Free Doesn't Have To Mean Fear!
I’m frickin’ afraid of heights.
Not all heights…just some.
It wasn’t always this way. But then, something with my physiology shifted and now I’m a vertigo victim…but I don’t like to play the victim role, so I just find ways to overcome the tightrope of heights.
- I don’t purposefully hang out on the top of the Freedom Tower wondering if I can tight rope across Manhattan like this crazy dude
- I only go on rollercoasters where the cars don’t move (just kidding, I love rollercoasters as long as I don’t open my eyes)
- I’ve stopped strapping myself on top of jumbo jets
- I only use diving board that are only 1 inch off the water
- I never wear platform heels that are over 6 inches…mostly because at 6’4, those heels make me 6’10…which makes me a big, imposing gay bear!
All tongue in cheek aside, the fear of heights is similar to the fear of being free. It’s just a fear…one that can be overcome if we allow ourselves to find ways to release the fear.
So the real question I’ve been pondering is not why am I, and others, afraid of heights, but why are most of us afraid to be free?
- Free to stand up for our values
- Free to say what we believe
- Free to have an opinion
- Free to take a risk
- Free to ask for what we desire
- Free to be quiet
- Free to be silly
- Free to have fun
- Free to be vulnerable
- Free to hurt
The answer I’ve found for myself is simply, because I give to much DAMN about what other people think. Not as much as I used to, but there’s still crazy making moments when I do.
And, when I give my power over to what others think, there is no freedom, no confidence, no fun in my life.
And trust me…when Rickey’s not having fun…no one has fun…excpet that’s not fair to others so I’ve decided Rickey’s going to have fun, be vulnerable, show his hurt, be silly, stand quietly, ask for what I desire, take risks, have an opinion, say what I believe, and stand up for my values…BECAUSE THAT’S TRUE FREEDOM.
What about you? Are you done being afraid to be FREE?