Holding on Tight

I love riding over the Annapolis Bay Bridge as the view is beautiful.  However, I do not love actually being the driver.  For whatever reason, this bridge (and several others I've come across) scare me so what do I do...I hold on really tight to the steering wheel.  When I do this, my whole body tenses up, my overall stress level goes up, I start worrying if I'll really make it to the end of the bridge, and I slow down. 

What I've learned is that if I can find an anchor or a different focus....a great song to sing to or a conversation with someone in the car or on the phone, I can relax enough to just drive and not think about my fear.

I saw it with my daughter last week in her horseback riding, as when she feared something would happen, she held on tighter and the horse pushed back. When she relaxed, all was good. 

Maybe these are lessons for all of us...when you are scared, don’t grip the wheel tighter.  Instead...lean in and enjoy the moment and trust that all will be ok. 

At work...when you think about raising your hand for a new opportunity...do you think that's too scary so you hold on to what you have now?

When you see something you think is wrong...do you think - if I make waves, maybe that will have a negative impact on me so you stay quiet and hold on to status quo?

If we hold tightly to the safe or the known, we risk missing out on something exciting and new. 

What are you holding on tight to today?