DISCOVERING YOUR GREATEST FEAR AND FINDING THE COURAGE TO CONQUER IT

Growing up for a number of years in southern Missouri (a small town near Branson called Forsythe), the Ozarks were central to my daily life. Small, rolling hills green and fresh with new life in the spring, and gorgeous hillsides lit up with the colors of the fall when autumn rolled around.

During the dry season, firefighters and volunteers would staff huge lookout towers peppered across the southern part of the state, keeping an eagle eye out for the breakout of forest fires that could turn into what we see quite often these days in the western United States and more recently, Canada.

In 2024, the remnants of the old towers have been replaced by aerial surveillance and cell phones, with a small number of them having been remodeled into an Airbnb-type lodging destinations.

In the midst of my childhood and still yet today, the sight of those towers makes me shudder with a sense fear that’s hard to explain let alone understand. Being the youngest of 7 kids, I have 3 older brothers and the same number of sisters.

The adage “boys will be boys” certainly rang true back in those days, as my older brothers would run with reckless abandon up those rickety old stairs to the top of the rusty and ill-maintained lookout tower, egging me on to not be a chicken (I was 8 years old or so at the time).

Determined to not be labeled a chicken (or anything worse), I would grip the metal handrail and begin to ascend the steps, determined to show them bravery I definitely didn’t feel. During one such trip, the enclosed space at the top of the tower was in the middle of a platform that allowed a sidewalk-sized walking path around the outside, with yet another handrail about 3-4 feet up being the only thing to keep a kid like me from slipping into the void.

As we were roughhousing at the top, one of my brothers was fake pushing me to simply scare me, resulting in me nearly tripping but thankfully landing against the metal guardrail instead. For me that was the moment I realized how truly fearful I was of heights.

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Acrophobia is defined at VeryWellHealth.com as “a persistent and intense fear of heights. People with acrophobia will experience panic and sudden anxiety in situations involving heights. Common triggers include standing on a bridge, climbing a ladder, looking over a cliff, and flying in an airplane.”

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Fortunately, I made it back to the ground in one piece that day. The enduring impact of that experience, however, has been a lifelong fear of heights, whether it be driving across a super-high and long bridge in Florida, climbing the steps within lighthouses in the Northeastern United States, or simply climbing to the top of the open bleachers at our minor league baseball stadium downtown.

What would it take to get me to overcome the fear?

Since the CBS reality series began in September of 2001, I’ve always thought it would be so much fun to be part of a team to experience the race around the world. I loved the show so much that I actually created (with colleagues) several seasons of our own version of the show, taking place on our work campus.

The one drawback I see? I remember teams ziplining across Batoka Gorge in the premiere episode and have witnessed team members melting down while rappelling face first down skyscrapers, crossing between buildings on only 2 thin wires, hanging off cliffs to retrieve clues, and navigating over mountain passes. Heights.

But for a million dollars? Hmm…that might be just what I need to overcome the fear factor with heights.

Now It’s Your Turn

What is your biggest fear, and how did you conquer it in your life? Share your experience with a comment below!

Before You Go…

Not exactly sure what to make of this, but in an unsuspected twist, I do love ROLLER COASTERS and rides that SHOOT YOU 200 FEET STRAIGHT INTO THE AIR. The only sense I can make of it is there is security in the safeguards and locking mechanisms…I hope.