Thanks for sharing this awesome post with us. It has reminded the life i went through when I was an infant. Yes. When I was a very small baby just learning to walk.
How can you raise your kid without fear? I couldn't possibly think of one good way.
As for all kids, my mom used to bathe me. And what she did was, she used to bathe me in cold water. Obviously, as a baby I wasn't consciously aware of this.
I grew, now I became a kid whose memories I now clearly retain. I vividly remember, my mom insisted me to bathe without using the heater. I replied to her
"Ma but that other day I bathed in hot water. And it felt so pleasant :/ "
To which she replied, "When you stand infront of the shower of cold water, do you feel scared to take the plunge into it?"
Me:"Yes mom. It's so cold."
Mom:"But how does it feel after you take the plunge? Bad?"
Me: "Umm..no."
Mom: " Exactly. It's not bad after you have started bathing with cold water. Its only till you overcome that tipping point. Once you are over it, it's fine. So what stops you from crossing from your comfort zone, and beyond into the tipping point is your fear. This is a small way of testing yourself if you are scared. If you continue to bathe in hot water, and get used to being in your comfort zone, you might develop a mentality to accepts things as they come. You will never stand up for anything. You will never feel the need to get out of your comfort zone. So please remember this always and bathe in cold water. This is one small step is to get you a strong fighting spirit in life!!!"
I can still clearly remember her words.
And may be that small step was the reason for me to take a leap of faith in life and choose starting up over working.
That's one of the best stories I've heard in a long time! Your mom knows what she's talking about; she seems like a brave woman. She's completely right; people have to take more leaps and leave their comfort zone more often. Too bad that most parents teach their kids the opposite, which resulted in this whole generation of scared and lost millennials.
I have a similar story; I remember that my dad used to take me swimming in summer at the lake, even if I was a kid. The water wasn't ice-cold but, it was still cold enough for a 3-4 years old kid. Those experience helped me never to fear water thus, I learned swimming at a very young age.