Author: Frank Woods
Originally posted in Tactics & Applications, a closed Facebook group, on Jan. 27, 2020
We all have moments in life when we have an issue or situation or person that needs to be confronted, because there needs to be a change or an understanding reached. These moments are almost always terrifying. We are often alone in these moments, without anyone there to back you up and encourage you to do what needs to be done.
Because of this, our fear comes to the forefront of our minds. Every step we take closer to crossing the rubicon and making that confrontation, we feel that fear become stronger. Our heart rates increase. We get nervous. We get butterflies in our stomach. We try to talk ourselves out of it, and come up with every reason to abort mission and find something better to do.
I call this “Facing the Dragon.”
But, as fearful as we become, deep inside, we KNOW that if we don’t do this, whatever this thing is that needs to be done right now, NOTHING will change. Things will stay as they are, and that’s not okay, because we’ve already determined the status quo is unsat. This has to happen, and in that moment, you’re the only one that can make it happen.
This is the part where you get inside your own head, where that voice is telling you to back off and retreat. You’ve gotta dig deep and pull everything you’ve got inside of you to talk, even YELL over that voice of trepidation, and tell yourself, you have to do this. Go, now, because cowardice is not acceptable.
Fight the dragon.
There are only two ways things can go from here, and neither of them are that bad, because GETTING TO THIS POINT was the hardest part. You will either confront the issue or person, and come out on top, and get what you were going after. In this case, you’ve beat the dragon. Conversely, you go in, say your piece, and maybe it doesn’t go your way, but at the very least, now you know what to expect going forward. You didn’t beat the dragon, but you put your foot down and stood up to the motherfucker. The dragon sees that, and respects that. He’ll leave you alone… for now.
The “Dragon” in this case represents the complete lack of foresight and estimation beyond a certain point of crossing a line. Because you can’t anticipate what will happen after that point, that’s why it scares the shit out of us. The Dragon is the personification of the ultimate fear of the unknown.
This can be anything. It can be approaching a girl you like and asking her out or telling her how you feel or proposing to her. It can be approaching a supervisor at work about an issue that you have no control to determine the outcome of, but need to know what’s going on over your head so you can plot a path ahead, whether it’s ideally to your liking or one that requires adaptation and adjustment. It can be investigating something that went bump in the night. It can be addressing a belligerent, or disorderly person, or an armed gunman. An active shooter, or multiples thereof, location unknown when you arrive and cross the threshold. It can even be Death, certain if you lose your wits.
It really doesn’t matter what’s going on, because you will experience the same thing across a wide variety of scenarios. You will be scared. You will be as ready as you ever could be in that moment. You will want to turn back.
Get in there.
Face it down.
Shoot your shot.
Fight the dragon.
Stay Dangerous.
Stay in this L.A.N.E.
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