I wouldn’t have said this back then. Honestly, I wouldn’t have believed it, if you told me this back then either.

When I was in it, fear of flying didn’t feel like something I was learning from, it felt like a battle that I barely escaped from. It felt like something I just had to survive.

But looking back now, I see it differently .And it all started before I even got to the airport.

I can still remember the drives to the airport. Not the road. Not the music. Not what we talked about. Nothing like that.

I remember the dread.

It had been with me for weeks already… like an unwanted passenger I could not get rid of.

It started out small, as soon as I booked the flight. Something normal. Something other people were excited about, but for me, it grew.

Day by day, it got bigger and more intrusive. Like it was packing its own bags and moving into my mind.

By the time I was in the car, it felt nearly unmanageable. Right there with me. Like I was never alone in the seat, and it would stay with me like that, until touchdown at the other end of this flight. It was exhausting.

I remember looking out the car or plane window and thinking, I just need to get through this. Somehow. Just try and ignore it the best that you can. While it’s sitting on your chest the whole flight.

That became the pattern. Not one big moment of fear, but weeks of it building up in the background of everything.

And I thought that was just how life had to be now, since I was a fearful flyer.

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But now I see something I could not see then. Fear wasn’t just happening to me.

It was teaching me.

Not in a kind way at the time… but still, teaching me.

And here are 5 things I understand now that make me glad I faced it..

1. Fear can feel real, even when it is not true

Fear is very strong and VERY convincing. It sounds like truth,

It tells you something is wrong, and makes you feel like this is “the one”.

For a long time, I believed it.

But I learned this: Fear is often a liar. Especially when it comes to fear of flying. Just because fear feels real does not mean it is real.

That changes everything.

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2. My brain can learn new patterns

I used to think this was just “me.” I am a fearful flyer, and I hate flying. That’s what I said, like that’s who I was going to be for the rest of my life.

But I learned something important as I was working my way through my fear of flying.

My brain had learned fear over time.

And what is learned can also be unlearned.

That gave me hope as I tried to untangle this fear.

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3. Courage is not feeling calm

I used to think brave people felt calm while they were going through the storm. I imagined them charging into battle with swords and shields and feeling very confident about their choices.

That could not be further from the truth.

Brave people feel fear too. A lot of fear.

But they just keep going anyway. They've made a decision, and that matters more than their feelings.

Even in small steps. That changed how I saw myself. I was no longer a fearful flyer. I was someone who was BRAVE and I had never thought of myself that way, but if scared and doing it anyway qualified me? I was brave.

4. Fear showed up in other parts of my life too

A funny thing has happened since I beat my fear of flying…I learned that It was not just about flying.

Fear showed up in other places too.

Business.

Decisions.

Change.

But I also learned how to handle it better. I even expect it to show up when I’m doing something new, just like a sign post that says, “Yup. This is the way to the new thing. Keep going”.

And so I do, confident that I am actually brave enough to do that thing too.

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5. “This is just who I am” is not always true

Fear likes to tell you that.

“This is just how you are.”
“You cannot change.”
“This is forever.”

But that is SO not true. Do not buy into that lie.

What I thought was “who I am” was really just something I had practiced for a very long time.

And new practices can change you. And that can change who you think you are.

That is what gave me my future back. And like I said at the beginning?

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I’m Glad.

If flying feels hard for you right now, I want you to remember this:

How it feels today is not how it has to feel forever.

This is just one part of your story, not the end of it.

Here's to clear skies and happy flights in your future!

Kim

LetsFlyAgain.com

And if this reminds you of someone you care about that struggles with flying? Send it along to them too.

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