Strength Born from Fear

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STRENGTH BORN FROM FEAR It was a hot, humid, sunny day in Florida. Standing on the beach, I could feel the burning sand beneath my feet and my surfboard under my arm. I sensed that today was a day I had to overcome my fears and gain strength from them. The usually blue-green water is now murky and full of foam from the towering waves crashing down. Reminded of a previous bad experience, I had to decide if I was up to the challenge of surfing and overcoming my fears. Before, on a similar beach day, when I decided to surf, I wiped out. The waves were relentless and churned me beneath them as if I was in a washing machine until I was almost out of oxygen. They banged me against the reef that lined the ocean floor. It wasn’t an experience I would soon forget or that I wanted to relive. As I gathered myself and shook it off, I noticed just how many people were on the beach. There was a group playing football on my right. Directly in front of me the volleyball courts were so packed not another person could play. As I scanned to my left, past everyone else soaking up the sun, I can see a bright red danger flag flapping in the wind over the lifeguard stand. I started to feel uneasy knowing the risks of fierce currents and wicked undertows. Despite the fact, I started to walk boldly yet nervously toward the water. With every step I took, I could feel the tension growing stronger and stronger. I start to get a chill all over my body. My breathing becomes more rapid as my heart beats like a drum. With my mind racing, I plunged headfirst into the water with my surfboard. Paddling out, I was shadowed by the enormous waves that seem to be growing in front of me. As I was duck diving under each wave, the voices carried from the beach go in and out like a half-tuned radio station. After struggling past the never-ending break, I sat on my board to regain my

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