agaI was in the paradise island of Bali recently. I did almost everything to feel completely relaxed, until the very moment when the idea of going snorkeling came to surface. It haunted me like a ghost, put me on edge, and made me feel the antithesis of relaxation. The primary reason being this unexplainable fear of open sea. I think it’s the vast body of water and we, human are just a minute spec in that respect, or watching movies like Jaws where wild animals jump out of nowhere and can hurt you – like I say, I can’t really explain it. I had tried to evade the trip but alas the odds worked against me, and before you know it, the mask and snorkel were strapped on my face, and I was fitting the fins on my feet. I’m finally on the boat, the boatman has stopped the engine and dropped the anchor. I’m standing at the edge of the boat just waiting to jump, my partner and boatman encouraging me to do it, while the entire time I’m thinking “This is it, this is the moment of truth. Either I’ll sink and that’s very well going to put a damp on the vacation, or I’ll go on swimming and enjoy the underwater beauty.” I’m not sure what came over me, but I managed to muster all my courage and made the decision to jump. I jumped, I couldn’t believe it! Frankly speaking, the first 5 minutes which felt like eternity, were hell on earth. I couldn’t calm down, my body was tense and obviously I didn’t relish the experience. Thankfully, with the help of my partner, I was able to loosen up, and the rest is history. It was one of the worst and best experiences I’ve had yet. I realize that whenever we attempt something new, we will feel a bit of both, good and bad. The bad stems from the feeling of awkwardness and distress from us learning to adapt to it. And the good originates from the feeling of prideful and elation that we’ve conquered the very thing we were afraid of. I’m happy to report that I am now searching for another snorkeling destination in the near future.
Sometimes we have to force courage to emerge. When we come face to face with something that we fear or hate, we only have 2 choices, either we face it or we run away from it. I’m a firm believer that we won’t really know our true potential until we do the very thing that scares us. In business, we need to make decisions and take risks every day, whether it’s within our company or outside. When we hire a new employee, we are taking a chance with this individual, in the hope that they will perform as expected. In our daily lives, we do them too. When we buy a new brand at the store, we are taking a risk, in the hope that the product will serve the purpose we intended it to. When we try something new or do something that terrifies us, we are taking a leap of faith, testing our courage, and using our potential – in the hope that courage and potential won’t fail us. And while we’re leaping, trust that the uneasy feeling we feel deep in our gut is what is supposed to happen as part of the process.
So in closing the year 2014, my wish to you all is that this year has been fulfilling, and 2015 will bring an abundance of happiness and prosperity, new adventures and experiences.
This article has been published by Now!Jakarta magazine
Turning Life Experiences into Life Skills 