Tightrope Fear

‘Living well is not merely choosing lightness or weightiness but holding them skillfully in tension.

Let us walk the tightrope of life with both grace and groundedness.’ — Erik Pevernagie

The mental preparation required for tightrope walking, as one might expect, entails dedicating considerable time to face the thoughts and fears that emerge, while also recognising the evident risks involved. Additionally, it is crucial to learn how to sustain a calm, grounded, and self-assured mindset during the entire experience.

Not something many of us could achieve. However, Phillipe Petit a high-wire artist, strung a 200 foot cable between the newly built Twin Towers in 1974 and then proceeded to walk across it 1,350 feet above the ground for 45 minutes. So the question is, ‘How did Petit manage the overwhelming fear of falling during his eight passes from one tower to another? and how can we confront the constant fears we face in our daily life?

His advice:

1. Give yourself a time limit.

Often our thoughts and fears can consume our time and energy and before we know it, a whole day can pass absorbing information that is not based on any truth.

When we feel overwhelmed, we literally need to STOP, reset, and take action to disrupt the flow of fear. Turn off the news, stop scrolling, and create time in nature to breathe, realign, and calm your energy and mind.

2. Exaggerate your Fear

Sounds counter productive, I know, but it works. Petit believes, the more delirious your expectation, the safer you will be when you see that reality is much less horrifying than what you had envisioned. Most of the time, however, we tend to flee from our fears, often resorting to distraction, addiction, or attempts to control our circumstances. What occurs when we face these fears, confront them, and permit their presence? Well, it provides our mind with an entirely new perspective on our situation, revealing that what we believed was fated for disaster can actually be addressed in a calm and grounded manner.

Confronting and experiencing our fears is an ongoing endeavour throughout life; however, the more we engage in this practice, the more we will uncover our boundless resilience, clarity, and inner wisdom.