Fear is one of life's most tragic emotions. It cripples....it disables...it robs us of desire, and generally....it's irrational.
I've never used to like flying. I mean...I have had some pretty awful flights. During my hey-day of traveling, I sometimes did close to 200,000 air miles a year...more than most pilots! I've thankfully worked through this irrational fear, and now really enjoy flight. But during the years of fear, I would lament my "plight of flight".
I've watched fear strip the powerful of the very attributes that made them effective. I've seen fear destroy.
The turning point for me was watching the movie, The Wizard of Oz as an adult. The cinematic epiphany for me was the hidden (yet obvious, that time around) message entwined in the story of the Cowardly lion.
I have always been struck by the story of the Cowardly Lion. In the Wizard of Oz, the Cowardly Lion always possessed the courage he longed for. He ALWAYS had that courage. But it took a charlatan medicine man, posing as a wizard, to realize that all the lion needed was some affirmation. The Wizard knew that if he merely put a medal on the lion, it would release what was already in him.
The lion was a kitty cat...afraid of his own tail. The Wizard (medicine man, for all intents and purposes) knew of a device to release the very thing that he KNEW the lion possessed. For deep within the lion's DNA was a genetic predisposition of great courage. Never mind that the lion didn't recognize this, the Wizard did.
As I age, I am becoming less and less fearful. In fact, I LOVE the adventure of the unknown. So much more to experience…..so much more to achieve. Courage….like the story of the Cowardly Lion, has always been a part of my nature. I now “roar” at life!
So...with great pomp, the Wizard placed a medal on the Lion. In this one act, the Lion felt validated and empowered. He was no longer fearful....all this from a charlatan.
