Fear - friend or enemy?
/I feel like fear comes into our lives in so many different forms. Sometimes it is the push for the next level to achieve, sometimes it is the break that stops me. I still haven’t decided if I see “fear” as a friend who pushes me for being better or as an enemy who holds me back when I want to move forward. Maybe it is both... What do you think?
Since kids, a new type of “fear” appeared - fear of future = What if something bad happens to them? I know that I can’t keep them in a bubble but I can definitely help them in making better decisions like “stay on the sidewalk, don’t step onto the street” :). Of course, watching the news every morning doesn’t help because we keep hearing the craziness in this world, which makes me feel like I have no control over protecting them. That is the “fear” I really don’t like.
The “fear” that I keep close to me is the one that makes me a better athlete. After all, I moved to San Francisco from Turkey all by myself, to make my dream come true - windsurfing under the Golden Gate Bridge. I still remember the day that I went down to Crissy Field to meet some windsurfers and I met a guy who taught only to women how to windsurf. When I told him that I had been windsurfing since I was 10 and that I didn’t need any lessons, he was ok with lending me some equipment. My first day in the water was one of the typical days of SF - foggy and windy... I loved the wind factor but I had no clue about the fog, the strong currents, the frigid waters, the fog horn and all the stuff that I could NOT see under the water... Sure enough my equipment broke in the middle of the Bay when I couldn’t even see the beach due to the fog. I was scared. Luckily a windsurfer came by to help me. He actually gave me his own equipment and he took my broken sail. Even though he told me to go ahead and get to the beach, I wanted to make sure that he was safe. So I sailed with him and watched him managing the broken equipment. We finally made it to the beach. That experience did scare me but made me even more curious about the joy of sailing in the Bay. After almost 20 years, I love being in the crazy conditions of the Bay. And every time when I am out there, I do try to find things that scare me so that I can become a better windsurfer. Thanks to Derek, we are never short on scary moves to try or more challenging beaches to be. :) At least, I know how to deal with this type of fear. I become super quiet - for those of you who know me, that is SO NOT me! It just becomes a mental challenge of assessing risks, understanding potential outcomes and being at peace with all the outcomes. I wish I would be able to use the same technique for all type of fears.
This season Ela started to ski, at age 2. She knows how to go straight and she doesn’t know how to stop. She enjoys going fast down the hill but if she realizes that she is alone then she starts crying because that is the way she handles her fear. It is definitely exciting to watch how she deals with that uncomfortable feeling of “fear”.
Now all that being said, one control that I have on my fear in sports is my body. A stronger body will help me in many ways. My sports are usually all-body sports so I really cannot prioritize legs over arms or core over limps. :). Therefore overall strength training is very important. And, as you already know, my theme is 15-minute workouts. This month I go back to basics to strengthen the foundation.
Here is February’s 15-minute workout:
Move: Jumping Jacks (45 sec) + Stationary Knees-Up-Jog (15 sec) + Stationary Kick-Back Jog (15 Sec) + Jumping Jacks (45 sec) + Stay still aka rest (10sec). Do the full circuit total of 2 times.
Squat Jumps: Start at a quarter squat, bring arms back and jump up with the arms swinging all the way up towards the ceiling. Make sure to land back with the squat positing with toes behind your knees and knees above your ankles. Do it for 30 sec and move to the next move.
Lunge pulses: Step your right leg back and take a lunge position with front knee at a 90 degree angle and back knee bent. Both of your toes should be facing forward. Pulse your lunge up and down for 20 sec. Switch legs and repeat the pulse on the other leg for 20 sec. Rest for 20sec.
Repeat steps 2&3 for two more times.
Plank with Towel Slide on feet: Have two small towels under each foot and make sure to be OFF your carpet. As you are holding a plank, slide your right leg out to the side towards your hip and then bring it back to the start position. Slide your left leg out to the side towards your hip and then bring it back. Continue switching the legs for 30 seconds. Rest on your knees with your hands above your head for 20 sec. Repeat the move for two more times.
Plank with Towel Slide on arms: Have two small towels under each hand and continue to be OFF your carpet. As you are holding a plank, slide your right hand straight out to the side while slightly bending your left arm and then bring it back to the start position. Slide your left hand straight out to the side while slightly bending your right arm and then bring it back. Continue switching the arms for 30 seconds. Rest on your knees with your hands above your head for 20 sec. Repeat the move for two more times.
Supine heel touches: Lay down on the floor with your knees bend and feet on the floor. Lift your shoulder blades off the ground and focus your eyes on your knees. With your left hand reach to your left heel, switch side. Continue the move for 30 sec. Rest for 5 sec. Repeat the move for one more time.
I think life without fear would be very boring. Therefore my wish to us all is that we will figure out, if we haven’t already, how to position our fear in a way that it will help us to be better as opposed to holding us back from living our lives.
A big high five to all of us who have managed to move forward even though it was scary...
