What If Our Assumptions Are Holding Us Back?

What exactly is fear?
Many times we say things like, "I'm scared of doing this; I'm scared of that.".
What instills such fear in us? Why do we get scared?
We all know the answer: fear comes when we assume that something might cause potential harm to us.

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Edited on Canva

So far in my journey in life, even as I continue to explore, I have faced a lot of fears, I've conquered some and am still hoping to overcome the ones I am yet to overcome.

The last time I visited the state I am from (my village) was during the period when my grandmother was to be buried.

I remember that morning when my mom and dad ensured that all our properties were well secured in the house before locking the door.

You know, when one travels on a long journey like that, taking breaks is almost impossible.

During one of the breaks we had, we all decided to get something to eat before continuing on the journey.

In that particular memory, I remember my dad buying a cucumber, he divided it and gave me some, however, as soon as I ate it, I regretted it because of the bitter taste my tongue met, and ever since then, I decided never to take cucumber again.

As I grew older, I decided to give it a try again, and interestingly, it turned out great. There was another time I had a similar experience with avocado, but it was my fault.

It was my fault because I didn't wait for the avocado to get ripe, or, let's say, I never knew I had to wait until it was soft.

Curious I sliced the avocado into two and tried to dig into it with a spoon. Although it was difficult, I still tried to get a bite, and after tasting it, I regretted it. It was also very bitter.

As I write this, I can't help but wonder if there is a name for bitterness phobia lol.

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Pixabay

Years later, just as it happened with the cucumber, I learned that before an avocado can be eaten, it is important for one to wait for it to get ripe so that the taste can be enjoyed. I tried eating the cucumber again, and I fell in love with it.

Today, those fruits are at the top of the list of my best fruits.

I suppose there are a few points one can learn from my story.

Sometimes in life, one tends to try things without knowing what to expect. Sometimes our hopes might even be very high, but then they come crashing down when what we receive isn't what we expected.

When such happens, it becomes very difficult for us to give ourselves another trial in the future because we do not want to have that unpleasant experience anymore.

However, I have come to understand that to overcome my fears, I have to process all I need to do in my mind first, secondly, I need to be prepared, finally, I need to ensure that I am doing everything I need to do right in order to reduce the effect of any potential harm that might arise from me facing my fears.

By reflecting on these food-related experiences, we can gain insights into the broader patterns of fear, avoidance, and personal growth that shape our lives. The key is to approach life's challenges with an open mind, a willingness to learn, and the resilience to try again in the face of initial setbacks.

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6 comments

This kind of supports this quote that says "first impression last longer". Glad it didn't last so long in your case, you decided to be courageous and give it another try. I also used to dislike oats so much because of a traumatic experience I had with it as a kid and I faced my fear of taking oats a few days ago. Suprisingly, it wasn't so bad.

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Yeah, that's the thing...it always turns out not to be so bad hehe

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Yeah😂

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It is good you have overcome these fears and working towards overcoming the rest that you face.

One thing is that fear could be our greatest enemy because it deprives us of getting involved with things that could make our lives better.

I am acrophobic (fear of heights) and I'm looking forward to overcoming it.

Thanks for sharing with us.

Popped in from Dreemport, being a #dreemerforlife

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Fear is what keeps us back from exploring something, sometimes due to what we have experienced in the bad way. Just like the avocado, same thing happened to me two weeks ago and reading your post makes me reflect it to life. If we do not push ourselves to learn something or be patient, we won't get the required result we expect. Also, we must do things in the right way.
#dreemerforlife

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It is indeed interesting how we sometimes let one experience define our tastes. I commend you for trying things again to check if you still dislike them. In my case it was tomatoes. I hated to eat raw tomatoes as a child. The taste was too sour or too sweet for me and the texture was icky. Luckily i tried it out again in college and liked it, and have loved it ever since.

You have put forth a very valid way on how to attack such defensiveness in ourselves.

Cheers from a fellow #dreemerforlife

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If there's one thing that has seriously dealt with me, crippled my chances towards maximizing great opportunities, it is fear. I'm most delighted, that I'm no longer a student in the school of fear.

#dreemerforlife

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