How often do we avoid doing something we want because we are blocked by fear? Each of us has at least one experience of being held back from achieving a professional or personal goal for fear that something negative might happen. And so you give up that project, that experience, in some way a part of yourself. What alternative do we have to this? How can we face our fears so that we have no regrets?
I tell you this through the testimony of A., a courageous woman who has decided to live alone in the mountains.
- What prompted you to make this courageous choice?
On one hand, I was driven by a desire I have always had. When I was a child, I lived in a village in Romania in a country house. I’ve always liked contact with nature and when I came to Schio, Italy, I started to miss it. There are mountains around the town that offer beautiful landscapes. I began to desire to live in one of those little houses in the middle of the wood. But then I started to feel afraid of living so isolated and I started to think ‘what if something happened to me?’ At some point, something inside me snapped and I had to react: I didn’t want to give up a dream because of my fears! - I congratulate you on your courage and desire to overcome your limits. Once you made the decision, was everything easy?
Absolutely not, it was hard at first. I had difficulty sleeping because I could hear noises I wasn’t used to – the sounds of the forest and its animals – which fuelled thoughts that were not always positive. In addition, this complete solitude sometimes made me feel as if I were left to my own devices, without having anyone close by to refer to. - Is this still the case today?
No, now it’s a different story: those sounds lull me and make me feel protected. - How did this change happen?
One day it started snowing a lot and I couldn’t drive my car from the village up the road to my house. So I had to leave my car and continue on foot. I was very afraid, I imagined that terrible things could happen to me in the dark. Then, at a certain point, something unexpected happened. It was as if I had hit rock bottom and a feeling of peace and tranquillity emerged. - The fear was gone…
That’s right, the fear was gone! - You know what always struck me about fear? It’s the fact that most of the time it’s linked to our thoughts. We have the memory of a bad experience, we are afraid that it will happen again and, while we are standing still, dozens of possible scenarios have already played out in our heads! But if we can live in the present, we realise that we have the ability to handle whatever happens and we find ourselves stronger and more talented than we imagined!
Yes it is, this experience has enriched me, made me gain more confidence in myself and reminds me every day to be present and in touch with what is happening inside and outside of me. - What advice do you give to people who would like to start a project they care about but feel held back by fear?
I advise them to let go, to go with the flow and see what happens. To learn to live in the present and not let your mind wander, you could start with simple walks in nature and pay attention to what you see, what you hear. - Thank you A. Your testimony was precious.
Thank you Giulia.If you too have courageous stories to share, write to me. And if you would like to be accompanied to overcome fears that separate you from a project, you can try coaching