Feeling the edge of the precipice
Life event that make you feel out of control
Have you ever had an event happen to you, where you felt like this is the end of the world? An even so profound that it made you think “how do I move on from this”? An event where now make you feel empowered and stronger than ever?
I recently watched Top Gun Maverick. I see it a conclusion of a conflict story that started over 30 years prior to the events of the current story. By conflict, I don’t mean the war that the characters are fighting with their fighter jets. I mean the personal battle that had to be resolved between some of the key characters to move on with life.
Old Story of magic
I was watching a Disney movie with the kids once. Disney has a way of making kids movies with great lessons built in. One part of it required the characters to cross a gorge. Now the gorge did have a draw bridge, but it can only be operated from one side. Guess which side the controls were on.
You guessed it, the controls were on the side opposite to them. Now, the characters were brothers, and the younger one had magic that he recently found out about. Trouble is he doesn’t yet fully believe in himself. Now he can create an invisible bridge, which would be solid where he stepped.
Now you can imagine this would require enormous amount of faith for him to step where he can see nothing exists. The older one ties a rope around the younger brother, and he starts crossing. The magic works, and he is stepping on “solid” surface.
He starts crossing the bridge, but the rope isn’t long enough to cross the gap of the gorge. So the older brother keeps encouraging him and says “you are doing great”.
He is almost to the other side when he looks back and his brother is holding no rope. He gets scared, and loses his “solid” footing, but luckily he was only 2 steps away from the other side.
Now in the story it’s magic, but in real life, this has been the “proverbial” magic that somehow works out in the end. Just like the story above, the brother successfully crosses the bridge, and lowers the draw bridge so they can both go across the gorge.
What do you see in that story?
I see a brother that uses the rope to get over his fear.
I see a brother who realises that the fear is the only thing holding him back. He ultimately decides to let go of the rope and let the younger brother choose faith over fear.
I see that faith in oneself is the only true weapon one has against fear.
I see someone pushing people over the edge, to show them they won’t fall, but fly/walk through.
Do you see these things? If not, what do you see? Think about the last time fear held you back.
Think about the last time faith was all you had left.
Think about the regrets you have because you let fear decide to keep you from doing something you really wanted to do.
Now you are at the precipice. What will make the ground “solid” for you? Is it magic? Is it faith in a higher power? Is it law of attraction?
My story of magic
I don’t really have magic. However, I have lived in fear for great part of my life.
I have feared “losing” a job. I have feared “losing” the roof over my head. I have feared “flying”. I have feared falling. I have feared the dark. I feared ghosts. I feared for the safety of my children. I feared for the state of our future in terms of finances, and safety.
If you think about it, that just makes me a regular person, doesn’t it? I bet some of you can find yourself saying that at least once in your life in the past. Don’t worry, I am not asking you to reveal it.
Just think about it honestly and speak honestly to yourself. Is there something you think about that gets your heart racing, and you feel the slight pain at the pit of your stomach.
Is there something you want to do, but every time you think about starting, do you get the same feeling of heart racing, and the pain in the pit of your stomach?
You know what? I felt the same way when I was about to meet my significant other. I have spoken to her on most modern form of communications we had back then multitude of times.
when I was about to meet her for the first time, I had my heart racing faster than when I was running to grab the basketball before it can be taken closer to our team’s basket.
When I thought about it, it wasn’t fear. It was excitement. I was about to meet her for the very first time. I was very much an introvert, but meeting your wife for the first time is an experience. One, I can’t say I will ever forget.
Here is a secret, I still feel that when I see her after just a few hours. It’s not fear at all, it’s excitement. I love seeing her. You know what though? It’s the same sensations. Heart racing, slight pain in the pit of your stomach.
Epiphany
I now understand more deeply why this statement was given.
“Danger is real, but Fear is a choice.” — Will Smith [Movie After Earth]
Faith doesn’t remove the dangers, it allows you courage to handle whatever goes wrong. When you remember this, you have learned to overcome your fear and take the risks. Risks are what makes life move forward instead of backwards.
Let’s take the risks guys. Let’s move forward. Let’s keep at it until we get it.
Most important of all is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s advice:
Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
