“When I was little, I decided I would always do the things that scared me.”
This is what my daughter said to me after describing her recent experience going down the Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach, a slide with an almost perpendicular 120-foot slope. Here’s a picture:
Credit: Digital Disney World
And here’s a YouTube video of someone much braver than me doing the Summit Plummet.
When did she decide she would always do things that scared her? Sometime long before she found herself at the top of the Summit Plummet asking the cast member on duty, “Am I going to die on this thing?”
The conversation made me smile (BROADLY) because I want her to be brave.
I want her to “NEVER GIVE UP” and hear “YOU GOT THIS” in her head, all the time, no matter which challenges she faces.
Thanks to Momentum Jewelry, I have an opportunity to spread some “NEVER GIVE UP” and “YOU GOT THIS” #sharetheSPARK sentiment among the people I admire, those who demonstrate these attributes or the ones who I feel need just a bit of encouragement!
I could easily name 30 people off the top of my head who have a #sharetheSPARK vibe going on. The challenge is I only have two #sharetheSPARK Motivate™ wraps to give away. One of them is going to a woman who is a cancer survivor, who is putting together a “Triathlon” that will benefit Moffitt Cancer Center (for details, click here — spaces are still available for the run/row/ride event!). The other one is going to have to find a home over the next few weeks.
Although I don’t have unlimited wraps to give away, I do have PicMonkey, social media, and the ability to share unlimited encouragement!
Therefore, look for me to be sharing these images and tagging awesome people over the next few weeks!
Yes, I smiled when my daughter told me how determined she was to face her fears! I smile when so many people I know, in real life and online:
- Set (and achieve) ambitious goals
- Encourage people around them who are discouraged
- Stand up for what is right, even when it is unpopular to do so
- Persist in the face of adversity
- Support others rather than tear down
This list, of course, could go on and on. What would you add? Who has embodied these qualities to you?
Tenley went to the summit, took the plummet, and proved to herself that she is stronger than her fears.
What will you refuse to give up on today? How can you #sharetheSPARK of encouragement?
By the way, Momentum Jewelry makes beautiful athletic and inspired jewelry in addition to the wraps. I love my Foot Notes™ (shoe tags) from Momentum which honor my I Run For relationship with Gareth. View all of their products here. If you find something you want to purchase, use the code FFSpark15 to save 15% off your purchase between now and 5/31/16!
NOTE: This post is a response to a Mama Kat Writing prompt: Write about something your child said that made you smile.
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
I love this, Paula. For your daughter to have made that conscious decision is impressive. I think some of us decide to face fear but don’t necessarily think about it that way. Here’s what I add to things that make me smile: Choose to see the positive – not in a Pollyanna kind of way; generally choose to see the lesson in something that could otherwise bring us down. When I see people do that, it makes me smile, it makes me want to be around that person.
Great post, my friend.
Thank you, Sarah! I love your addition!
I’m not really a physical sort of person, so I admire anyone who is.
I love your choice of recepients.
My phrase for last year was ‘Daring Greatly’ and I did a lot of emotional work that I had been putting off doing.
What a GREAT phrase (daring greatly)! Mine for this year is “silent confidence” and it seems to have manifested a year in which I can’t stop being vocal about things! Oh well. Thx much for your comment and your share!
That water slide needs some fierce bravery! I engage people in conversation. It might be a quick how’s your day going to how was your weekend?
It truly does! If it did not make me look like an undedicated parent, one of the drafts in my head was “you say you’ll do anything to save your child? If my ‘anything’ involved going down this slide, I would be hard pressed to take the plunge.” BUT I WOULD OF COURSE. With a lot of prayers. 🙂 And yes engaging people in convo is big — and a gift to each of you!
Here Here. Cheers to all the people in the world who have that constant cheerleader on their shoulders saying – YOU GOT THIS!!
AGREE! I have to say, though, it’s funny that “you got this” is one of the ones they sent me. I have all these echoes in my head of when my daughter (now 19) was a competitive gymnast. As each gymnast was competing (even practicing) their fellow gymnasts would often yell “you’ve got this!” (even if they were clearly just getting started on mastering a skill. // It’s also something we runners hear often at races “you’ve got this” — even if we are obviously STRUGGLING and barely able to put one foot in front of another. This little exercise is making me reframe. I think even when we doubt “we’ve got this” while competing (or just doing life), it is heartening to hear someone say they believe in us!
Loved this Paula and congratulations to your daughter for staring down her fears and going for it. I have always had really bad anxiety so this is something that I always drilled into my daughter’s head. I’m so happy that she is so much braver than I was at her age. Have a great week!
I am too, Rena. It’s funny, but one of my VERY FIRST blogs was about my son doing a very tall slide when he was quite young. I guess it’s a recurring (every 7 years or so!) theme). Have a great week yourself! 🙂
First, a thank you to Sarah Elkins for sharing this with me today.
Paula, this is just awesome. I love the quote from your daughter ““When I was little, I decided I would always do the things that scared me.” A lesson in courage to be sure. I am reminded of the quote byLt. John B. Putnam, Jr., “Courage is not the lack of fear, but the ability to face it”.
Thanks for your comment! That’s a fabulous quote!
Good for your daughter! I’m a wimp when it comes to heights. (although they didn’t used to bother me). We live near Kansas City, where the tallest waterslide now resides at Schlitterbahn. Even my boys that don’t mind the crazy heights don’t want to ride it.
WHOA! That must be some slide! I wish I had her fearlessness about this kind of thing!
I am a huge chicken…you won’t see me on that slide. But this is a great reminder to be brave and that it’s okay to do things that scare you a little.
I hear you on that! I would also be VERY VERY RELUCTANT to do that slide. I like to think I have shown an ability to face more intangible fears (of speaking up when someone is being bullied and no one else is standing up for them, for example), but I guess only time will tell if that one worked.
I don’t need the jewelry, as I actually already have some of their charms, but I do like the message in your post. I truly believe I’ll see equality in my lifetime.
They do great work! I love my shoe tags. Thank you for your kind words about the message!