Fear of height. Expand your limits.

I have always been afraid of heights ever since I can remember. For intermediate camp I sent my mum down the flying fox instead.

It’s only recently that I decided to challenge this. Thinking back I don’t actually know where this fear came from. Was it from having no exposure to it when I was young, absorbing the fears of those around me as a child or maybe just over thinking. I don’t know where it came from but some how it became my identity. I identified myself as someone who was scared of heights and simply stayed away from it. Which was quite easy to do.

Thanks to my fear staircase I started to question this fear. I decided that I no longer wanted this identity and the only way to rid myself of it was to face it. Before you ask, nope I didn’t go sky diving and that something you wouldn’t catch me dead doing 🤪. I decided to take it easy. Link it to something I enjoy so I could slowly but surely change this fear to enjoyment.

I love active activities, where you physical need to get up and do something. As a kid you would always catch me on the playground during recess. My friends told me about Tree adventures and what better place is there to start conquering your fears. It’s a playground in the air. Took my friends and headed down.

Of course we started of with the beginner level and honestly the first few course felt like a mission. I wonder why I came and wanted to turn back. The only thing pushing me through was seeing my friends who also feared heights move through the course and of course the pressure from those coming up behind me. But I am glad for it.

Thanks to it I learnt that it wasn’t heights I feared but the fear of failing, the feeling of having no control and the negative consequences that came from it. But after exposing myself to the feeling a few times and moving through it things began to feel easier. The weight on my shoulders slowly lessened and I dare say you could have caught a few smiles and laughter.

By the end of it we were ready to test ourselves on the first course we took and greatly feared to see how much we grew, also decided to come back again later to go up the levels.

You would be surprised how adaptable we are, don’t let our fears limit us, be the master of your life. You are the one that sets your limits.