Children are the most adventurous and curious people, yet their fears are very often inexplicable. Some are afraid of monsters, and others cannot fall asleep with their lights off. I was one of those kids, and while my fear was not necessarily irrational, it did take away from some of the fun I could have with my friends. Needless to say, as a young child, not being able to have a great time with my pals was nothing short of a tragedy for me. Yet, there was soothing holding me back, but I was able to overcome it.
My Achilles heel was water, but not just any water. I was not afraid to go into a pool, dive, and swim around. However, the thought of swimming in a deep river, lake, or ocean where I could not feel the bottom was terrifying me to the point that I was avoiding it at all costs. When my childhood friends were jumping off some cliffs or diving into the water after jumping off their dad’s boat, all I could do was watch them.
One time I went on a trip with my parents for a couple of weeks. As soon as I came back, I rushed to my best friend’s home. Unfortunately, his mother told me that he and the other boys were already at the lake, cooling off during the last hot days of summer. I was so excited to see them that as soon as she told me that, I ran away towards the place where all the boys were. Finally, I saw the cliff overlooking the beautiful blue lake. I got to the edge and looked down, spotting all my pals having fun, splashing the water around, diving, and laughing out loud. My buddies looked up and seemed happy to have their friend back after not seeing me for weeks. They were so excited that they started shouting for me to join them.
In the heat of the moment, I was overwhelmed with joy, fear, embarrassment for not being able to do it, and a glimmer of hope that I could make the jump. It was my ego that did not allow me to back off, or maybe the keenness to finally join my pals after missing them for so long. I clenched my fists as hard as I could, shut my eyes, took a deep breath, and jumped. After a second of flying, I could feel my feet hitting the water before I entirely disappeared into the lake. The most exciting thing is that I did not feel any fear as soon as I jumped off the cliff. It was almost like all my doubts disappeared, and I forgot all about my hesitance. I remember playing in the water till late evening and having a fantastic time. I was soaking wet when I was going home, and I had a smile on my face thinking about how easily my fear disappeared and how good I felt afterward.
Fear of the unknown is a protective instinct that every person has. However, what makes us human, is fighting with the things that hold us back and do not allow us to reach our life goals and strive for more. My fear, while insignificant, was impacting how I perceived the world. I thought it was better to be cautious rather than adventurous. However, this mentality would not allow me to travel, meet new people, and follow my dreams afterward. Minor changes and leaving the comfort zone may seem impossible or insignificant, yet the young boy who I once was proves otherwise. Now I know that if I was able to overcome one fear, I could do the same with every obstacle on my way.