Finding Your Superpowers

Fear can be debilitating. Fears instilled as a young child can be even more so; causing a visceral paralysis well into adulthood if left unchecked. A friend of mine recently shared a story regarding her young son’s fear of water and her determination to surmount it while he was still young. Overcoming fear is no small feat. Here’s a story to inspire us all.

A few years ago, Vinny, then aged 4, was swimming in a pool and suddenly found himself in unchartered deep-end territory. It didn’t take long for his parents to recognize his distress, and they quickly mobilized. By the time Vinny was rescued, trauma had already taken seed. His parents became acutely aware of his anxiety. They subsequently tried everything to help him overcome his rapid onset of water fear. They booked private swim lessons; they invited him to swim at the neighborhood pool with his brother and friends. Although Vinny eventually ventured into the shallow end of the pool, his reluctance to immerse himself in water continued to no avail. Vinny’s fears were simply non-negotiable. As the summer soaked other kids with pool party fun, Vinny remained a spectator.

Praying for inspiration, Vinny’s mom came upon some marvelous and fancy swim goggles. Her hope was they might infuse a sense of renewed security for her son around water. She suggested to Vinny these were superhero goggles and could illicit superpowers for whenever he felt ready to take another crack at swimming. Slowly and without pressure, Vinny’s parents gave him the space to figure it out. So, with goggles securely in place, Vinny slowly made his way back to the water. Simple frolic led to tentative submersions, and soon enough Vinny was jumping off the diving board back into the deep end of the pool. This time confidence reigned. He resurfaced with a broad smile and arms raised in triumph. Vinny thought the goggles gave him courage, but we all know his bravery came from within.

I love so much about this story. Who among us has not been bound by fear? How many of us can track being scared to when we were kids. On top of that, the older we get, the more complicated fears might become. Fear of the dark can morph into fear of the unknown. Fear of loss, fear of failure, or fear of change can dictate how we live or why we self-sabotage. Fear can become complicated, but Vinny reminds us how accessible we are to our own superpowers. For him, it took swim goggles. For those of us with much more complicated pathways of the mind, perhaps we need to remember how capable we are of saving ourselves. Maybe, it might not be as complicated as we think.

What a lifelong gift Vinny has given himself. He’s already learned that fears can be overcome. Now, at the age of 8, Vinny knows he can do hard things. I envision his mom reminding him whenever he is tempted to succumb to insecurities to just “put your goggles on.” For Vinny, goggles will always connect with his own superhero powers.

Learning this lesson at such a young age is a gift that will keep on giving. If only we could all remember we have superhero powers. Fears are obstacles we position in our own mind. To be free of fear is like swimming in the deep end, stretching yourself to reach into the vast unknown. From time to time, we all need to stretch ourselves into the uncomfortable where fear looms. Perhaps all it takes is a pair of goggles to block the fear and welcome the undiscovered. Just ask Vinny how fun swimming can be.