I was recently relaxing at the park as my daughter played. I witnessed something that profoundly shifted my perspective on fear and courage.

A tiny toddler, no more than four or five, approached a child-sized climbing wall. With no one accompanying him, he confidently scaled it to the top. He looked around, then climbed down with sheer joy. He ran off. Moments later, he returned with his mother. Eager to show her his new skill, he rushed toward the wall. But before he could start his climb, his mother scooped him up and cautioned, “You’re going to break your neck!” His immediate tears and screams spoke volumes. I believe he wasn’t upset because she stopped him. He cried because he wanted to show her that he could do it.

This moment made me ponder why our minds instantly dart to the worst scenarios. The mother, driven by a natural protective instinct, visualized a potential accident in a heartbeat. Yet, for her son, that wall was a mountain he had already conquered with a smile. This theme unites us all. It’s often easier to imagine the path of fear. Envisioning a path leading to success requires more effort. Why do we effortlessly conjure up fears but need to summon every bit of mental strength to visualize victories? Perhaps it’s a built-in survival mechanism, but it’s one that can also keep us from exploring our true potential.

This memory brought me back to a time when my daughter and I encountered bees around our rose bushes. My initial fear visibly affected her. Realizing this, I shifted gears. I moved from fear to reassurance. I explained that the bees were just doing their job. They weren’t interested in bothering us. We walked past them without an issue, a small victory over my own fears.

It’s been a few years since that day, and my journey towards overcoming fear has been gradual but persistent. Just recently, I fell through a pallet at work while strapped into a safety harness. Although I scratched my leg, fear never crossed my mind. I even shared a laugh about the incident with my coworkers. I chose to keep the ordeal from my family to spare them unnecessary worry.

Each day, I work on strengthening my faith and shrinking the space fear occupies in my life. Safety is essential, but letting fear overrun our imagination can hold us back from truly living. Like that fearless toddler at the park, we can climb our walls if we believe in ourselves. We must trust that we’ll be okay.