a cliff that plunged several feet down.
My guide had me sit on the edge of the cliff with my feet dangling down and then told me to work my way off the edge facing forward, where I would be hanging by my harness and ropes. As I was moving towards the edge, my brain was screaming, “Don’t do it! What are you doing? Do you see the shallow river and rocks down below? Are you nuts?” It was so counterintuitive to move my body off the edge. However, once I did, my harness held me, supported me, and I then walked down the rock like Batman and landed safely. It was exhilarating! We continued rappelling throughout the most beautiful canyon, and I realized that without doing the scary thing, I would have never experienced the gorgeous waterfalls, nature, and clear water. More importantly, I experienced trusting my group as we encouraged each other at every point.
This canyon was just below the side of a highway. Cars were whizzing by above, with drivers unaware of the paradise right below. How often do we miss out on incredible experiences because we are unwilling to look over the edge? How often do we solve our problems by doing them the way we’ve always done them? It may not be the best solution, but we like predictability. While we were white water rafting, we went through a Class 4 rapid backwards and through a narrow canyon. When we got through, our guide admitted that was not the plan, and he wasn’t sure the raft would actually fit through the narrow opening. But that was where the water took us, and he had to trust we would get through it. It was anything but predictable. We felt excited and brave.
When we are scared, we can either let the fear grip us or do the hardest thing and let go.
Mark Nepo writes, “When we stop struggling, we float.” He continues by saying, “When thrust into any situation over our head, our reflex is to fight with all our might the terrible feeling that we are sinking. But the essence of trust is believing you will be held up if you let go. And though we can practice relaxing our fear and meeting the deep, there is no real way to prepare for letting go other than to just let go.”
And that’s exactly what I did. I moved my body off the cliff over and over, paddled through the rapids, and let the water take me where it wanted to go. I did the scary things, and the gifts of courage, excitement, and trust in myself were revealed.
What scares you? Are you avoiding it and choosing the road most traveled? What would it take to trust and let go? Ask for support, put on the figurative harness, and let go.
You got this!
Fundamental of the Week #13: FIND A WAY
Look for how we can do it rather than explaining why it can’t be done. Take personal responsibility. Be innovative, assertive and take initiative.
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