Fear manifests itself in humans in many forms as we go about our living.
Some of these include: the fear of failure, fear of death, fear of rejection, fear of being judged, fear of inadequacy and more. For a very long time, I have battled with acrophobia, also known as fear of heights.
There is also a shadow that follows me and a voice that whispers in my ear, telling me that I will never conquer my fear of heights. I know the source of this fear is onlyin my mind.
But a great opportunity to address my fear presented itself at the Kakum National Park when I participated in the 2023 WTIG program.
A part of the program involved a canopy walk eighty meters above the rain forest at Kakum National Park. The idea sounded terrifying, but I had to commit to the program and hence challenged myself to go for it.
I decided to silence the voices within me that sowed doubt, and to rise above them.
This was my moment, and I made the choice to be strong and brave. Never again would I be a victim of fear's wave. I had ultimately one goal and that was to overcome myself. So standing and facing the plank held by wire nets suspended over the top of trees, I made my first step forward. Then two, three and even more steps. I kept on moving.
I knew what I was capable of doing it. I kept moving forward.
According to our tour guide there are seven canopy walkways in the canopy walk in all, and after the first one, we had a choice to stop, turn left and complete a much shorter walk, or continue up six more planks to six stations and do a full canopy walk ahead.
Right after the first one, I heard a voice from within me saying, "Is there anything you can do to save yourself in case you fall now? I need you to know that you can do all things through me who strengthens you. Do not worry about anything, but in everything be filled with thanksgiving.
Do not ever focus on the problem but look forward to the victory that awaits you.
I am taking you through the narrow path that leads to life."
Immediately upon hearing this, my mind and my whole being were transformed. The chains of fear were broken as I made the decision to complete the seven walkways. This accomplishment served as a stepping stone to face other forms of fear that may come my way.
It is important to note that, during childhood, our resilience comes naturally. For example, toddlers learning to walk fall hundreds of times before they are confident. Yet, they do not give up and decide to go back to crawling. So, there is the need for guidance and total commitment aimed at helping my students to overcome their fears.
My experience at Kakum National Park not only motivated and empowered me but reminds me if I could overcome my fear, there is hope for my students who face these fears as well.
By Olivia Williams,
Accra College of Education
Pursuing B. Ed in English language and Visual Arts.