Defeating the Sharks In Your Head

By Carl Woolston

I spent last week camping with a group of Boy Scouts at Flaming Gorge reservoir in Utah.

Over the course of the week we enjoyed tons of outdoor activities, including canoeing, kayaking, river rafting, fishing, cliff diving, motor boating, and more.

One of the favorite activities was being pulled behind the motor boat on a huge tube and being thrown off into the water at neck-breaking speeds.

One boy in particular was very nervous about this as he crept into the water. As he floated with his life jacket, waiting for the tube to come his way so he could climb on board, you could see the anxiety on his face building about this unfamiliar situation.

Finally, before the tube arrived, he frantically decided he’d had enough. He swam as quickly as his arms and legs would take him towards the boat. He wanted out!

As he climbed into the boat, calmness began to replace fear and I asked what was wrong.

“Sharks!” he said.

I then explained we were in a fresh water lake and there were no sharks. He quickly interrupted my scientific and logical explanation and said he didn’t care.

He had just watched the first two Jaws movies for the first time 3 days before the trip and enough was enough. Bobbing up and down in the water with his legs dangling underneath him was just too much to handle.

This experience reminded me of the real and tangible fear almost everyone experiences when building a business, talking to unfamiliar people, and facing rejection. Entering those atmospheres can feel like we are left out there bobbing and fully exposed for a blindside attack.

Sometimes certain situations or even other people can seem like sharks — but in reality these “sharks” don’t exist.

In other words, just like with this young man, the fear is real but what we’re afraid of is usually not real. No one has ever died from rejection. Friends, neighbors, and other people you encounter are not going to eat your legs.

You’re not actually swimming with sharks, but at times your fears may make you believe that you are.

I’m happy to report that this young man fought through the prior day’s fear and spent the next day in the water behind the boat having an incredible day. He still swam a little faster than others and had some anxiety, but he overcame it.

Face your fears; overcome the obstacles around you that are limiting you. Remember that the fear you are feeling may be real, but Jaws is a figment of your imagination.