Fear

Eighteen months ago, I stopped at the top of these steps and gingerly carried my bike down them while a friend confidently rode his bike down them.  Despite their reasonable gradient and straight descent (and my full-suspension mountain bike), I was overcome by fear.  Today, I could ride down them without hesitation.

Fear can be a powerful tool.  At times, it can be logical (nobody likes falling down stairs).  Other times, it simply prevents us from moving forward.

I'd like to say that I'm easily embracing every new challenge that presents itself.  Unfortunately, that is simply not honest.  Rather, many of my steps into the unknown have been taken tentatively with an eye toward the comfort of the past.  However, just like riding down a long set of stairs, the key to overcoming fear (and successfully moving forward) is to focus on the challenge ahead and forget what lies behind.