People often ask me why my boat ended up being named FEAR. The inspiration came from two of my favorite quotes.
The first being that “F.E.A.R has two meanings Forget Everything and Run or Face Everything and Rise”.
I think it’s safe to say that throughout my life I have faced a variety of challenges and hit many a brick wall. Each time I was faced with a simple decision, give up or keep fighting. I wish I could say that I was stronger than the battles I faced or that I just overcame them no matter how high the hurdle. I’m pretty sure that’s what inspirational people are meant to say but the truth is that would be a lie. I have given up, stopped and failed more times than I would like to admit. But each time there was always a little something inside me that meant I clawed my way forward inch by inch.
The second quote is that “Courage is not the absence of fear but rather it is not letting fear stop you”.
Growing up I always imagined that the people who did extraordinary things, like sailed round the world or climbed Everest were never scared. I think I wanted to believe that there was a way to not be scared all the time, that if I simply could do something extraordinary then I wouldn’t have to be scared all the time. Unfortunately, what I have learnt though is that everyone gets scared and there is no way to avoid it. Being scared simply means being human.
Taking on my round Britain and Ireland (RBI) challenge is something that scares the hell out of me. Every time another storm blows through, I lie awake at night listening to the wind whipping against the windows and realizing that soon I am going to be stuck in it, with nowhere to hide. I am going to be at the mercy of the elements, my life will be controlled by wind strength, direction and sea state. The truth is I am absolutely shit scared; it terrifies me down to my core and makes me question whether i can really do this. But every time i think that i know that is exactly the reason I must do it. Because no matter how scared i am, i will not let the fear control me.
So come next June I will be setting off on my RBI challenge, no matter how much that scares me or maybe because it scares me. I am doing it not because I am brave, or extraordinary or in any way special but simply because there is a little something inside me that wont let me not do it.