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Facing Fear One Step at a Time

 

Fear doesn’t disappear just because we’ve healed, received a prosthesis, or reached a new milestone. Sometimes it’s still there when we try something unfamiliar, or return to something we used to do. This Halloween week, I’m talking about the fears that can hold us back and how we can begin moving through them, one step at a time.

I love Halloween, especially the creativity it gives me as an amputee. I’ve dressed as a leg lamp from A Christmas Story, a pirate, an IHOP sign, and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas. There’s humor in making a costume around something that might otherwise feel hard. That spirit of finding possibility in our circumstances connects with this week’s bigger question: What fear is lurking in your shadow?

 

Sally for Nightmare Before Christmas

 

iHop sign

 

Gotta be a Pirate!

 

My recent fly-fishing trip gave me a vivid example. I was standing in rushing water, trying to find my footing on slick river rocks I could barely see. I was afraid of falling, getting soaked, and having the day become harder for everyone. I didn’t know exactly what the current or riverbed would be like. I had to take it slowly, focus on the next step, and lean on my guide for support. I stayed in the water for five hours, and I didn’t fall.

 

 

That experience reminded me that fear looks different for everyone. For a new amputee, it might be the fear of falling, phantom pain, or taking those first steps around the house. For someone else, it may be trying an activity they miss or facing a new challenge. Your fear doesn’t have to look big to matter. If it’s holding you back from something important to you, it deserves your attention.

In this episode, I share a few ways I work through fear: name the shadow, ask what I’m actually afraid of, and decide whether the goal is worth moving toward. Then I choose a manageable next step and accept support when I need it. Asking for help doesn’t take away from what you accomplish. Sometimes support is what helps you try something for the first time.

We don’t have to do everything at once. We can take one step, learn from it, and keep going. And when we look back, we may realize those small steps carried us farther than we thought possible.

 

 

What fear or “shadow” are you facing right now?

Name it, choose one small next step, and get after it this week!

Also, please share your Halloween costume with me in the comments. I’d love to see how you have overcome and made lemonade from lemons!

Let’s celebrate the courage it takes to keep showing up.

Have a spooky but safe Halloween,

And as always,

Be Healthy,

Be Happy,

Be YOU!!!

 

Much love,