What would you be capable of if you had no fear?
Maybe life is an inner roller coaster. It can be fun and scary – both are part of the ride.
All too often, however, we feel the fear and are paralysed into inaction; scared to follow our heart and heap limiting belief after limiting belief on ourselves.
I came across this story, which I hope you will enjoy and find relevant to many situations where you need to free yourself from the demons of fear.
You can read all about limiting beliefs and what you can do about them in our Book, Entitled to Respect – how to be assertive in the workplace.
Once upon a time in a land far away, there lived an enormous giant. He was at least ten feet tall, with a mop of red hair and a beard, and in his hand he carried a mighty axe. Every year on the same day, at the same time, the giant would walk down from the mountains which were his home, to stand outside the castle walls, terrorizing the inhabitants.
‘Come send me your bravest man, and I will fight him,’ the giant would shout, towering over the wall and waving his axe menacingly. ‘Send me someone to fight, or I will knock down your castle walls and kill everyone with my axe.’ And every year, the gate in the castle wall would open slowly and fearfully, and one poor, valiant soul would walk out to face the foe and certain death.
‘Is this the best you can do?’ the giant would laugh mockingly. The poor wretch would stand, mesmerized by the enormity of the giant and the task in hand. Not one person had even managed to draw his sword, before the giant would crush him with his mighty fist, and chop them into tiny pieces.
But then one day, a young prince arrived in the town. ‘Why does everyone here look so frightened and sad?’ he asked a fellow traveler.
‘You haven’t seen the giant yet,’ replied the traveler.
‘What giant?’ asked the young prince, intrigued?
‘Every year, on this very day, the giant arrives and challenges our bravest to a duel. And every year, he slays them exactly where they stand. They don’t even move or draw their swords. It’s as though the giant hypnotizes them.’
‘We’ll see about that.’ Said the young prince
When the giant arrived later that day, he was waiting for him.
‘Send me your bravest man, and I will fight him,’ the giant shouted.
‘I am here,’ said the young prince, throwing open the gate and striding out towards him.
For a moment they stood and faced each other. Although he was still a long way from him, the young prince was instantly struck by the sheer size and shocking appearance of his opponent.
But summoning up all his courage, he started to walk towards the giant, brandishing his sword, and never taking his eyes off that dreadful face with the red hair and the red beard. Suddenly he realized that as he was walking, the giant-rather than appearing larger – actually began to shrink before his very eyes. He stopped and stared. The giant was only five feet tall.
He walked closer to him still then stopped and stared. Now the giant was only two feet tall. He continued walking until he was face to face with the giant, and each step he took, he saw the giant shrink. By now the giant was so small, that he looked up at the young prince. He was only 12 inches tall.
The young prince took his sword, and knocked the giant down.
As the giant lay on the ground, the young prince bent down and whispered to him, ‘who are you?’
With faltering breath, the giant replied, ‘My name is Fear.’
What would you be capable of if you had no fear?
