My heart would pound so hard I could feel it in my ears.

I used to be afraid of being alone in big buildings (church and my work office). It was inconvenient and illogical so I set out to unlearn this fear.

The only way I knew how to unlearn a fear was to stare it square in the face and run it down.

I planned trips to my church at night to play the piano. The parking lot was empty, the entry was dark and no lights were on in the building. It was me against the dark and the space.

I was scared. Really scared. My heart would pound so hard I could feel it in my ears.

I made sure I methodically unlocked the door and turned on the necessary lights to see my way to the auditorium. My insides were freaking out, but I forced myself to act as if I wasn’t afraid.

I walked up the left side of the auditorium to the piano. Single light above my head, I’d pull out the bench and sit down then turn to look at the rest of the room. I was staring down the fear. Recreating the story in my head.

I unlearned the fear of darkness and big spaces. It was a paper tiger. It’s gone now.

What fear do you need to unlearn?

It won’t feel good while you’re unlearning it, but once you stare it square in the face a few times and chase it down, that paper tiger will fall apart and you’ll be so happy you’re not held captive by it anymore.