You are probably already familiar with Eleanor’s Roosevelt famous quote “do one thing every day that scares you”. Of course she doesn’t mean jump off a bridge, wrestle with a hungry lion, break the law, take unnecessary risks or put yourself in the way of danger. For some people simply talking to a work colleague is already quite a challenge to overcome, for someone else it could be smiling to a stranger, for others it is crossing a glass floor on the top level of a building or simply doing a headstand.

What I am trying to say here, is that we each have our own fears and dreads to overcome. As for me, I have two, and please do not laugh at the first one! Live snails (I cannot even touch the shell whereas I am totally at ease with spiders, Dr Freud help!) and the second, more commonly, is vertigo which I am beating down by taking mountain trips each time a little more frightening for my level.

A few days after our via ferrata, a technically complex climb but with few void crossings, we decided to take things up a notch: not too technical but with plenty of voids. And this is how it went:

Well yes, I had moments of genuine panic, especially when crossing rope bridges (just as the name suggests, a couple of cables linking two places over a nice big fat void). So, not to come apart, I practiced meditation and counted my steps, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on…For overhang crossings, where one has to rely solely on arm strength (and triceps) to pass the hurdle, I “rested” beforehand to practice some of the yoga breathing exercises we teach at LeBootCamp. I then realised that thanks to my regular fitness training, my arms were indeed not going to let me down!

The outcome? An intoxicating experience for the spirit and the senses. When we step outside our comfort zone and exceed what we think ourselves capable of, we feel master of ourselves, of the world, of the universe. This is an unsurpassed mood booster that will surely keep us in high spirits. It is impossible to feel inadequate after such a feat as conquering a situation we were scared of!

Overcoming our fears, combating our anxieties and coming out victorious, changes your life. These battles with or perhaps against your lesser self, make us stronger, surer of ourselves. What better is there than self assurance?

The good new is that thanks to LeBootCamp your body has become lighter, your energy has surged and with that the need to surpass yourself even more. By daring to take regular action, you can be sure that even your battle against the unwanted pounds will seem a doddle! You will reclaim command of your mind and of your body. And that is a big step forward in your journey to your dream body, if you haven’t achieved it yet, or simply to preserve it as beautiful as it already is.

What are your fears? How do you challenge them on a regular basis? Share your battles and victories with us so we can all help each other and progress together!