Holding the snake . . .

First, no, Carmen -- despite the title of this post it is not a dirty post. :D Those conversations are strictly reserved for road trips up to the Blue Ridge.


Okay, I have this amazing friend Michael who doesn't only march to the beat of a different drummer -- he dances to the soulful harmony of his own personal symphony. Yes, he's very cool. Anyway, we both work as experiential facilitators at this high ropes challenge course in Doswell, VA. Our jobs ask us to help people challenge perceived limitations, conquer fears and embrace life's obstacles. What we ask of ourselves is to have each of our participants walk away with a better understanding of themselves, to recognize the power they have in their lives and to understand that changes in life -- even scary changes -- are good. Change offers opportunity for growth, for understanding and for you to choose different actions or paths that you may not have previously considered. "Choice" can alleviate a lot of the pressure and stress of life.

Many people who come to where we work are very afraid of heights. And, at some point during the day, we are going to ask them to climb and jump from a 40 foot pole. Most of the time, their companies have sent them to us so they feel they "need" to do accomplish this task. In this vain, I want to share a story that Michael tells to participants when they arrive at the course:

Imagine that you have gotten on a bus that is taking you to the zoo. The purpose of the trip is so that you can hold the snakes. Cool, yes? Well, no. Not if you're afraid of snakes. So, today, and every day from now on, I want to invite you to choose what you want to do. Yes, the bus has taken you here. But, it is your choice how you want to handle this. If you want to come out and walk to the entrance of the zoo, that's fine. See how that feels. If that feels alright, perhaps take a step inside the zoo. Hmmm. That wasn't too bad? Okay then, let's look through the window at the snakes. Oooh. Pretty scary. This may be far enough. Let's just sit here and see how we feel for a bit. Well, it's really not too bad now, is it? So, maybe you can just step inside and stand next to the snake. Wow. You're still here. Okay, so now, if you want, and only if YOU want, go ahead and hold the snake. No? That's fine. You have pushed yourself beyond whatever you thought was possible. Oh, you DO want to hold the snake? Great. Either way, the choice is yours. Whatever you choose, you will go home feeling empowered because the first choice, to get on the bus, was the most powerful. You have chosen to face your fear simply by being here. The choices you make now will only help to further your journey. Either way, the path is entirely in your hands.

This story fully encompasses my journey to Ironman. I have gotten on the bus, entered the zoo and am staring at the snake. I am nervous, doubtful and, yes, scared. I imagine Eagleman will take me into the cage and Ironman will ask me to hold the snake in my hands.

I've spent countless hours wondering if I can do it. Just last night, I doubted that I could make it through my 14 mile run. But I allowed myself to have the choice to stop. To cut my run short. And, you know what? I didn't need to. Every time I asked myself "do you really need to stop?" The answer was, "no, I think I can go on a bit more and see how I feel." I did this until suddenly I was done. Holding the snake so to speak. Albeit it is a garden snake -- certainly not the Anaconda that is Ironman!

Either way, I got on the bus.