Perhaps it’s true to say that no one actually fears heights or change or the unknown, or whatever their particular brand of fear is. What they really fear is the out-of-control feeling they experience when confronted by these things. Take flying. The tendency is to focus on the plane. But it’s nothing to do with the plane. The thing you need to confront is yourself. What terrified you is what the plane represents in your own mind.
What we need to change is our relationship to things we can’t control. Risks will always be there. Life is one big risk from the moment we are born. People who call themselves “nervous” or fearful” are choosing to be this way because they’ve been practicing, often for years. Some people proudly declare “I’m not a risk-taker.” Well, what on earth does that mean? Stop for a moment and think of the risks you’ve taken in your life. As a a young, you risked first standing up to walk. You risked eating new foods. Everything was unknown quantity at that stage, but you welcomed new experience. The next time that you feel afraid, try to recall that you were once a risk-taker. Remember there really is nothing to fear but fear itself.
