Intimidation Is A Path To Confidence
I'll never forget the first time I met a hero of mine.
It was Gabby Douglas, a USA Olympic Gymnast, also a military kid like me. It was September 2012, and I was a Sophomore in high school.
I looked up to her for many reasons and the day I met her, I could do nothing but cry; I was so intimidated.
I couldn't even get out one question as she sat their signing my jacket. Between sobs I got out a, "Gabby... *sob* my idol *sob* I'm a military kid too *sob*."
She looked at me like I was INSANE and might show up at her hotel later stalking her.
Slightly disheartening, but I can't really blame her.
Since that extremely embarrassing moment in 2012, I vowed that the next time I met an idol, I wouldn't cry.
How the heck was I going to do that without meeting more idols consistently (which I definitely cannot afford)?
I realized that the reason I was so distraught meeting her is because I looked at her like a God, thinking she was so much better than me.
No, she isn't. She's definitely better than me at gymnastics, but should that give her such power over me and how I view her? No it shouldn't.
What I realized right before I started rock climbing, is I had zero confidence in myself; especially in social interactions.
I was intimidated by everyone and everything, assuming that they all are better than me at everything in life. I wouldn't even walk into the climbing wall at Colorado State because I was so terrified of being judged for trying climbing.
Finally I reach I point where I was sick of not growing as a person. So I started out by getting over the little things that intimidated me, like making friends in classes.
Eventually, I walked myself into that rock gym, and found a sport that has helped my depression more than any medication ever has. If you want to read more about that, you can find that here.
Once I stepped foot in that gym, got my certifications, I was roped into a world of exhilaration and overcoming fears.
From there, my confidence started to blossom. I wasn't afraid any longer to go up to someone better than me and say, "Hey, I'm new and not very good, can you help me out and teach me?"
In fact, the first advice I got about climbing from someone was so raunchy and honest, I knew immediately I was in the right sport. A girl had told me to pretend I was "f*cking the wall."
Why did she say that? Because it is so important to keep your balance as close to the wall as possible, and telling me to thrust my hips into it made that advice stick in my head to this day.
To my surprise, I've never been told no without any good reason. Almost everyone I've ever met in the outdoor industry is more than willing to help inexperienced people gain experiences. The only time I've been told no is by professionals who know they aren't in the country often enough to help.
It's how we even started to thrive as a human species; passing knowledge down from people to people, recording it into books to help others, and being willing to answer questions if people ask and want to know.
I learned how to let my intimidation drive me to gain experience, and grow into someone I could be proud of. To this day I will admit where I am not the best at, and I will not hesitate to reach out to someone better than me for advice on it.
Now people notice my confidence, and all the cool things I do, and it's intimidating; especially when it comes to dating. I'm still a person too, and very open to new people, new experiences, and listening to new stories.
It wasn't easy to reach this point, but by challenging fears one by one I was able to get there.
It is possible to get comfortable with uncomfortable, you just have to start challenging yourself to step out of your comfort zone a little bit!
As always,
Stay kind and feel free to reach out to me for anything under the sun! I will respond as soon as possible!
It was Gabby Douglas, a USA Olympic Gymnast, also a military kid like me. It was September 2012, and I was a Sophomore in high school.
I looked up to her for many reasons and the day I met her, I could do nothing but cry; I was so intimidated.
I couldn't even get out one question as she sat their signing my jacket. Between sobs I got out a, "Gabby... *sob* my idol *sob* I'm a military kid too *sob*."
She looked at me like I was INSANE and might show up at her hotel later stalking her.
Slightly disheartening, but I can't really blame her.
How the heck was I going to do that without meeting more idols consistently (which I definitely cannot afford)?
I realized that the reason I was so distraught meeting her is because I looked at her like a God, thinking she was so much better than me.
No, she isn't. She's definitely better than me at gymnastics, but should that give her such power over me and how I view her? No it shouldn't.
What I realized right before I started rock climbing, is I had zero confidence in myself; especially in social interactions.
I was intimidated by everyone and everything, assuming that they all are better than me at everything in life. I wouldn't even walk into the climbing wall at Colorado State because I was so terrified of being judged for trying climbing.
Finally I reach I point where I was sick of not growing as a person. So I started out by getting over the little things that intimidated me, like making friends in classes.
 |
| So glad I got over that little fear of making friends. Emily is one of the best people to get into trouble with! |
Once I stepped foot in that gym, got my certifications, I was roped into a world of exhilaration and overcoming fears.
From there, my confidence started to blossom. I wasn't afraid any longer to go up to someone better than me and say, "Hey, I'm new and not very good, can you help me out and teach me?"
In fact, the first advice I got about climbing from someone was so raunchy and honest, I knew immediately I was in the right sport. A girl had told me to pretend I was "f*cking the wall."
Why did she say that? Because it is so important to keep your balance as close to the wall as possible, and telling me to thrust my hips into it made that advice stick in my head to this day.
 |
| I was able to finish a bouldering problem thanks to that advice. |
To my surprise, I've never been told no without any good reason. Almost everyone I've ever met in the outdoor industry is more than willing to help inexperienced people gain experiences. The only time I've been told no is by professionals who know they aren't in the country often enough to help.
I learned how to let my intimidation drive me to gain experience, and grow into someone I could be proud of. To this day I will admit where I am not the best at, and I will not hesitate to reach out to someone better than me for advice on it.
Now people notice my confidence, and all the cool things I do, and it's intimidating; especially when it comes to dating. I'm still a person too, and very open to new people, new experiences, and listening to new stories.
It wasn't easy to reach this point, but by challenging fears one by one I was able to get there.
It is possible to get comfortable with uncomfortable, you just have to start challenging yourself to step out of your comfort zone a little bit!
As always,
Stay kind and feel free to reach out to me for anything under the sun! I will respond as soon as possible!
Comments
Post a Comment