Belief over fear and how surfing made me stronger
There are times in our lives where we follow our heart over our head, choosing belief over fear. Other times we overthink things and talk ourselves out of doing something, even when our heart says, ‘Yes’.
I am a firm believer in following your heart and trusting your gut. When you truly believe in something, whether it has worked out or not there is a sense of acceptance and faith that something better will come your way. Majority of times it can surpass your vision. In women’s health, menstrual regularity and feeling good having belief, faith and trust over fear is essential.
The importance of letting go of this fear and looking at what you truly feel in your heart and believing in yourself. It comes up for all of us. Your mind can be the biggest obstacle holding you back from achieving your intention. Often you know what you need to do, the question is why aren’t you doing it?
When you are fearful of something, you can let it take over. With this usually comes other emotions and/or physical symptoms such as anxiety/panic, irritation, frustration, anger, criticism, depression along with menstrual irregularities and hormonal imbalance. You can stay stuck and this can show up in all aspects of your life. In overcoming fear there’s a belief in your ability to be vulnerable, to learn something new, make mistakes, learn and grow. It takes courage and a certain amount of confidence to step out of your comfort zone.
When you believe you open yourself up to more joy, love, happiness, strength and self-worth. Hope and belief are the cornerstones in healing and creating a life you love. It doesn’t mean life is free from challenges. There can be heartache but it’s belief and hope that keeps you getting back up, keeps you going to feel love, happiness and joy. It supports you in navigating challenge and builds resilience. When you have belief and faith, you open your heart to receiving all the good life has to offer, to receiving miracles. What one thing can you do to build your courage?
“The heart surrenders everything to the moment. The mind judges and holds back”
-Ram Dass
Drawing on my own personal experience, I think back to when I started surfing about 2 years ago. It’s something I talked about doing for a long time but had such a fear of the sea. I signed up for my first lesson with the lovely guys in Narosa, Dunfanaghy. I didn’t tell the instructor of my fear as I was staying focused and believing I could do this. I have to admit it was a mix of fun, fear, panic, sheer excitement and adrenaline.
Fearful thoughts filled my mind, ‘What am I doing here?’ ‘Am I out of my depth?’ ‘Is this safe?’ ‘I am not a strong enough swimmer! But I continued, telling myself, ‘I had nothing to fear.’ ‘I am safe.’ I used my yoga breathing to help me focus and remain calm. I kept believing in myself and trusting in my ability to learn this new skill. My heart was enjoying it. I felt so proud of myself for just staying in the water that day and couldn’t believe the time when we came out.
It took several attempts of getting back into the sea before I began to feel more comfortable in the water. What I learned is that surfing has made me a stronger person. It challenged me to look at why I was fearful of the sea and realised it was my parents fear as both had lost family members in drowning accidents. It took time and patience to let go of this fear. The more I educated myself about the sea, the more confident I became in the water.
I could have sat on the shore allowing fear to eat away at me or given up at the first hurdle, but I am glad I didn’t. I’ve learned so much, made new friends and gained tonnes of amazing days out surfing and being in the sea – I couldn’t imagine my life without it.
How often do you challenge yourself to face your small fears? How would stepping past your fear add more value to your life right now?
Don’t let fear take over – work through it. What is holding you back? Focus on what you truly believe in, the learning and growth in each experience. Lean into your edge and ease yourself gently into overcoming your fear. Take it one step at a time and be patient and compassionate. Invite a sense of curiosity and seek guidance if needed. Allow yourself to experience something new. Use your energy to continue moving in the direction of your heart’s desire.
Most of all believe in yourself as you never know what might happen
Noeleenxx