Don’t Let Fear and Pain Make Your Decisions for You

Fear and pain are realities of life, but we can’t let fear and pain make our decisions for us. As soon as we do, they will be the masters of our fates. But we all need to be the masters of our own destiny. In short, we need to stand up to fear and pain and make our own decisions, even though it can be very hard.

Fear and Pain

I’ve done lots of painful things and lots of scary things in my life. In fact, I have walked into pain and fear of my own accord. I’ve breathed underwater, flown with the eagles and plummeted towards the earth expecting only nylon to save my life 150 times. These things were all terrifying. But I refused to let this terror stop me from having these experiences.

This does not make me a superhero, this just makes me someone who wants to stand up to demons. This may mean I find bipolar disorder to be the biggest and scariest bully on the block and I have to stand up to it whether I want to or not. Everything else looks easy in comparison.

Fear and Pain Decisions

I could have let fear and pain make my decisions for me throughout my life. On my first skydive, I was horribly ill with a very nasty cold and needed to have tissues constantly at the ready. And I was terrified of exiting a plane flying at 3,000 feet. Every cell in my body didn’t want to do it. And I knew being sick was the perfect excuse not to go.

But I refused to let my fear make that decision. I said to myself, “If I don’t go now, I don’t know when I ever will.”

So I drove to the airport with others standing up to their own fears.

I’ve also had vagus nerve stimulator (VNS) implant surgery. This was walking into pain. This was walking into the pain of surgery and the unknown effects of having my vagus nerve electrocuted every day. As it turned out, this was walking into constant pain, every hour. But I needed to try this therapy. The rational part of me made this decision and not pain nor fear.

I also got a very, very painful tattoo last week on my inner wrist. This was a very serious pain. (Seriously. Consider another spot.)

Had I Let Fear and Pain Make My Decision

If I had let fear and pain make decisions, I would not have had the life I have today. Yes, I might have escaped some of the pain and not experienced some of the mass anxiety, but I wouldn’t have experienced some of the most amazing things of my life. I wouldn’t be the same person.

Not Letting Fear and Pain Make Your Decisions

Actually, if you’re in treatment for a mental illness, you’re proving my point right now. You’re not letting your fear of treatment or the pain of side effects make your decisions for you. Your rational side knows that treatment is critical and you’re doing that in spite of fear and pain. It’s brave.

You're brave.

So when it comes to the next challenge that is scary or painful, remember your strength. Remember that you are already standing up to the biggest bully – mental illness. Remember that you don’t let fear and pain make your decisions. You decide what is right for you.