How strong is your faith?  I confronted myself with this question recently when facing a fear head on.  The question was; ‘which is stronger, your fear or faith?’  I recognized the fact that if I allowed fear to be stronger, I would no doubt experience an impending anxiety attack that would abruptly end the experience of the adventure I had set out on.  My mind’s eye had seen the cause and effect that fear created within me, spawning the instinctual Fight or Flight response.  My body responded to this mental stress by tightening up, from the top of my neck, down my back, and into my legs.  It took only a minute for the mental stress to spread into the network of muscles within my body, and it was noticeably uncomfortable.

At this point, I knew I had to do something if I was to continue on my journey because I was in the first hour of a 2-day adventure.  Since I was not alone on this adventure, my decision would directly affect the other person’s journey as well, so… fight or flight?  Let me just say, I LOVE adventure!  Pushing beyond my comfort zone is not only an adrenaline rush, but my awareness and fulfillment is ever-expanding in the process.  As a child, I was exposed to many dangers and had to learn strength at an early age… to fight was to survive, and so I did.  There was always an inner voice assuring me that I was meant for greatness and I could get through this challenge, as so I did.  My faith in the message of that voice, kept me going through very difficult times and propelled me forward.  Now as an adult, when faced with a challenge, I simply remember that faith and where it has taken me… and I keep going.  Each time I move through a fear, I am strengthened and empowered.

Suffice it to say, the only ‘flight’ I experienced on this adventure, was the pure freedom and exhilaration of riding on a motorcycle across the beautiful state of NC.  This was not my first ride mind you, but it was a long ride on interstate highways.  A typical ride for me is on the back roads where there’s more scenery than traffic, and limited to a 50-mile radius from home.  This adventure however, was more than 200 miles each way, through larger cities and multi-lanes of high-speed merging traffic.  It was a harrowing experience to be so exposed, with no form of protection, on a high-speed highway!  It’s one thing to be enclosed in a vehicle that surrounds and protects you while on the road.  It is entirely another to be a rider on a motorcycle… every move by you and the traffic around you must be controlled.  Debris, water, and oil on the road, as well as weather, must all be noticed and considered, as they all affect your stability when riding.  My thoughts were racing at full speed about the many possible disasters we could encounter, when I observed my fear taking over, and it was that moment that I ‘flipped the script.’

The end result was an incredible ride to Boone in perfect weather.  Upon choosing faith over fear, I relaxed and enjoyed the ride, noticed the beauty all around me, and reveled in my personal triumph!!  Riding the Blue Ridge Parkway on a motorcycle is as exciting as it is beautiful and breathtaking, and I highly recommend the experience to all lovers of nature!

This ‘fight’ turned to ‘flight of fancy’ for this girl!  Born to be Wild?  I dare say!