Stops us in our tracks. Things we know we should be able to do we can’t or won’t do. Things we did yesterday become impossible today for no other reason than fear. Yet fear is the product of fantasy.

We fear what might happen. If we knew that stepping off a curb would result in a bus hitting us we would never step off that curb. Now if we just fantasize that a bus MIGHT hit us when we step off we can still step off AFTER looking both ways for the bus.

That example is a little extreme. But we do the same thing with little things all the time. We allow the fantasy of fear to control our activities. I’m afraid of what might happen so I don’t do it. Even though the statistical likelihood of the event taking place is about the same as getting hit by lightning…twice. In other words we are paralyzed by a fantasy that will never come to pass.

The picture above is the result of missing a box jump. I have never been afraid of jumping on a box. Yes, I have hit one before but never to this extant. It was ugly, painful and bloody. If there was a time to be afraid of box jumping this was it…the statistical probability had just been proven. On the other hand because of those probabilities I was now a long way from the next mishap! I got up, dusted off and jumped on the box…13 more times. You may look at my wound and say I never want to feel that and you don’t have to. Jump less high, jump less often, work on the progressions to be able to jump, but don’t let fear stop you from jumping on anything.

We conquer fear the same way we conquer any task…one step at a time. We take it baby step after baby step until we have conquered the fear once and for all.

Don’t let Fear be closer to your goal than you are!

John Mariotti
www.crossfitodyssey.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
775-338-2412