As someone who was diagnosed with dyslexia at a young age, I can empathize with the struggles of trying to fit in with my classmates. I vividly recall using my creativity and some basic math skills to calculate how many kids were between me and my turn during popcorn reading sessions. I was anticipating when it would be my turn to read a short sentence aloud, fixated on avoiding my future of doom. I would begin prereading vigorously with all my hope of survival depending on my performance in the short sentence. If the text veered into unfamiliar territory, my heart would begin to race, as the words became unmanageable. Suddenly, the need for a bathroom break would become urgent, and I would discreetly excuse myself, avoiding the struggle over unfamiliar words in front of my peers.
Reflecting on this moment, I realize now how much fear was in control of my actions as a little boy, to run and hide when it became uncomfortable. Yes, I had a good excuse to not want to read in front of my peers, as reading to me is like swimming with jeans and a sweatshirt on, its just flat out harder. When you allow fear to take the driving seat, now you become the passenger, unable to control the direction or speed of your experiences, limiting opportunities through the fear of uncertainty, attention, change, or struggle.
When has fear robbed you of experiences and has hinder you from the protentional opportunities?
Let's climb into the source of fear, which is hardwired into our brains, specifically originating from a region called the amygdala. This part of the brain, about the size of two almonds, is universally present in all individuals and resides near our brain stem. Its primary function is survival, aiming to keep us alive by alerting us to potential dangers through the generation of fear. This innate response is why, for instance, when we find ourselves 150 feet high on a cliff face pulling on small positive holds, with a stretchy rope tied from us to our partner, we experience fear due to the sheer exposure of the height.
However, the amygdala's flaw lies in its inability to distinguish between beneficial challenges and life-threatening ones. It operates on a black-and-white basis, where any form of uncertainty, attention, change, or struggle triggers a fear response. This simplistic outlook served our ancestors well in times of extreme uncertainty, aiding in their survival. However, in our modern context, where survival isn't necessarily tied to immediate physical threats, this response can hinder us. Fear not only limits potential outcomes but also deprives us of meaningful experiences in our lives. It's impossible to be fearless, as the amygdala is hardwired and fearless would require us to not do anything that consist of uncertainty, attention, change, or struggle…
Managing fear, consist of two major steps; first by accepting fear in our lives, secondly by awareness to when we are experiencing fear. Using fear as a signal that we're on the cusp of something brave, bold, and powerful, with complete awareness and the actionable act in opposition to its dictates. Understanding this mechanism allows us to embrace fear as an indicator of growth rather than a deterrent.
Our climbing does not lie, you can see the nerves, the elvis shake begins to go when you’re above the bolt on lead, and that balancing foot placement on the not so good smear feels so risky of a move. Climbers have the opportunity to climb within their climbing range, keeping it mellow, safe and comfortable, like for me using the bathroom as an eight-year-old boy that didn’t want to feel the struggle of reading in front of my peers. When you open the opportunity well to the challenging climbing that push our boundaries’, feeling fear isn't indicative of inadequacy; it's a natural human response that is the rope that connects us to growth, with the ultimate power that resides in ourselves. Viewing fear as a natural part of the human experience empowers us to confront challenges with awareness, cultivating our curiosity for new experiences, leading to small growths and sudden improvements over each climbing experience as we begin to dance with fear.
As we climb on the wall and beyond in our lives, awareness of feelings that trigger fear, uncertainty, attention, change, or struggle. Then allowing the mindset shift of reframing perceived threats as opportunities for growth, we can overcome the amygdala brain's instinctual desire to avoid discomfort. Ultimately, by cultivating awareness, making intentional choices, and consciously spending more time outside of our comfort zones, we will regularly help strengthen our resilience for more significant opportunities in the future.
Let’s fast forward to your death bed. What is the number one regret of the dying on their death bed? Any guesses...
“I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself not the life others expected of me in our pursuit of living up to false standards we spend our lives doing things we do not like instead of doing things that uplift our souls and make us joyful humans.”
Deep down fear is still the number one thing holding individuals back and preventing us from reaching our full potential in our climbing and within our lives. It’s never too late to break through your plateaus and stop letting fear drive your climbing experiences, ultimately limiting your life's potential. Its time to take advantage of the opportunities that fear holds and begin to dance with fear to reach your true self. What does success mean to you? Success in climbing, and indeed in life, is not solely defined by external standards, like the values of others or societal pressures. It's within your power to define success and within your awareness to use fear as a resource to obtain what success means to you.
Written & Photography by James Larson
Edited by Maria Harrison
Source Reference:
Trevor Ragan | How to overcome Fear
Anthony De Mello | Awareness
One of my Joys is riding motorcycles. I had much fear in the beginning of learning to master the skill. I found myself holding my breath. Which isn’t a good idea as it tenses your muscles. Once I learned to be aware of my breath and purposely breathing my ride became relaxed and over time the fear disappeared. Overcoming is in my opinion is facing the fear . Thank you James for your continual climb and sharing the crux’s of life. I’ll you at the top with the eagle's.