Facing your Fears

This morning was absolutely beautiful. 08:00, -4 °C and brilliant sunshine without a cloud in the sky. After my Week of Stress, I was out there: in my running gear with my stop watch and funky trousers, taking deep breaths and feeling positive about overcoming my chronic bursitis. I was even going to try a new technique. And so I did. 3 minutes ‘normal’ running, 3 minutes crab-like, 3 minutes normal, 3 minutes crab-like (you get the idea). I was so alert I noticed a Bond-like couple coming out of their river-side apartment dressed in the latest skin-tight, all-black winter running gear. So styled at 08:00 in the morning? Not bad. Complete with enormous dog.

They disappeared for a moment and then reappeared in the park. As the Weimaraner launched head-on into a canter, I only froze in fear when it was right at me and snarling pretty ferociously in my face. I screamed and luckily he ran off to the side.

Not the most controlled or graceful moment of my life.


(The next natural civilized step is to get annoyed with the owners for letting such an enormous hulk of a dog, obviously untrained, run around densely populated areas growling at people. As predicted, this didn’t help me to feel better. The dog has never done this before (oh, so it must be me) and he probably thought I had some treats for him (oh, you’re right, I growl when people offer me chocolate too). I actually love dogs. I am unfortunately often disappointed with their owners, however well styled.)

The one regret for me was in walking away from the couple without communicating with the dog again. While I’m not recommending this as a technique to anyone else (you know dogs can be dangerous), that dog had given me a fright and I didn’t take the chance to re-gain my own stability and confidence in the situation. Do you know what I mean? Like many people say the first thing to do after a car accident is to get back in the driver’s seat. I left the situation afraid.



Then it got me to thinking how important it is in general for people, like us, to take the time and patience to face their fears in life, however small.

And then I went home, showered, had breakfast and got dressed. 




What do you think about facing your fears?  Have you had a similar experience?