No mater what anyone tells you, fear is a good
thing. It is your body preparing yourself both spiritually and mentally
for the worst. The key is not to let fear become panic. The moment
when you let fear defeat you is the moment you start to panic. If you can
establish what causes your fears, it can be a powerful ally. Typically,
fear is just not limited to a specific event, it runs deep within you and is
fueled by many life experiences. Heard the saying you have to love
yourself before you love others? The same can be said about fear.
First you have to get a grasp of the fears within your own life, embrace them,
accept them, and then you can tackle the fear of any event. The fears
built up over a lifetime exceed any singular event.
So why bring this up? My love in life is
hurricanes. I feel more peace in the eye of a hurricane than anywhere
else on this Earth. Crazy, probably, but it is me. I live to chase
hurricanes and this passion has been deep inside me ever since I was a child.
I have given a lot for this love, including walking away from other loves
in my life that was not easy. So why give up so much for something that
does not happen that often? In a weird way I think that is what gives it
appeal. It is rare and every time I am blessed to experience this
incredible feeling, I never forget it. It stays with me wherever I go,
and it becomes a part of me. It is me.
Ultimately, my goal in life is to chase a
category-5 in a place like the Florida Keys. Not just chase it, but take
the full wrath of it, hopefully getting into the eye. I am a student of
weather history as I constantly try to study hurricanes every chance I
get. I want to understand what they are capable of, what they have done,
so hopefully I am prepared. You can never be fully prepared, but I want to
be prepared enough to control my fear. It is a constant learning process
and I feel like it has not happened yet because I am still searching for
answers not only to my own fears in life, but to the fears associated with
chasing the elusive category-5.
Every time I chase, every time I forecast,
every time I teach, every time I scout the Florida Keys or interview a
hurricane survivor, read a historical book, talk to my fellow peers, I
am coming closer and closer to completing this process. Think of it like
training for the Olympics. It can take a lifetime of preparation for one
single day. And when that day comes, you get one chance. I want to
know I did everything I could to maximize that chance. I think everyone
has a fear of failure deep inside, but for myself I tackle this fear everyday
knowing I put my heart and soul into what I love. I always search to do
more, I always want to be better, I always know I’ll never achieve perfection,
but I do know I am always trying my best. That is something I can live
with.
Know this… Every time a major hurricane
is approaching the US, I will be somewhere facing my fears head on. Fears
of both life and this obsession called hurricane chasing. Do not be
fooled, a tingling sensation of fear will surge through my body, only
understood by the very few that have been there before. Millions of
thoughts will race through my head, but I refuse to let this fear become
panic. Why should I let fear defeat me? In the end if I did die, it
is my true love in life, which I know is worth dying for. So I leave you
with this advice and words of wisdom. I do not have every answer, no one
does, but I promise your fear is a good thing as long as you do not let it
become panic. Try to get a grasp of the fears you struggle with everyday to
help yourself use it in a positive manner with whatever your love
is. Again, fear is preparing your mind for the worst. The more you
understand yourself and how fear affects you, the better you will be at
controlling panic.
I will chase a category-5 hurricane
someday. I will have fear. I will understand where these fears come
from. And I will not panic!
