“What would you do if you weren’t afraid?” (unknown)
When I read this quote, the first question that popped into my mind was, “What if?” This is a question that haunts many of us; it begs an answer that leads to action. What if you started that new workout routine? What if you started that new business venture you keep playing around with in your mind? What if you finally packed up those bags and took that long-deserved holiday or visited that country you have been dreaming about? So many what ifs, how many of us truly attempt the what ifs of our minds?
But the what-ifs of life are not as simple as they sound. Life’s complications make it difficult to achieve or act on the what-ifs. The complications could range from a lack of finances to fear of failure or a lack of time. The biggest what-if of all time, fear itself.
But inasmuch as the what-if questions taunt our adventurous side out of passivity, there’s another side of the coin that has always fascinated me, the what-if achievers. You know, those people who say it and within the month, a year or a week, they’ve done it!
So, in 2022, my husband and I took a budget trip to Nepal with a group of friends I like to call the what-if achieving people. It was on this trip that suggestions of different activities were made, what if we went zip lining? What if we went paragliding? What if, what if, what if? This is how I found myself on a bus to embark on the scariest adventure of my life.
The Zip line in Pokhara
For as long as I can remember, I have had a fear of heights. The medical term for fear of heights is acrophobia. This is an anxiety-producing fear that can cause the afflicted person to tremble, experience a racing heart, nausea, and dizzy spells when they find themselves in places beyond their comfort zone. So here I was on this amazing trip to Nepal, and everyone had voted to do the zip lining. We would wake up early the next morning, get picked up by the bus, and be driven to the zip-lining site by Higher Ground (the company through which we had made the booking). That night. I did my research. When you’re terrified, you want to be well-informed of your choices. I learned that this was considered one of the steepest zip lines in the world. Here are the stats as mapped out by Google:
- This zip line is 1.8km in length (about 1.15miles)
- It has a speed of about 100km/h, however, wind currents can play a role (I learned this from the instructors on the morning of the activity).
- It is also one of the steepest zip lines in the world.
The Gains:
- Spectacular views of the Annapurna mountain range and the Himalayan peaks.
- The lush vegetation and landscape of the city of Pokhara
On the morning of this epic what-if adventure, my fears churned my stomach inside out until I thought I might just throw up. We were picked up on time, driven to the site, and then one by one, strapped in and released for our flight.
As I willingly allowed myself to be strapped in, I closed my eyes, said a pray and allowed the instructor to release me after explaining the process. I paid very close attention to every single word that man spoke as though my life depended on it.
After my activity, I wish I had had more model-like pose pictures of my experience; instead of the meme that could have read, “Don’t try this at home!”
It wasn’t the most flattering picture the company took of my experience, but when you’re hurling through the air and screaming your lungs out, I guess they didn’t have much to work with. It takes tremendous effort in that moment to calm down and talk yourself into “enjoying” the feared experience. Guess what, for that brief moment, I had that conversation before my ride ended. I told my mind to calm down, look down at the spectacular views, stop the screaming and try to “enjoy” an experience that I would NEVER try again. I must say, though, the landscape and vegetation were captivating, lush green and dense below me.
I was still afraid, but I was proud of myself for taking in the moment and appreciating it for what it was. Side note: I still imagined my body crashing into those beautiful views!
The more I read about the power of our minds and their capacity to direct our lives, the more fascinated I am by this small hub inside our body. Ideas begin in the mind. Actions start with a daydream, and then our minds command our bodies to follow suit. I may not have all the answers, but I do believe that the more authority you take over your mind and choose to meditate on positive life choices, the more successful you can become. Choose to meditate on the positive what-ifs, may it guide you into many successes.
Kaleidoscope: Life through different lenses 