Liberty
01-15-2009, 01:28 AM
Hi everybody,
I haven't been a part of these forums (thinking this much about my fear of driving added a little too much to my anxiety) and so I apologize in advance for beinga bad community member by just suddenly appearing to post an intro and this success story. But, I have to share with someone who understands what just happened today.
I've been working with Rich's materials for several months but have continually been unable even to unlock the car I have available to me (a Zipcar--a kind of shared car you can sign out for a couple of hours--a block from my house). I walk past that darned car every day and, honestly, beat myself up a bit for not being able to even get into the car. I also often go onto the Zipcar website and see if a car is available to reserve and, honestly, beat myself up a bit for not being able to even make a reservation, much less actually use a reservation.
So this pattern has been going on for months since I got the Zipcar membership and I just haven't known how to push through it. But something just happened. I've been dating this man (who, not unimportantly, lives about 40 minutes away). Anyway, he has a bit of a tough-love approach to things. And usually, I don't find that whole tough-love thing all that great. But, last night, he was talking about things Rich has said over and over about the ways we're holding ourselves back by having this fear. And he talked about how there's nothing fundamentally different about me that makes driving out of my reach when it's within everyone else's reach. Anyway, somehow it got through to me.
And, today, when I popped on the website to see if a Zipcar was available like I've done for months, I actually reserved it! And then I put on a little power lipstick and unlocked that car and drove for over an hour. I went to a mall and parked and bought something at a store (another little anxiety thing) and then drove toward home (doing perfectly fine, no panic, no nothing other than moments of heightened awareness....which isn't such a bad thing while driving anyway). Then I got gas and worked through a little technology glitch in the car and brought the car back home, both of us in one piece!
I can't believe it! I'm just beside myself with the success and keep feeling both like shouting from rooftops and bursting into tears. Thank you so much to everyone who is a part of this community for helping give me courage and for being folks I can tell this too (even if a little too wordily).
Keep your fingers crossed for the next success (whether yours or mine). All best,
Liberty (who hasn't driven a bit for about 5 years and who has shaped lots of her life for 20 years around this fear)
I haven't been a part of these forums (thinking this much about my fear of driving added a little too much to my anxiety) and so I apologize in advance for beinga bad community member by just suddenly appearing to post an intro and this success story. But, I have to share with someone who understands what just happened today.
I've been working with Rich's materials for several months but have continually been unable even to unlock the car I have available to me (a Zipcar--a kind of shared car you can sign out for a couple of hours--a block from my house). I walk past that darned car every day and, honestly, beat myself up a bit for not being able to even get into the car. I also often go onto the Zipcar website and see if a car is available to reserve and, honestly, beat myself up a bit for not being able to even make a reservation, much less actually use a reservation.
So this pattern has been going on for months since I got the Zipcar membership and I just haven't known how to push through it. But something just happened. I've been dating this man (who, not unimportantly, lives about 40 minutes away). Anyway, he has a bit of a tough-love approach to things. And usually, I don't find that whole tough-love thing all that great. But, last night, he was talking about things Rich has said over and over about the ways we're holding ourselves back by having this fear. And he talked about how there's nothing fundamentally different about me that makes driving out of my reach when it's within everyone else's reach. Anyway, somehow it got through to me.
And, today, when I popped on the website to see if a Zipcar was available like I've done for months, I actually reserved it! And then I put on a little power lipstick and unlocked that car and drove for over an hour. I went to a mall and parked and bought something at a store (another little anxiety thing) and then drove toward home (doing perfectly fine, no panic, no nothing other than moments of heightened awareness....which isn't such a bad thing while driving anyway). Then I got gas and worked through a little technology glitch in the car and brought the car back home, both of us in one piece!
I can't believe it! I'm just beside myself with the success and keep feeling both like shouting from rooftops and bursting into tears. Thank you so much to everyone who is a part of this community for helping give me courage and for being folks I can tell this too (even if a little too wordily).
Keep your fingers crossed for the next success (whether yours or mine). All best,
Liberty (who hasn't driven a bit for about 5 years and who has shaped lots of her life for 20 years around this fear)