This entry was written as a personal reflection before I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro. I wrote this as I thought about why I was going to embark on this potentially dangerous, rather insane 7-day adventure. What was I trying to accomplish? Why would I do this?

Dear Reader,

I’m about to climb Mt Kilimanjaro.

Am I afraid? Am I a little nervous? You bet. It’s a TALL mountain, and while I love nature, I’m not a professional mountain climber. But if there’s one thing I’ve learnt in life, that is to confront my fears head on and not look back.

I am doing this because I know it will make me a BIGGER, STRONGER person.

This post is all about meeting your fears head-on and overcoming them to be a better, wiser, stronger person.

Before I carry on, I must confess that I haven’t always adopted this face-the-fear-head-on approach. I used to be “run away from the fear and pray it never creeps up again”. And for a good number of years in my life, that really served me. I avoided tough situations and life was indeed pretty peaceful and good.

Except I found that my life constantly became smaller and smaller. Every time there was a challenge, I would retreat in – and more of my life’s space and territory would be encroached.

Eventually, I found myself ruler of my own tiny island… just enough for me and my fragile self, and nothing more.

My fears had backed me into a corner. True, I was “safe” but I was also boxed in..a prisoner of my own creation. This coincided with my lowest point in life. My then-husband was dying of cancer, I was young and clueless, our finances were in trouble and friends were not answering our calls for help. I didn’t know what to do – and this time, I had run out of space to hide.

One night, I sat on the edge of my bed and cried. I felt helpless, in despair. But then, as I balled my eyes out, I felt something shift inside me. I realized that the answer to my problems was surprisingly obvious.

I had to DO SOMETHING about it and I COULD do something about it.

I had to deal with my fears, my problems, and my situation in a proactive fashion. I didn’t have to let fear back me into a corner, shivering and cowering.

I could fight back, I could reclaim my life, I could meet my fears head-on, I could win.

That night marked the turning point for me. I went from victim to victor with that emotional shift within. And from that moment on, I became relentless about conquering my fears.

My first fear was all the emotional baggage that I knew resided inside me. I had not attended a personal development class since I was 19, but I found some of the best teachers to guide me to a better place.

My second fear was the fear of public speaking, putting myself out there and sharing my message. After all, when I was 19, a speaker told me I should forget about being a coach because I was too young and too blonde. I found mentors who showed that I did indeed have the skills to impact lives and help people.

My third fear was starting my first business. I had no idea how to begin and it was a scary prospect. I dived in anyway and made mistakes. I also made friends and connections — all of whom were willing to share ideas with me and help me grow. Slowly, I began to find my feet and today I have a thriving coaching business.

Along the way, I’ve started a TV channel, ran workshops all over the world among many other things.

Everytime I started something new, I would still feel that familiar sense of fear..but because I had conditioned myself to fight back and overcome it. I found myself RELAXED in the face of fear. I knew that no matter what, I could do it and I WOULD do it.

Fear would never stop me again.

Right now, I’m climbing up Mt. Kilimanjaro. Am I afraid? Yes! But will I be stopped? Absolutely not.

I’ve come too far to let fear stop me. And that’s because I fought back and decided that fear is best conquered.

So as you read this, ask yourself:

• In what areas of your life are you constantly running?
• More importantly, how long more do you want to keep running?
• Has running from your fears helped you at all?

The more honest you are with these 3 questions, the more you’ll realize that the only way to get ahead is to meet your fears head-on … and never give up till you win.

I wish it was easier, sexier…but in my experience, it isn’t. But it sure as heck is worth it.

Take charge of your life, reclaim your space, fight back and defeat your fears. You’ll discover a better, more amazing life for yourself.

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