Success stories
How An Unexpected Event Taught Me About Fear
-
|
-
4 Min read
Share
I woke up to a loud ‘Thud’ on an early Tuesday morning.
It was not yet 7 am. I ran (literally) out of my bedroom to check.
My only thought was, ‘Is Mohit alright?’
I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw it was only the house maid pushing open the living room windows. The windows were slightly jammed, hence the sound.
You see, about 6 months ago, Mohit had fallen while climbing down the wooden stairs of our home.
We still haven’t figured how he lost balance. Was he dizzy? Did he slip? Was it a mini seizure?
All we heard was the loud thud.
Luckily he didn’t suffer any major damages besides a stiff shoulder for a week or so.
As I reflected, I realized how much fear I carried within my heart.
Fear about Mohit and his health.
That week as I spoke to each of my families, asked them this question.
Not surprisingly, the majority of people came up with- ‘After me, what?’
This was closely followed by health and relationships.
I reflected deeply on this and created a list for myself.
Acknowledge it
It’s alright to be fearful. It’s not a sign of weakness.
Fear is not a negative emotion.
Its purpose is to warn and protect and not to scare and prevent.
If we acknowledge what we’re experiencing, that’s half the battle won.
Fear is one of the seven universal emotions experienced by everyone around the world. Fear arises with the threat of harm, either physical,emotional, or psychological, real or imagined. While traditionally considered a “negative” emotion, fear actually serves an important role in keeping us safe as it mobilizes us to cope with potential danger.
Understand it
Fear is not the enemy, work with it.
My fear was pointing me in a direction of caution.
I realized I had to work on Mohit’s health issues. I needed to get that blood work- something I had been pushing away. Needed to talk to his neurologist and his dentist.
The fear also pointed me in a direction of self care.
What lay beneath the fear?
Just like every one else who answered- ‘After me, what?’
I had to deal with it.
When Mohit was younger (and so was I), I chose not to think about it.
But it was time to address it and think deeply about situations in my life.
Besides taking care of Mohit, I needed to take care of my health and my family’s health too.
Take necessary action
What needed to be done to ensure that Mohit becomes as independent as possible?
Was there any point in worrying. It would be better to take action…
These thoughts ran through my mind:
a)Working on the core deficits through the RDI program was most important. This would give Mohit the ability to think and problem solve independently.
b) A good exercise regime
c) Make sure finances are on track
d) Have clear communication with Tanya (my daughter) to ensure she is very clear about our decisions for Mohit’s care.
e) Schedule ‘work time’ or ‘lab time’ with Mohit on a daily basis to give himthe tools to be as independent as possible.
f) Give him the necessary communication tools.
While Mohit communicates using small sentences, I’ve been working on typing and using a communication board. Need to be persistent with it. Presuming Competence is a principle I live by.
For inspiration, I look to the Autism Doorway to Consciousness FB group.
g) Mohit is an artist. Need to ensure that he gets into the habit of making this an independent work skill.
I knew if I worked consistently on all of this, it would help Mohit in the long run.
So I decided to implement all of this instead of getting worried about it.
Let it go
Once action is taken, I’m going to encourage myself to make it a part of my daily life.
Then it will be time to let it go.
As I reflected on all of this, I realized (once again) how Mohit was my biggest teacher of life.
He made me reflect on my own life, yet again.
Acknowledge it
Understand it
Work on it- do your best
Let it go
Surely, this is a winning formula for life?
I would love to hear your thoughts too.
Feel free to drop me an email at saiconnections@gmail.com
