Saturday 2 April 2011

'Frightened' is my middle name


I'm a great worrier. Not as great as my mum (or even my brother), but pretty good nevertheless.

One of my worries is slipping when I'm on a walk. You may justifiably think 'It's because you're getting older', but actually it was always like this. I vividly remember when I was about 16 and staying with a few girlfriends in a house in Devon. It was beautiful and we spent every day out walking along the cliffs, but even then I was always the slowest - worried that I was going to slip.

If you're slow and careful, I told myself, you won't lose your balance and, of course, I never did. Everyone else would return home from the walk wet, muddy and cold and I would always look as if I'd just gone down the Kings Road for a bit of window shopping.

Of course, I wasn't having as much fun as them because I was just so nervous and uptight. I was fearful of falling.

So, yesterday, out on a walk in Dorset, when my friend suggested we went off the beaten track and down a really steep slope into nowhere I knew or had ever been before, my first reaction was 'No'. My knees started wobbling at the thought of the hill and I felt really nervous of the idea that we might get lost.

This week's workshop, From Fright to Delight, is all about fear so I decided to think delightedly. I flipped my 'No' into a (somewhat tentative) 'Yes, let's have an adventure'.

And I was amply rewarded as in the distance we saw one of the local stunning white deer with two baby brown fawn.

From now on, 'brave' is going to be my middle name.

Come along to this week's club and get rid of your fears forever.

See you there,
Nina
PS Do book in for our highly successful day workshop on WORK. If you've got any doubt in your mind that your career isn't what you want it to be, this workshop is for you - and do tell your friends. It's a tough world out there right now.

1 comments :

Anonymous said...

Hi Nina. I hope you and Gen are well.
I totally sympathise with you and your fear of falling. I once read on a Paolo Coelo blog that you are born with a fear of falling and a fear of loud bangs but the rest of the fears are learnt. Like you, my mum also is a massive worrier and has many fears that I think restrict her life but I have always tried to turn this around for myself and push myself further. I also have a big fear of falling and on hikes (especially one that I did in India) had massive vertigo and froze halfway up a mountain. Luckily I had a friend that helped me through it and understood and was sympathetic. I have no fear whatsoever of standing on stage in front of thousands of people (I did this last year at the National Theatre and made a dream come true) but if you said to me try any sort of physical climbing etc, like you, my legs go weak, mouth goes dry and I freeze. I won't be able to come along to the life club this week although after having been through some of the process with you in earlier years, your workshops are to be experienced by many as they are so helpful and you are very inspiring. However, reading this, I am going to go on the next stage (literally) and start acting again. The thought of it scares me so much but I believe, that in our fears lie our truths and our loves and are there to teach us and help us. I hope the workshops go well this week and to see you soon. I'll let you know how the acting goes! With very best wishes as always, Janine Marsh.x.x.

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