I hate snakes. I admit they scare me, even when they are in cages. This is a bad phobia to have considering that I live in their natural habitat. Today, I slept in, and did not go out for my morning run until around 7:00 am. The desert sun was already beating down, and it was perfect snake weather.
Unfounded Fears
My running routes take me through the rocks, grass and undeveloped desert, which are all perfect dwelling places for the mojave green and diamond back rattlesnake. The intense morning heat, made me believe that I might run into one of these slithering creatures at every step. My fear quickly fatigued me, and made the run more difficult than normal. I never got into a rhythm, because I was on the look out for danger. Interestingly enough, I never saw a single reptile despite my heightened state of alert.
Nevertheless, this fear continued to drain my energy and I stopped to walk several times to catch my breath. I just couldn't shake the thought from my mind. As I pressed forward, I began to think of the different fears we often face in life and their impact on our ability to be productive.
As I pondered this phenomenon, I realized that we often blow our fears, and their ability to dam our progress, out of proportion. This doesn't mean that they are not real, it simply means that we place too much emphasis on their ability to impede our progress. They may represent very real dangers, and we definitely want to have a plan in place to act when their reality is finally manifested, but we do not need to spend our days expecting certain doom at any moment. When we do that, we drain the energy we have for life and become a slave to our own imagination.
The Way Out
Fears are overcome by preparation. In our planning moments, we must consider the things that frighten us, and prepare for their unlikely occurrence. I often prepare for the worst, and though it rarely ever happens, I am ready when it does. This keeps me anchored in a proactive state, and prevents me from moving into a reactive frenzy.
Do you have fears that are draining your energy?
What is your plan to deal with them?
There are many things we can do to overcome our rational and irrational fears. Sometimes, like on my run this morning, the anxiety caused by our fears can overcome us. We must be ready to stay the course. If you are prepared, you shall not fear.
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