Kay:
Hey, hey, Questers, welcome to Wednesday. Many of you listen to us in the morning so good morning. We hope you’re having a wonderful day thus far. It is September 29th, and this is episode 453. We have a quote for you today from, I think, one of my personal idols growing up because of her courage. Let’s take it for a quote from Miss Bethany Hamilton.
Shi:
Bethany says, “Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” If you’re not aware of who Bethany is, she is the American professional surfer and actress who survived the very well-documented 2003 shark attack in which her left arm was bitten off. She did return to professional surfing after that. A hero’s journey the world rejoiced around and so someone who definitely knows a thing or two about courage.
Kay:
So, 2003 puts me, Kay here at 11 years old which is the perfect age to be completely fascinated by a girl surfing and her arm being bitten off by a shark. Because then it’s completely rational fear for you to have whenever being in the ocean that this could happen. But the thing about Bethany that I just couldn’t even believe two, three years later, seeing her reemerge when I was a teenager, is that the chick still surfs and competes on an international level with one arm! Well, one and a half.
Shi:
It’s amazing and certainly an example of courage that was unforgettable for sure. I was graduating high school. I remember this just being so interesting and everybody talked about her and then being in college and watching her come back, that’s truly inspiring. I’m glad that she at least acknowledges in this quote. Hey, it doesn’t mean you don’t have the fear and gosh, this quote has been said so many times in so many different ways. But I think it’s because it’s so easy for us as humans to think that fear means stop and that fear means bad, and that fear means get away from. So, we truly have to condition ourselves to remember that fear is part of the journey and its part of the growth and it’s outside of our comfort zone and that when we maybe tell ourselves something like, I don’t have the courage or I’m too afraid that shouldn’t be a barrier for us because the fear is fun.
Kay:
If you’re anything like us, then fear is probably the least comfortable of all of the emotions that you have in your arsenal at the same hard place to be. So, when we contrast it with something like Bethany’s story and what happened we hear the quote all the time, courage means to in any way, but this is funny. I mean, your arm was bitten off. Who doesn’t already have an unnatural fear of sharks? While you’re out there and then you’re doing the thing that you’re so good at, and your arm literally gets completely bitten clean off but got yourself to shore. I’m going to walk it back.
Shi:
It’s actually not an unnatural fear. It’s completely natural to be afraid of that…
Kay:
And then it actually happens.
Shi:
…and then it actually happens. Then you get back in the water and continue to compete like that. That is the very definition of somebody facing a fear. That’s not just an intangible, but a real tangible, do you know what I mean? It reminds me of talking about you want to run towards something rather than run away from something. So, she wants to run towards surfing and her passion, and her flow state more than she wants to run away from the fear. That’s a helpful lesson to remember for all of us that if we’re not feeling the energy flow in the way, not that it’s 24/7, but in the general direction of where you want to go and there’s massive fear, you’re probably not going to get yourself to build the courage and do the thing.
Kay:
Well, I’m so glad Shi, that you just said build the courage because courage ultimately is a quality. I bet when Bethany was in recovery she started in the pool and then she worked her way into a reef and then she worked her way into the waves and worked her way up.
Shi:
You can run from the hospital bed to the ocean.
Kay:
Yeah. Let’s be real about that. Those open wounds could not have dealt with that, but look, courage is not its quality. It can be strengthened and cultivated over time. So maybe if you’re listening to this and you’re like, yeah, but this one thing that I have is really scary and hard. But if you face it now, in two years from now, it’ll seem less scary and hard, and you’ll be more equipped for other things because it’s just like any other muscle in your body. It can be strengthened.
Shi:
I find fear a lot when I’m thinking about the moment of pain. If you’re anxious about a meeting coming up or a presentation or a decision that’s getting made, you’re anxious about that and you’re all you’re focusing on is that moment of pain. When we shift, I think what’s really courageous is shifting beyond the pain and seeing what’s on the other side of it. How will I feel? What will it look like? What outcome will I achieve? What will be better for it? When we shift that perspective through the fear, that’s when we really step into courage and most of us then are able to take the action and do the thing.
Kay:
So that like Bethany Hamilton tells us that, “Courage just doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” Should I send you to take that action?
Shi:
Alright, time for your quest. What fear is holding you back from something you want? Come on, we all got them, we know you do. Write down what it would mean to you if you overcome this fear. Just a couple of sentences, face your fear, and do it anyway. Are you ready? Face it with us now.
Kay & Shi:
Let’s quest!
