Facing fears and doing it anyway

Saying yes to something that scares you can be surprisingly powerful. Not the huge, dramatic moments you see in films, but the quieter personal challenges that make your stomach tighten before you even begin. For me, that challenge came suspended high above the forest floor at Go Ape Cannock Chase with my 8yo son Freddie grinning in front of me, completely fearless.

Motherhood encourages bravery

If you had asked me earlier that week whether I felt ready to tackle a treetop adventure course, the answer would have been a firm no. I am not naturally adventurous. I like solid ground, predictable situations, and being in control. Harnesses, rope bridges, and zip lines swinging through the trees do not usually feature in my comfort zone. But motherhood has a funny way of encouraging bravery. Sometimes your children inspire you to become the version of yourself you wish they always see.

Standing at the bottom of the course, clipped into a harness and listening to the safety briefing, I could already feel the nerves creeping in. My son, meanwhile, could barely contain his excitement. He was ready to climb, swing, and leap without hesitation. Watching his confidence made me realise how often adults talk themselves out of experiences before they have even begun. Children rarely do that. They trust themselves instinctively. Somewhere along the way, many of us lose that.

The first platform was one of the hardest. Not physically, but mentally. Taking that initial step off solid wood and onto a wobbling rope bridge felt enormous. Every instinct told me to stay still, grip tightly, and turn around. My heart raced as the bridge swayed beneath me, but there was also something exhilarating about realising I was doing it anyway.

Feel the fear and do it anyway 

That is the thing about fear. It does not always disappear before you act. Sometimes courage is simply deciding to move forward while still feeling scared.

As we made our way higher into the trees around the course, something began to shift. The nerves were still there, but they no longer controlled the experience. Instead of focusing on everything that could go wrong, I started noticing everything that was going right. The fresh smell of the forest. The laughter echoing through the trees. Freddie shouting back encouragement every time I hesitated at an obstacle. With every crossing, every climb, and every shaky step, my confidence grew a little stronger.

There was one moment in particular however, where I nearly stopped altogether; the zip line. A suspended wire stretched out ahead of me, looking far less stable than I would have liked. I watched Freddie tackle it without a second thought (no fear!) while I stood frozen on the platform convincing myself I could not do it. Then I realised something important: growth never happens while we stay comfortable. Comfort zones feel safe because they are familiar, but they can also become limiting. We convince ourselves we are not capable of things simply because we have never tried them before. The only way to discover what we can handle is to step beyond what feels easy.

Standing at the top platform, looking out into the trees, I felt that familiar rush of nerves all over again. But this time, underneath the fear, there was excitement too. I can do this. I can do hard things. Even when they challenge me!  Then I jumped.

For a few incredible seconds, I flew through the trees with the wind rushing past my face and Freddie cheering me on in front of me. And somewhere between stepping off that platform and landing (not so gracefully) on the forest floor, I realised the biggest reward was never completing the course itself. It was proving to myself that fear does not have to be the thing that decides what we can and cannot do.

Sometimes the best moments in life happen just outside the edges of our comfort zone.