Overcoming Fear

Practice What You Preach

Fear and anxiety have always plagued me through out my life. As a child, I remember the day I fell from a fire escape in The Bronx after retrieving my slipper. I fell possibly a story down alongside the fire escape (or so it seemed to me). From that point forward I feared both heights and falling. I became risk averse.

Anxiety can cripple your personal growth. It can overwhelm. Medication alone can't remedy the underlying issues. Replacing that anxiety with knowledge can help you move forward. Understanding the consequences of failure and thinking through those consequences helps. Learning again to trust yourself and to deal with facts also helps. You are in charge.

Capuchin (White Faced Monkey)

Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

We recently took a well deserved vacation to Costa Rica. Kim, my wife, was set on zip lining with our friends. I on the other hand was hoping everyone would forget and that we would choose some other adventure. Before I knew it, I was being harnessed and fitted for my zip line adventure over the jungle tree tops like a senior Tarzan. All this courtesy of my spouse who issues a Silver Alert if I am late from either the store or work.

My fate rested on two things and two things only: my harness and the team assisting us. Our leader Diego was a wiry small statured man with a broad smile, great sense of humor, and also the man who help built this zip line net work. He had Rasputin eyes and I am convinced that it made me trust him enough to take my first dangling leap held up only by a harness and a steel cable. I did it over and over one tree stand to the next hanging dearly to my handles while enjoying the view atop the rain forest.

The capstone was the very last stand. Again Diego looked at me with his intense eyes and smile. Now you are going to repel 100 feet to the waterfall below. You will place your hands here (left hand above you on the rope and right hand below you to control your descent you can choose your speed.  There was only one way down. I could hang there forever or take the leap of faith and trust.

Obviously I made it. I had the experience of a lifetime and I got a tremendous boost of self confidence. Fear is not a bad thing. It simply means we are uncomfortable and are challenged to do something about the situation. I got to experience life from the tree tops as seen by the monkeys and macaws who inhabit them. Find your inner Diego.

Tempus Fugit

Lone Photographer
Zabriskie Point
Death Valley, CA

As most of you know, I became a financial advisor eight years ago. As a financial advisor I realize that many people are more concerned about running out of money, than running out of time. In my opinion, we have our priorities confused. We do not live infinitely nor do we have nine lives. Each is allocated an undetermined amount of time to manage and enjoy. No amount of money will buy you more time if your health bank runs out.

Like the image above make sure you focus on the experience in front of you. Be present today and capture all that the gift of life offers you. Know what's important and treasure it. Time marches on.

 

Balloon Fiesta

Albuquerque Balloon Festival

Letting go is not something I'm very good at. Being in the moment nor simply just floating are foreign concepts to me. Simply put it's not in my DNA. Folks in my family get things done. We take charge. Unfortunately, you can't always be in charge; life provides plenty of impediments.

This past week our long awaited vacation was put on hold as a winter ice storm embraced Dallas and air traffic was frozen. Flights were cancelled and to hell with vacation plans. There was nothing I could do other than try to shorten my vacation and jump through airline hoops and logistic nightmares to get four stranded travelers to Costa Rica. That didn't make sense. It wasn't in the card for this month. We lost not only deposits but also the total paid for our rental home. That was the written policy. We lost.

As the genius who had planned this trip I felt responsible and ashamed but no amount of self flagellation was going to solve this problem. With lots of dickering we were able to book a subsequent trip to the same location at a discount but still more cash outlays. (We did salvage tickets.) It was a hard bitter lesson. Sometimes things do not work and we have to accept the situation we have not the one we want.

There are times in life you have to simply let go, acknowledge you've done your best, and move on. Make the best of a less than ideal hand. You control how you react to everything. That much you do control.

Lone Kestrel

Patagonia, AZ

It's difficult to start writing again. For so many years this was my form of self expression. It took care of my self imposed isolation stemming from job loss and bereavement. My morning companion was my computer and a blank screen for me to paint with thoughts and words.

In 2015, I started a new adventure at the age of 58. I became a financial advisor and quite frankly I forsake all others including my passions writing and photography. Although I needed to focus on building my business (and have) I truly felt something inside missing, my creative expression, my voice, and how I view the world.

So forgive me for not posting and indulge me once again as I share with you my views along my Daily Journey.

Your Pal,

Al