How to face your fears and step out in faith
If you’ve been around here awhile, you may know I have a thing for stepping out in faith. One Foot Coaching was founded on the idea that it takes bravery to step out of the boat like Peter did when he walked on water. And being brave, it’s not just for the Peter’s of the world - it’s for every single one of us. The regular everyday people who want to be brave, but are not sure how.
You are more than who people say you are
The thing is, so many of us take the messages we received from the world around us…that harsh criticism at work, the kids who used to make fun of us at school, and maybe even someone on social media and we allow those voices to define us. We allow someone else’s definition of courage and living in fear define who we are and what being brave looks like.
So how ‘bout we turn that on its head? What if we chose to believe that courage is feeling the fear and doing it anyway? What is we could say that what looks like courage to you is different than what courage looks like to me? And be okay with being the same kind of different.
Facing Fear by Nik Wallenda
A few years ago, I received multiple requests every few months to read books publishers/PR people would send me and post about it on my blog. At that time, I wasn’t real choosy. The PR person would send me a book and ask me to post about when I was done.
With adding Enneagram coaching and partnering in a new website design business, I realize I had to do my own brave thing. I cut down on saying yes, and chose to say no. Some just didn’t fit what I was writing about. Some topics were not quite what you were used to receiving from me. But a few weeks ago, I received a new request called Facing Fear. I immediately knew I could tell you about it and it would be helpful in our combined coaching journey.
What I’m learning from Facing Fear
In all honesty, I’m still in the process of reading the book but couldn’t wait to tell you what I’m learning. For starters, it may be important for you to know Nik is a wire walker. He and his family perform in the circus and other places. You know those guys walking on the wire above balancing mostly several people? That’s him.
So, if anyone has what it takes to talking about facing fear and stepping in faith it’s this guy. Nik interweaves his life story and a wire walker with his faith to inspire us to walk in faith and face our fears. His story includes a horrible accident in which his team fell from the wire onto the ground and how he processed and stepped in faith to keep wire walking all while walking with God.
The difference between healthy and unhealthy fear
Did you know that we can categorize our fears? We can have healthy fears. Fears that protect us from doing something dangerous and stupid. And unhealthy fears. Those that hold us back and keep us from the possibilities that God has laid before us. Unhealthy fears can keep us from stepping in faith and discovering God and how He works. Unhealthy fears start with an overprotection of ourselves instead of trusting in the God who walks with us. Unhealthy fears try attempt to control our world where healthy fears trust God in our world.
Nik shares his story and encourages us to overcome negative thinking that can trap us and inspire us to get back up again and again after we fall (our falling just may not be as literal as his).
Whether you pick up the book or not, we can all grow in two things: discerning when we’re listening to our unhealthy fears and how to trust God to help us be brave. That’s it. Life is full of invitations to step with faith, pursue our faith, and grow in freedom. Facing our fears is one step toward being brave and leaving our unhealthy fears behind.