Vocem Meam: On Overcoming Certain Fears (or On Overcoming Fears of Uncertainty)

I, like many people, was not looking forward to getting my wisdom teeth removed. The idea of anesthesia freaked me out a bit because it meant surrendering control of my body/consciousness. While I could have been awake during the procedure (with "local" numbness injection only), the oral surgeon informed me that halfway through the procedure I would regret this decision. Thus, I went through with having the surgery while asleep. In addition to fearing the medically-induced unconsciousness, I worried about the repercussions, such as acting, well, silly afterwards. It turned out that my worries were for naught. While the numbness from the Novocain was not exactly pleasant, I felt like myself afterwards, joking with my mom, despite the fact that the cotton in my mouth muffled the words. It's all a mind game, really. The truth is that story we repeat to ourselves ad nauseum. The unknown is the pinnacle of human fear. While it can be quite difficult to trust implicitly that all situations, no matter how uncertain we may be about them, will turn out okay, it is fear that often holds us back in life. If we didn't overcome our trepidations to explore and to discover the world and ourselves, there would be no great progress. We must find ways to cultivate bravery and garner confidence and trust. Often, this trust comes from within. As I lay on the dental chair, I closed my eyes, breathed deeply, and told myself that all would work out, even as fear manifested in quiet pricks of tears. After overcoming the hurdles (both bumps and mountains) that make up our lives, we realize that the anticipation was the worst part. Uncertainty can be terrifying, but ultimately, we learn that dwelling on the uncertainty is far worse than the actual experience. We recover with resilience, with the drive and determination to live our lives until the next hurdle comes along.

Images of the recovery from this hurdle: