My OperaThe Glass Floor
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 7:29:28 AM
I had a friend venturing from out of town and I wanted to show him the sites of Toronto - the CN Tower was a normal spot. It was an awesome view, the tallest structure in the world.
We stood in line for 45 minutes with many other tourists to ride the elevator up to the first watch point - around 1500 feet above the surface. We strolled around the outside of the tower and took notice of the hard wire fence tightly attached to the building structure serving as a barrier to avoid people from jumping. We went back inside to look for the prominent glass floor that provided a direct view down to the earth underneath the edifice. As we approached, we came to a halting stop one step before walking right onto it. My friend found that his legs started to shake because of the fear of looking down from such a height. While there were lots of people standing on it, sitting on it and even lying down on it, there were also many others standing on the border of the glass floor not yet prepared to take that step. I too stopped for a moment considering the step, taking a couple of seconds to peer over the border before making a move. And I quickly had a discussion in my mind:
“It’s a floor like any other floor. In fact, it is definitely far more durable compared to any other floor in this building. There is no danger - it is simply an imagination. Look at all the people already sitting on it - they are not afraid. And think about all the people who have stood on it before - probably millions. This is safe.”
I started to take that step on top of the glass floor. I did not look down - at least not for a couple minutes. We were a long way up. I walked on the floor and looked around and thought about how wonderful the experience was. I even found myself jumping up and down. There was no danger, it was completely an illusion.
I started to look at the people around me and observed their fear and I observed how some of them were paralyzed standing on the edge not daring to take that step. I considered how many things in our lives we are scared of and how most of them are also illusions. I thought about all the things we stop ourselves from doing because we've tricked ourselves into believing there's risk. I thought about all the things that I still have yet to do that seemed terrifying and I thought about the mirror test. Not the one which brokers sometimes use when they hire agents; the one that you use when you're 80 years old and look back on your life and decide whether or not you have any regrets. I was glad to see that while fear isn't a stranger to me, my desire to live a life without regret has a much stronger pull.
So here’s what I do…
1. I allow myself to feel the fear.
2. I ask myself what I am scared of.
3. I consider whether or not I want to live life with this fear and if not, I take a breath and forge ahead.
4. If the fear is too complex, I write it down, break it down, and move it out of the way by picturing myself living the event without fearing it.
What do you do?
Kim Ades, MBA, President of Frame of Mind Coaching and JournalEngine™ Software, is one of North America’s foremost experts on performance through thought management. By using her unique process of coaching through journaling, she works with clients to unveil and switch their thought patterns to ignite significant change and life transformation. Break down your fears in your own personal, free, online journal at www.frameofmindcoaching.com.
We stood in line for 45 minutes with many other tourists to ride the elevator up to the first watch point - around 1500 feet above the surface. We strolled around the outside of the tower and took notice of the hard wire fence tightly attached to the building structure serving as a barrier to avoid people from jumping. We went back inside to look for the prominent glass floor that provided a direct view down to the earth underneath the edifice. As we approached, we came to a halting stop one step before walking right onto it. My friend found that his legs started to shake because of the fear of looking down from such a height. While there were lots of people standing on it, sitting on it and even lying down on it, there were also many others standing on the border of the glass floor not yet prepared to take that step. I too stopped for a moment considering the step, taking a couple of seconds to peer over the border before making a move. And I quickly had a discussion in my mind:
“It’s a floor like any other floor. In fact, it is definitely far more durable compared to any other floor in this building. There is no danger - it is simply an imagination. Look at all the people already sitting on it - they are not afraid. And think about all the people who have stood on it before - probably millions. This is safe.”
I started to take that step on top of the glass floor. I did not look down - at least not for a couple minutes. We were a long way up. I walked on the floor and looked around and thought about how wonderful the experience was. I even found myself jumping up and down. There was no danger, it was completely an illusion.
I started to look at the people around me and observed their fear and I observed how some of them were paralyzed standing on the edge not daring to take that step. I considered how many things in our lives we are scared of and how most of them are also illusions. I thought about all the things we stop ourselves from doing because we've tricked ourselves into believing there's risk. I thought about all the things that I still have yet to do that seemed terrifying and I thought about the mirror test. Not the one which brokers sometimes use when they hire agents; the one that you use when you're 80 years old and look back on your life and decide whether or not you have any regrets. I was glad to see that while fear isn't a stranger to me, my desire to live a life without regret has a much stronger pull.
So here’s what I do…
1. I allow myself to feel the fear.
2. I ask myself what I am scared of.
3. I consider whether or not I want to live life with this fear and if not, I take a breath and forge ahead.
4. If the fear is too complex, I write it down, break it down, and move it out of the way by picturing myself living the event without fearing it.
What do you do?
Kim Ades, MBA, President of Frame of Mind Coaching and JournalEngine™ Software, is one of North America’s foremost experts on performance through thought management. By using her unique process of coaching through journaling, she works with clients to unveil and switch their thought patterns to ignite significant change and life transformation. Break down your fears in your own personal, free, online journal at www.frameofmindcoaching.com.
