Several years ago, I spent my summer vacation sailing with some friends off the coast of Massachusetts. We had been sailing along the coast for several days enjoying the beautiful weather, good food, and just hanging out.
Since we were having such a good time we weren’t paying any attention to the news or the weather. Unfortunately, a tropical storm had developed off the Carolinas and was heading our way fast.
We noticed a strange wave pattern in the seas but didn’t think anything of it until a friend called asking what the heck we were doing sailing into a tropical storm.
That’s when we started paying attention.
Since there was a safe hurricane hole a few miles away, we pulled in, picked up a heavy duty mooring, and secured everything that we could.
However, that wasn’t the end of our problems.
We had no idea what we were in for. Over the next several days, we received tons of rain and the winds were blowing over 50 miles per hour at the top of the mast.
Three of us were huddled inside a 40’ boat that had been extremely comfortable up to this point but now seemed quite cramped with the wind howling and the seas raging outside.
I can’t begin to describe how scary this was.
The winds were howling, we were rolling from side to side, and the boat was making all sorts of strange creaking sounds. Not to mention the fear that we could be smashed to bits by the nearby rocks at any second.
To make things worse, one of us had to go outside every hour or so and check the lines and the boats around us to make sure that we were still safe.
It was a harrowing experience.
Eventually, the winds finally died down and the seas subsided.
We had survived the storm.
This situation made me realize that I was able to overcome my fears, and actually, thrive in a very dangerous situation. Facing your fears can save your life as it did for me in this situation.
It is a completely normal response to a real threat, and we all experience it from time to time.
Unfortunately, it can also prevent you from growing as an individual, achieving success, and becoming everything that you were created to be.
If you want to become extraordinary, you will have to learn to face your fears while you are taking massive action toward your goals. You can’t let your fears allow you to question your goals and prevent you from moving forward.
Face your fears.
Look them right in the eye.
Try new things.
Take massive action toward your goals.
You will be amazed at what you can accomplish when you overcome your fears.
Originally published on Medium
Photo—James Loesch/Flickr