Facing Fears
We are all afraid of something whether it’s heights, snakes, spiders or clowns. In fact, I used to be scared of the dark. Before I lost my sight, I always had to sleep with my closet light on...even when I was 20 years old. So, when the world went dark in 2015, I was forced to face this fear. It was scary, to say the least, but I was able to learn a lot about how to conquer what makes us afraid. Here are a few things that I learned:
Immerse Yourself
I had no choice but to immerse myself in the dark when I went blind. My closet light couldn’t help me now! Through this forced immersion, I slowly overcame my fear of darkness. I couldn’t get away from it, so I found ways to become more comfortable with it.
One important way I did this was by surrounding myself with stimulation from my other senses so I would be reminded that, despite the fact that I couldn’t see it, there was still a world out there. On sunny days, I made sure I felt the warmth of the sun often and listened to the birds chirping. On rainy, cloudy days, I enjoyed listening to the rain or listening to music inside. This helped me to create mental images of what was going on around me so that I would not focus on the darkness.
Sara Claudia touching flowers outside
Throughout my journey with blindness, as I became more comfortable with the dark, I discovered new fears. I was afraid of an uncertain future, of failing, and even of being separated from my family who had provided me with so much comfort during this scary time. Just like I was forced to face my fear of darkness head-on, I knew I needed to do the same with these new fears, though. I had to immerse myself in them in order to overcome them.
What do I mean by this? I put myself in situations that were scary, because that was the only way I could become more comfortable and rise above my fears. I went back to school and risked failure. I traveled without my family and eventually moved out of my parents’ house. I started planning and working towards my future, even with the limitations of my disability in mind. Through it all, there were times when I became so anxious and scared that I wanted to quit and crawl back deep inside my comfort zone. With each tentative step forward into my fears, however, I realized more and more just what I was capable of doing, and that these fears could not hold me back.
Think About It: What Am I Really Scared Of?
A lot of times, our fears are just hiding a deeper meaning.
Was I really scared of the dark, or was I scared of not knowing what was in that darkness? Was I really scared of failure, or was I simply uncertain about learning all of the new skills that I would need in order to succeed? Was I really that afraid of being separated from my family, or was I nervous about other people not accepting me because of my disability?
Investigating our fears on a deeper level allows us to identify what is truly making us afraid or uncertain. Then, we can face what is really holding us back.
Change Your Mind - You Have More Control Than You Think
Our fears are only as scary as we allow them to be. We give them the power to either hold us back or propel us forward. Instead of seeing our fears as something to avoid, we need to look at them as a challenge to be conquered.
Think of your fears as an opportunity to experience new things, learn new skills, and better yourself! If I had not faced my fear of failure and gone back to school, I am confident that I would not be where I am today. On that journey, I learned so much about how to be independent, how to advocate for myself, how to use technology, and, yes, even how to use my failures as learning opportunities.
Today, because of experiences like my college journey, I have a whole new view on fears. There are still things that scare me, but I try to approach them as a chance to grow, try new things, and find new capabilities within myself. This change in mindset can allow us to overcome what is holding us back and motivate us to keep pressing forward, no matter what we face.
Sara Claudia sitting at her kitchen table
Give It To God
The tips listed above are impossible unless you first give your fear over to God.
Putting your faith over your fear and trusting that God will help you through it is really the only way we can face and conquer what makes us afraid.
Joshua 1:9 says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Sara Claudia reading on her couch
