How to conquer fear while traveling

 

“If you live in the past you will be depressed, if you live in the future you will be anxious, if you live in the present you will find peace.” – Unknown

If you live in the past, you will be depressed, if you live in the future you will be anxious, if you live in the present you will find peace Click To Tweet

A few weeks ago my husband and I took a trip out to Scottsdale, AZ. He had a continuing education course out there, and I jumped at the chance to tag along. Since I have been diving deep into understanding myself, my thoughts, my decisions, and what makes me do the things I do,  I have learned some interesting things.

First off, let me start by saying I used to be terrified of traveling all together. Our honeymoon, four years ago, was the first time I had ever flown on a plane! Can you believe that? I mean how does that even happen this day in time? The halfway me was QUEEN at living in the future. I was always playing out possible situations in my mind about what could go wrong while traveling. I was residing in the future, all the time.

For some reason, I had this huge fear of flying built up in my mind, and it would cause lots of anxiety. It’s amazing the effect that anxiety can have on our bodies, it is a scary thing. It can overwhelm us with fear, and we can become so focused on it that we miss experiences around us.

So how have I been able to kick my fear to the curb while traveling?

Careful vs. Mindful

What I’ve discovered is that I have lived a lot of my life in the future. Playing out different scenarios of what could happen or go wrong. I was always “careful.”

You know, I have come to dislike the word careful. I listened to a podcast by Jess Lively, and she discussed the big effect small words have on us. You can check it out here, I highly recommend listening to it. I’m so fascinated by this concept, how our words shape our thoughts and emotions, and ultimately our actions, without us even realizing it. It’s a powerful thing.

It got me thinking about my chronic use of the word careful and how it was subconsciously making me fearful. Definition of careful: making sure of avoiding potential danger, mishap, or harm. Notice the big one – POTENTIAL HARM. By being so careful all the time, I was living in a mindset that something scary or bad could happen, and it was the root of my deception. The word careful can be so convincing that we let it make a lot of decisions for us. Careful is so persuasive that it forced me to stick to my safe world and avoid trying new things for a good portion of my life.

My new word

I have retired the use of my long-time friend, careful, with MINDFUL. When we are mindful of things, we are aware, conscious, and can assess our thoughts and feelings without believing them. Mindful is a lot less of a trickster. It gives us rest, it gives us calm, and it gave me the ability to be in the present moment instead of imagining what would happen in the future.

What’s the proof you say? Could changing one little word acutally kick fear to the curb? Well, I can tell you 100% that six months ago I wouldn’t have taken a helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon.

 

It was such a liberating feeling as we flew over the North Rim and into the Grand Canyon. I was present in the moment, and it was a magical scene that is etched into my memory. I saw one of Seven Wonders of the World just as a soaring eagle would, that’s an incredible thing! My mind wasn’t thinking of potential situations that could arise; it was enjoying the beauty in front of me.

I’m done with careful for good

The “careful” version of me would have thought flying a helicopter was just too dangerous and would probably crash. Careful would have made the decision for me not to do it and I would have seen the Grand Canyon just like everyone else, from the safety of the ground.

The “mindful” me was aware of the situation and my feelings, but it didn’t make the decision for me. I made the decision, and I was present for the beautiful experience that I will cherish forever.

Small changes create significant results

On my way home from our adventure in Scottsdale, AZ, I was reading Awaken the Giant Within : How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny by Tony Robbins. I read something that honestly felt as though it was written just for me, right at that moment. Sometimes I forget just how powerful these small improvements are making in my life and this was the perfect reminder.

“The essence of CANI (constant and never-ending improvement) is gradual, even minute, continuous improvement that over the long term sculpts a masterpiece of colossal proportions. If you’ve ever visited the Grand Canyon, you know what I’m talking about. You’ve witnessed the awe-inspiring beauty produced by millions of years of gradual change as the Colorado River and numerous tributaries have continually chiseled the rock to create one of the Seven National Wonders of the World.”

I feel like the Grand Canyon is the metaphor for my quest in continuously expanding, learning, and growing. My minute, gradual change in Mindful vs. Careful isn’s going to create a masterpiece overnight. Instead, it’s slowly sculpting me into the person I want to be and over time creating something wonderful. And this can be true for all of us!

Being mindful and enjoying life

I‘m really loving this new confidence I have while traveling. I find that I’m enjoying life so much more and really cherishing the experiences we have. Here are some other fun moments from our trip.

 

What are some ways you have found helpful for overcoming fear while traveling?

 

Take one small step today,

 

Xo-Jenna