We Need To Talk About Conquering Your Fears – The Truth About Inner Strength

Conquering Your Fears

What are you afraid of? Enclosed spaces, spiders, public speaking…your in-laws (kidding!)? In all seriousness, fears can be crippling, and overcoming them can be a tremendous challenge. Erin recently embarked on a rock-climbing experience where she overcame a very deep and personal fear in an unexpected way. You’ll be surprised what rock climbing, (but really taking a risk) taught her about facing her fears and finding expansion and growth…on her own terms.

The Via Ferrata Challenge

Erin and Chris recently spent some time in Canyon Point, UT at the Amangiri Resort. This was a couple’s getaway trip for the Busbees and connection and adventure were definitely on the agenda. And when we say “adventure” we really mean it. The images above highlight The Via Ferrata Challenge and Cave Peak Stairway climbing expedition they took part in.

A Via Ferrata or “iron road” is a daunting series of ladder rungs and cables fixed to rock facings. These “stairs” allow thrill seekers to climb steep mountainous routes. And get really up close and personal with the terrain. The Cave Peak Via Ferrata, which Erin and Chris climbed, is a 120-step installation 400 feet above rocky desert ground. The climbs and drops were an adrenaline ride for sure. Beautiful terrain, yes! Incredibly scary…also yes. In Erin’s words, “This climb was really terrifying. Kind of next-level terrifying and definitely one of the scariest things I’ve ever done”. Many of the rocks were so steep they were actually inverted, meaning the top jets out farther than the bottom. So, finding her footing was beyond difficult. It was one sticky situation after another. And, she had very little assistance from their guide.

Accepting Your Limits

Pictured above are two bridges that were part of this particular climbing route. One has only a 6-inch wide footing. The other one is a little wider but very long expanding over a deep, 300-foot canyon… Yikes.

When Erin shared these images, our team knew this adventure seemed a bit outside of her comfort zone and we applauded how brave she was to complete it. Erin agreed she was proud of herself for muscling through the climb, BUT that pride extended beyond the physical aspect of her accomplishment. There was much more to it!

Erin has shared pretty openly over the years that she has endured a great deal of trauma starting at a very young age. As a result, she has basically trained herself to just handle chaos and drama. You know, just deal with it. She’s the person you want around in a crisis because she’s been conditioned to be the cool and collected one. To not show fear. Just to remain calm and carry on…as they say. Chris even went so far one time as to ask her if she had ice in her veins! But this time and this climb were different. She wasn’t feeling calm and spoke up. This adventure was more than she felt comfortable with. And she knew it was important to voice her concerns.

Once we accept our limits, we go beyond them. ~ Albert Einstein

 

The Truth About Being Brave

So, what Erin was most proud of was the fact that she was vocal about her fear surrounding this overly adventurous climb. She told the guide she was NOT comfortable. And she asked for help. Erin didn’t just play it tough and pretend to be fine. When she did, she either received encouragement or some help from the guide. Where she normally would have played it cool, she didn’t feel the need to pretend to be “OK” in this situation…and that’s where the real strength lies. She told Chris that while the climb was definitely an accomplishment, she never wanted to do anything like this again. The panic and anxiety just were not worth it. That’s when the real bravery kicked in.

Do you ever get that push, push, go, go mentality? Always striving in an effort to do better, achieve more, push boundaries, and climb mountains (in this case literally!) Sometimes this narrow hyper-focus can lead to negative consequences when we “fail”. The real progress in Erin’s example came not so much from the climbing itself…although WOW, the climbing. But from her reaction to it. Or rather her decision that it was alright to dislike it, to say so, and to seek adventures elsewhere.

“I just don’t feel like I have anything to prove to anyone anymore. I only want to do what I’m comfortable doing and it’s not that I’m not going to push myself because I think it’s important to take risks and to push yourself. I just don’t think you have to suffer to do it. I really, really believe that.” ~Erin

 

Taking Risks Is Important

This doesn’t mean Erin isn’t going to take risks! If you’ve been following along these past couple of weeks, you probably read about her epic trip to Paris for Paris Fashion Week. She shares all about her stay in the exclusive La Suite Dior in this post and the Dior Fashion Show. These were all new, intimidating, and overwhelming experiences in their own right. Traveling alone to Paris, the heaps of unknowns and uncertainties outweighed her luggage. (And there was a lot of luggage ?) To say the trip was out of her comfort zone is an understatement.

But while the experience had its own set of obstacles and insecurities, overcoming them was not a chore. There was incredible growth, but no suffering. That’s the real difference. Finding expansion and growth in nurturing, beautiful ways… that’s the ultimate goal and where the true inner strength lies. Knowing the difference between the two and only embracing the latter.

To hear even more about Erin’s dream-come-true trip to Paris and her unbelievable experience, you can watch this video for her heartfelt account.

So, what’s a risky, challenging, or super scary thing you’ve done…that you are MOST proud of? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below. To make sure you don’t miss out on blog posts like this one, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter where we share exclusive content, style resources, and shopping finds too. Thanks for reading!