A Game?

Here's a short one for a change. Just one question and one perspective to try on... for fun.

If this life was a game, and you just realised it, would you change the way you play? Would you live differently?

This week, everyday, try thinking about your life as a game.

Play. Have fun. See what happens...

CHB

Copyright © Charles Begin

If you would like to reprint these articles or pictures in part or in whole, please include my site (www.CharlesBegin.com) so that others know where they came from and the copyright is respected. Other than that, feel free to share... and thank you for reading!

Fly Right Through The Fear!

Have you ever had something in your life that scared the heck out of you?
Probably, right?

What did you do about it?
Probably nothing.

Most have only one response to fear: try to avoid whatever it is that they are afraid of as much as they can.

Does it work? Short term... maybe. Long term... no.

So what are your options?

1. Avoid it.
2. Learn about it.
3. Face it and fly right through it.

Obviously, the first option will not serve you in the long run. If you don't do something about your fear it will be an invisible weight that you carry with you for your entire life. This prevents you from living and enjoying life fully. It is a set of invisible chains slowing you down and holding you back.

The second option is very useful if your fear is based on pre-conceived notions that were given to you by someone else. For example: sharks are evil killing machines. How many people developed this belief after watching the movie "JAWS" or growing up with people who's only contact with real sharks was TV, newspapers and other people's opinions? If you're afraid of sharks, learn more about them instead of basing your beliefs on what you hear from others! Examples of how to go about this would be to first watch the movie "Sharkwater" (winner of over 22 international awards) to get the perspective of what REAL sharks are like and gain some respect for them. Then I would find great books that support real research about sharks instead of promoting the idea of them as mindless, cold-blooded killers...

I used sharks in this example but if you learn more about anything you fear... by learning from the right sources (those who study them closely and live/work with them) you learn both sides of the situation instead of only the negative and scary side of things.

If you're afraid, or you're not sure, learn more... but don't waste your time by using this as an excuse. Learn what you need to learn and learn it FAST! Then move on to the next step.

That's how you overcome the fear and put your mind at ease.

There are, however, some situations when there is very little or no good information available on the subject. Or, you have all the information you need.

That's when courage has to step in.

Some people think courage is about not being afraid. That's not what it is. Courage is the ability to act even when you ARE afraid.

Case in point: me and 4 of my friends agree to go bungee jumping for the first time. It was for my birthday and I wanted to do something different. The subject of bungee jumping came up and I decided that that's what I wanted to do.

I talked about it for a few days beforehand with others and, of course, there were a few who told me they would never do that... then proceeded to explain to me why I should'nt do it either because I could get hurt or even die. Some tried to find articles and stats for me online to make me realise how dangerous it would be.

To be honest, some of the arguments and "facts" made me a little bit nervous.

I almost changed my mind.

Then I thought of who I would be letting down if I chickened out:

-the friends I invited
-those I want to inspire
-myself, for not living fully and fearlessly

Once I remembered why? and for who? I was doing this, I picked up the phone and asked the questions I had about prices, times, ect. I then booked 5 spots for the jump, Saturday afternoon. No turning back. If I die, then so be it. I've done the best I can to live well and help others as much as I could up to this point, so if this is the end, I will have no regrets. I made my decision and locked my mind.

Then, Saturday afternoon came around and me and my friends are all suited-up with our safety harnesses and climbing the stairs to the top of the World Waterpark in West Edmonton Mall, 106 feet/32 meters in the air... The temperature was about 42 celcius as the sky windows allowed the sun's heat to shine through.

As we stood at the top and looked down... every one of us had second thoughts showing on our sweat-soaked faces. We laughed. We slapped each other on the back. We made jokes and dares. We jumped up and down, shifted from foot to foot, held on tight to our safety line and took deep breaths as we tried to settle down the fear that was rising and focus our concentration on the task.

One of my buddies, the first to jump, almost turned right around and back down the ramp. He told me that he thought for a second that he would be one of the people who climbs all the way to the top, goes right to the edge, and then quits at the last second. It was weird because he had gone skydiving before and was never so afraid. Just before jumping out of a plane he had made peace with the fact that he could die. The possibility of dying had never crossed his mind for bungee jumping until he was right at the edge. But the jump experts yelled really loud and he jumped. He loved it so much we went back a second time that day.

I know everyone felt something similar.

One girl was so scared her knees were shaking as she walked. With much coaxing and cheering from her friends she jumped as well. She loved it.

I had my doubts too.

I was looking down and thinking that maybe I should just go back down the stairs.

Then I thought of all my friends who I invited. My friends who came to watch. My friends who jumped just before me. All the people I told about how I was going bungee jumping... If I didn't do it, I would be a coward in their eyes. I also wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror. As my friend Lawrence (who also jumped) told me the day before, "face your fear or fear your face"! Besides, I'm not afraid of dying (I re-affirmed) and I'm working on becoming fearless.

What would a fearless person do?

So I shook out the tension in my shoulders, took a couple deep breaths and went up to the edge. As the instructors were counting down I turned to the camera, made a double thumbs up and had a huge smile with my tongue way out (my "party!" face). They yelled jump. I jumped. And I loved it. So much that I went another time.

It's on DVD if anyone wants to see, by the way.

The point here is this:

When we overcome a fear we feel extraordinary. It's because dropping that invisible weight/chains that we used to carry around with us everywhere now gives us access to so much more ENERGY!

You don't overcome a fear by avoiding it. You overcome your fear by learning what you need to learn and then doing what you need to do.

You also need to know WHY you want something or WHY you are doing something. If you have a strong enough reason why-if you want it bad enough- you will find the courage to learn what you need to learn, and do what you need to do... even if doubts come up every-single-step-of-the-way. You must constantly re-affirm your intention.

And once you truly let go of your fear of dying, you won't even need courage because you'll be walking in fearlessness.

Go ahead. Learn what you need to learn and fly right through your fear!

P.S. That's a picture of me from Saturday afternoon. Thanks Mario!

Copyright © Charles Begin

If you would like to reprint these articles or pictures in part or in whole, please include my site (www.CharlesBegin.com) so that others know where they came from and the copyright is respected. Other than that, feel free to share... and thank you for reading!