WARNING: Zebra Crossing Ahead

About 7 years ago, I was biking home from work while it was raining. I took a right turn on a section of road with a white-striped crosswalk—what I just learned is called a zebra crossing. As my back tire hit a white painted section of the road, I felt like I was biking across ice.

With nothing to grip, I fell…HARD.

To this day, I still turn with extreme caution—rain or shine—any time I go over a zebra crossing.

Sure, in part I’m keeping myself safe—perhaps alive—because of my fear instinct.

But, I’m also losing momentum.

I’m slowing myself down.

I’m holding back.

I’m confined.

Limited.

On Sunday evening I was biking with my good friend, Jimmy St. Peter. We were just about to bomb down a section of road that runs parallel to the Mississippi River.

“Watch out for sand in the road.”

A couple of years ago, Jimmy was biking down the same section of the road and hit a random patch of sand in the road.

As Jimmy says, “I took a digger.”

He fell…HARD.

I threw caution to the wind and bombed down the hill.

Reaching the bottom, with a huge grin on my face and filled with adrenaline, I looked back—Jimmy wasn’t in sight.

I got it.

Fear is a powerful driver of behavior—it keeps us safe.

But, fear also causes us to lose momentum.

Fear slows us down.

Fear holds us back.

Our fears confine us.

Because of fear, we’re limited.

What Type of Life is Possible if I Identify and Approach My Root Fear(s)?

And, I guess this has been my question since I picked up Robert Greene’s book, The 50th Law, a few weeks ago.

It’s a book about fear.

As Greene states in the introduction:

“…this is a book about a particular philosophy of life that can be summed up as follows…[t]he less you fear, the more power you will have and the more fully you will live.”

So, when it comes to goals, here’s what I’ve been noodling on (and I encourage you to do the same):

• What have I always wanted to do, but have been too afraid to do?

• What’s the surface-level fear that has prevented me from doing that activity?

• If I dig deeper—below the surface—what fear lies below?

• What happens if I keep digging?

• And then dig some more?

• What is the root fear—or fears—that I hold?

I don’t know the answer yet—I’ve got some work to do.

And, maybe you do, too.

But, I’m intrigued to find out because I can’t get the following question out of my head:

What type of life is possible if I identify and approach my root fear(s)?

Break free!