In the fall of 2013, I found myself driving east on I-70 in Colorado, just west of Denver, when a friend on the phone suggested that I stop and see Mt. Evans. There is a 15-mile paved road to the summit – the highest paved road in North America.
I really didn’t think much about the journey to the top because I was enjoying the awesome view. Green trees, streaming water jetting down from the mountain, and bright blue skies.
I could see cars moving along near the top of the mountain, but even then I wasn’t thinking about what was to come.
It was somewhere around the timberline that I turned a corner and faced a dirty four-letter word.
FEAR! (Yes, I’m afraid of heights)
Glancing to my left I saw the edge of the road blend in with the sky and my whole being felt ill. My arms tensed and I could feel a tingling sensation running down the back of my neck.
Thoughts of turning around entered my mind, but there was no way I could make a hundred and eighty-degree turn. Just the thought of trying gave me the heebie-jeebies.
I crept forward, like a tortoise, until I arrived at the first turn-off. As I got out of the car, I noted a chiseled rock sign near a path that read, “Mind Your Step.”
Wow, as if I needed a reminder!
It was at this point on my self-guided tour that I knew I had to face my fears to get to the top.
So, I mustered up enough nerve to…hitch-hike!
Sometimes a fear that would keep you from reaching your goals can be resolved with a little help from a friend.
J.T. and Rebecca were more than happy to watch me squirm in the back seat of their truck. Well, J.T. was. Rebecca couldn’t see me because she had her eyes closed and kept reciting the Lord’s Prayer! I knew I was in good hands.
Well, after all that, I made it to the top! And, I’m proud to say, back down again.
I’ll always remember this venture as being the time that I was…um, resourceful.
Brave? Not so much…well, maybe just a little.
How about you?
Do you have any fears that are keeping you from reaching your goals?
Remember that it’s okay to admit your fear and ask for help. It’s often the fastest way to reach the top.
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