My close friends and family know that I have an irrational fear for the sea/waters. I cannot deny that my fear is stopping me from trying out fun activities and I hate that I’m missing so much of life because of my angst. This is one of the battles that I’m fighting, but I found out that fighting like for instance in a war, requires a plan. So, this year I promised myself to push my bounderies and get out of my comfort zone. In my head I have a list of things that I want to do but I’m hesitant to do because of fear. One of them is to never say no to try something new.

A week ago, I tested myself and got on a kayak. Someone very dear to me bought a kayak and I told myself I wanted to try it too. So I did try but I got nervous because I’m not used to sitting in a small boat. Definitely not a kayak that requires some balancing skills! I got scared when the kayak started to sail away from the “shore”, but someone was holding it because he knows that I won’t be able to go back unless he swims after the kayak. So, I tried rowing but then the kayak started to tip a bit on one side because my balance was not good. I started to cry and panicked eventhough I was safe.

After this nerve wrecking experience, I realized that I’ve actually achieved something that day and that it needs to be celebrated. It means nothing for some, but for me it is huge like winning a trophy. Despite the fear and the stress, I feel very happy that I tried and took a step out of my comfort zone.

Because what is on the other side of fear, is growth.