34 | December 2017 | Powered Sport Flying Swing Set Aviator Funny Fear We’ve all been there–something we’ve done a hundred times before is now giving us somewhat of an awkward apprehension. It may be obvious like a reverse launch in lighter-than-usual winds, or a running forward in a slightly stronger breeze than what we’re used to. More often than not though it may be just a normal launch on a routine day. Whatever the case may be, this strange apprehension is here and it’s caught us off guard now. Think about the last time it happened to you. It’s what I like to call, “ funny fear.” What Fear Is, and What It Isn’t... Fear is a powerful emotion that keeps us alive and can prevent us from truly living. The outcome of its effects on us depends on what kind of fear it is–the notion of more than one kind of fear used to seem completely foreign to me, as I used to group all of my fears into the same category; that is, a state of being I didn’t much appreciate. The truth of it is, I found that my fear fell into different categories. In order to figure this out I had to fully analyze my fears each time they happened before I could differentiate the different types of fear I experience. Let’s underscore something right off the bat though. Fear is a good thing and it should be respected. People who pontificate their fearlessness from the highest mountaintops are, in my humble opinion, good actors. On the opposite end of the spectrum are those who walk around scared of their own shadows; they aren’t truly living, to me. I think prioritizing where we exist within this matrix can be one of the keys to a good life. It’s important to start this as early as you can though. The younger we get a handle on understanding our fears, the more we’ll respect them and truly understand how they affect our lives. Rational and Irrational Fear When I analyze my fear I can always relegate it into two primary flavors: Rational and Irrational. Rational fear will keep my fingers off a hot stove–pretty simple. Irrational fear, on the other hand, is harder to diagnose; but if I’m nervous about something and can’t figure out why, I go for facts. Once I know the facts and my fear still has no logical reason for existence, I relegate it to the irrational category. This doesn’t mean I dismiss it completely, mind you; rather, I find myself empowered in that I have realized that my fear is irrational. Facts and logic are powerfully persuasive arguments against irrational fear, or “ funny fear” as I like to call it. Imagine all the people in the world who are ruled by their irrational fear. I speculate that the percentage of the population is quite high and would even argue some obvious examples lie in plain sight as proof. For instance, if cost weren’t a factor, how many people would get their pilot’s license or get certified in scuba diving? Both are doorways to entirely new worlds but surprisingly few choose to endeavor, even in spite of the costs. One would think that accessing new worlds would outweigh cost as the main limitation–as the old saying goes, where there’s a will there’s a way, right? Perhaps I’m being a little too presumptuous in my assumptions. I freely admit it, not everyone is an explorer at heart. Nevertheless, being naturally curious without irrational fear is one of the keys to an incredibly free and rewarding life, in my opinion. “Fear is a powerful emotion that keeps us alive and can prevent us from truly living. The outcome of its effects on us depends on what kind of fear it is.”
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