I am sharing my latest column to be published next month. 

Inventing Your Life

“Learn To Be Fearless”

By

Rob Claudio

A newspaper story that I ran across this week, had a captivating depiction about a young woman who is top ranked in the sport of pole vaulting in the state of Texas, she also happens to be blind.  I tried to quickly envision how one could possibly compete in this sport without the use of eyesight.  As it turns out this determined fifteen year old high school student is a force to be reckoned with.  She is legally blind and cannot distinguish between shapes or shadows.  Everything that she does with regard to this physical activity uses her keen ability to be precise about the steps that she takes and calculating the exact time when the pole hits the ground in order to fly over the height bar.  From my recollection when I am able to view this athletic competition when the Summer Olympics are taking place, this sport looks challenging enough for any able bodied athlete.  The word “fearless” quickly came to mind, in reading more details about this individual as this was the perfect word that represented how she approached her life.  In our own world where we contend with various challenges and obstacles on a daily basis, I wonder how fearless we all are when we are presented with a hurdle that we need to get past?  Some people have a more dominate fearless gene versus others, however, I do believe that we can all exercise this muscle enough to increase its strength.  Perhaps some people may ponder why they should even consider accelerating this attribute.  I can only offer my perspective, in that there is something that occurs when you let go of your inhibitions and although you may feel vulnerable in the moment, it can come with a surprising level of fulfillment afterwards.  Having the strength or courage to face one’s fears also releases a lot of repressed negative feelings that may have existed or accumulated over time.  Another example is to look at how children depict this attribute as they are usually more fearless than we are as adults.  This could be in part that with experience and age, one is less likely to put themselves in uncomfortable situations and one can distinguish those more readily as time goes by.  There is something to be said for pushing one’s own boundaries as continued growth and self-actualization can proceed to take place, no matter what age or stage in life you happen to be at.  This young girl is a great example of what can be accomplished if we step out of our own comfort zone and not be defined by what others may perceive as a limitation.  At times, we can be our own worst critic and the primary influence to our perceived impediments.  Just think about the many things that you could accomplish if your daily philosophy was, “the sky is the limit”?  Now I am not saying that one should book the next sky diving adventure, in order to feel that sense of exhilaration or to push one’s boundaries to the extreme.  What I am saying is that we could allow ourselves to let go of what is comfortable and ordinary while we seek to experience things that can expand our horizons.  If you fail at something that you attempt, you can always learn something from the experience.  On the plus side, you may be successful in attempting something new that can change your perspective and allow you to grow even more.  Connect with your inner fearless self, similar to the girl in the news story or the child from your youth, while you throw caution to the wind.  Learn to stretch your boundaries to make room for the more developed self that you wish to be.  Finally, change your thinking and approach to life by erasing any boundaries that may have existed previously and eliminate drawing any further lines that may confine your ability to soar beyond any expectation.  

“You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose and to do it fearlessly.”
― Steve Maraboli