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The Thing You’re Avoiding Is Exactly What You Need to Do
Fear’s not a stop sign…it’s fuel
I was standing ankle-deep in cold, murky lake water at sunrise, my heartbeat thumping against my wetsuit.
It’s my first open-water swim for a triathlon, and every fiber in my body screams, “Rick, you’re not ready for this.” I’m a runner by nature, a cyclist by choice, but swimming? It freaks me out.
But the gun fires, and I plunge forward anyway, because here’s the hard truth I’ve learned: you’ll never be ready. You just have to start.
My oldest daughter reminded me of this recently. She’s crushed marathons and half-marathons but recently jumped into Peloton workouts — cycling indoors, sweating buckets, and feeling the burn. Naturally, I suggested her next step: “You’re cycling now; learn to swim, and boom — Ironman.”
Her response? Instant and blunt. “Swimming? No way dad. Open water freaks me out.”
I got it immediately. Swimming was never my thing either. In fact, I hated it, feared it. But it also unlocked my next level.
When we talk big dreams — Ironmans, books, launching businesses — people often think you must love every single part of the journey. Spoiler alert: you won’t. Fear, resistance, and self-doubt tag along, uninvited. But here’s…
