By Laura Curtis
When I was a teenager, my family had horses. I had not grown-up riding them and they were boarded away from our home. My brothers had spent a lot of time learning and riding with my dad but occasionally my sister and I would go out. One of the first things my dad taught us was that the horses could sense our fear and that we needed to approach them and ride with confidence.
One summer day I was out riding with my dad, and I had gotten bucked off. I was scared to death, shaking and crying. My dad got off his horse, comforted me and told me that everything was going to be okay and that I had to get back on that horse right now. What? I was not getting back on that thing. There was no way. What was he thinking?
He explained to me that it was not an option. I had to get on the horse quickly before I allowed fear to settle in and grow. I had to not overthink the situation and allow myself to overcome this obstacle. That summer day my dad taught me a lesson I would use throughout my life, over and over again. Life is full of obstacles. We fall, we trip, we make mistakes, but we learn and grow if we allow ourselves to get back on the proverbial horse.
The “Terror Barrier” reminds me a lot of falling off a horse and getting right back on again. It can be very scary. We may feel anxiety and fear. We may tend to overthink things and talk ourselves out of it. We want the thrill, freedom and joy of riding but what if we fall again? What if we get really hurt the next time. What if? What if? What if? We can “what if” ourselves out of amazing opportunities in our lives if we allow ourselves to.
Just like my dad, Leslie Householder teaches, “We must allow ourselves to take action on the new idea in spite of anxiety”. As we continue to take action and allow ourselves to move through the terror barrier, we gain confidence and overcome anxiety. We can achieve the goals that we have set for ourselves. We can become excited for all the possibilities that await us on the other side of it. Imagine all the things we can accomplish, the places we will go, the people we will meet, the things we will do, the impact we can make. This world will be a better place when we allow ourselves to do hard things and grow into the person we were meant to become. We can and must trust in unseen help all along the way.
The only way out is through -Robert Frost.
Just like a recent fall, the best way to face the “Terror Barrier” is to face it head on rather than trying to avoid it, escape it or finagling our way around it. Depend on the unseen help aiding us along the way. Visualize and feel yourself on the other side, triumphant achieving the dream we imagined only better. Contribute to the world. Now let’s get riding!
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