Guest post by: Liz Fever
When people ask me what the most wild or spontaneous thing is that I’ve ever done, I always bring up the time I went cliff jumping in Italy. It’s an experience that I look back on during moments where I feel like I’m on the edge of a cliff and need to choose whether to jump into the water or go back. While I was living abroad and traveling with a group of friends, we went cliff jumping in Capri and I had to face my fears. I had to decide whether I was going to jump in the water or climb back down the side of the cliff. I chose to jump. I chose to face my fear. And I’ve been facing fears left and right ever since!
This was a time in my life when I was still totally immersed in diet culture. I didn’t love my body and I definitely didn’t love my belly. I didn’t have the confidence that I have these days, that’s for sure! And when I climbed up that cliff, I knew that everyone was watching me. A bunch of college kids scrambling to get to the top, the view, and that exhilarating jump. There was a moment, when I reached the top, that I knew I couldn’t go back down. I definitely had butterflies in my stomach, took a deep breath and took a running leap.
I hit the water, and when I finally came up to take a breath, I felt all that adrenaline flowing through my body. All I could think was “Wow, I never thought I’d do anything like that.” I never thought I’d jump off a damn cliff into the water, I never thought I’d ever come to love my body, and I certainly never thought that I’d be working with brands and writing this blog post! Every time I face a fear, every time I break down barriers and show myself that I can, I learn something new about myself and I get one step closer to being the truest version of myself.
Since that day, I’ve taken so many steps to face fears I never thought I’d get over. There are absolutely things that I think can help with facing fears, especially ones that relate to confidence or your body image as a whole. Thinking back to the metaphor of jumping into water, here are three things I think everyone should consider when approaching a new situation, facing a fear or changing their mindset!
- Identify what you’re actually afraid of
Really ask yourself what you are fearing in a situation. I knew that as long as I jumped out from the cliff and didn’t hit the water on my butt, I’d be safe. My real fear was that people were watching me, judging me, all while I was doing something pretty freakin’ cool and scary. So what is your fear… Is it that you might not surface once you jump? Are you afraid that no one will follow you into the water and you’ll be left alone? Do you think that people will judge you if you take the leap? Asking yourself these hard questions will help you find the true root of your fear, so that you can tackle it head on!
- Make a plan and be ready to take the leap
I planned to climb up onto that ledge and jump. That was something that I set my mind to, even though I was afraid of doing the actual jumping. I mentally prepared, I was still scared and that is okay. When I decided to take control of my eating and exercise behaviors and change my life around diet culture and body image, I made a plan. I was terrified, but having a plan allowed me to seek support, foresee obstacles and jump when the time came. Ready to let go of the judgement of others and embrace who you truly are? Make that plan and be ready to jump into whatever awaits you.
- Embrace the landing
When I hit the water and came up to look towards the cliff I’d just leapt off of, I had tears in my eyes and a big smile on my face. I was so thankful that I’d given myself the chance to do something so beyond my dreams, even if I did have some moments of fear. Sure, I didn’t jump again, but I swam and enjoyed watching other folks leap and squeal and have fun, all while embracing the fact that I did it. I DID IT! No matter what fear you’re facing, or what leap you’re taking, be ready to enjoy wherever you land and look back at where you started with a smile on your face. You deserve that moment for you.
Passion and Growth is here to support all of those moments of self love and joy. Passion and Growth is here to help you embrace the times of fear and the times when you’re celebrating how far you’ve come! You absolutely deserve to have that community, support and love as you journey to be the absolute best version of yourself. Remember, take things one step at a time, but when you come to a ledge – take the leap! You’ll be thankful you did.
