Now, I'm Just Scared

The closing speaker of the ASTD 2011 Int’l Conference read my mind. In his closing remarks, John Foley, a former pilot for the Blue Angels, talked about the difference between being frightened and being scared. Paraphrasing, he essentially said that being frightened is a negative emotion, usually caught up in the negative, and being scared is mostly positive in that it heightens your awareness of the situation (think when the hairs on the back of your neck stand up).

I had been thinking about this distinction recently – although not so eloquently put – because I had made myself a promise before I flew down to Orlando: I was going to ride on a roller coaster. Those of you that know me know that I’m no fan of heights, but I’ve been making a concerted effort to conquer my irrational fears in the last few years. This year alone, I’ve been attempting to challenge all of my assumptions and challenge all of my fears, and boy is the height one a doozy. And what better way to challenge myself than a roller coaster?

ASTD rented out part of Universal Studios on Tuesday night, and so the Dragon Challenge was the coaster I chose to attack my fears. I won’t say I covered myself in glory – I’m sure that Mike Gonzalez in particular will make fun of my screams until my dying day – but I did it! With none of my usual safety nets around, I strode up and consciously rode the coaster, not just once, but three times (the third time, I didn’t even close my eyes)!

The takeaway here (can you tell I’ve been attending seminars for the last four days?) is that I’m really starting to internalize the difference between fear and being scared. Being scared is okay, and is healthy – it’s your body telling you that you’re in a dangerous situation and that you should be careful. Being frightened is irrational and is a negative emotion that can hold you back from experiencing life to the fullest. Now am I no longer frightened of heights? Hell no! I’m not sure I’ll ever be comfortable around them. But I know that my fear is silly and thus I’m choosing to simply be scared. Here’s hoping that I’ll be able to write more about fears that I’ve confronted and surpassed in the future!