By Tom Pittman in TomPittman.Blog — Apr 13, 2023

Brave is what you do

Fear is what you feel. Brave is what you do. Whatever our fears, give them thought in advance, and try to figure out how you can respond when faced them, rather than react.

The great philosopher, Emma Watson, once said,

"There's nothing wrong with being afraid. It's not the absence of fear, it's overcoming it. Sometimes you've got to blast through and have faith."

Surprise!

As a surprise gift of appreciation for their boss, a group of employees arranged for him to have a ride in a fighter jet at a nearby airfield. The thing is, they did not know that the man was utterly terrified of flying. And of course, the boss had no idea about the surprise until he reached the airfield.

Not wanting to disappoint his employees, the 64-year old bravely boarded the fighter jet.

However, data from his smart watch shows that before his flight, "his heart was in full tachycardia" with a recorded heart rate ranging from 136 to 142 beats per minute.

While on the fighter jet, about 2,500 feet above the earth, going an estimated 870 miles per hour, the passenger panicked and reached for something to hold onto.

Unfortunately, that something just happened to be the ejection handle. The 64-year-old was shot out from the fighter jet.

"Fear is the mind-killer."
- Frank Herbert (in the book Dune)

To make matters worse, he had not securely attached his helmet, so it went flying off of his head when he was flung out into the air.

Fortunately, his parachute deployed, and the man tumbled to earth with only minor injuries.

(Forgive me, but I find this story to be thoroughly hilarious! 😂)

Speaking of fear, I'm guessing that the pilot had fears of his own during this incident. After all, he very unexpectedly lost his cockpit canopy — and his passenger — yet he managed to safely land the plane back on the runway.

Life throws us all unexpected curveballs, challenges, and injustices. It is therefore important to recognize when fear is trying to pilot our thought-process so that we can eject fear — instead of jettisoning our courage and good judgment.

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.”
- Nelson Mandela

Once Upon a Time...

During my senior year of high school I knew what I wanted to do for a living — I wanted to play the electric bass guitar professionally — but I doubted myself, so I didn't dare tell anyone that was my dream.

For starters, I had only been playing bass for a year.

Then there's the fact that I grew up in a small fishing community in Alaska 8.5 hours by boat from the nearest city. We 17 miles total of paved streets on our island, and no traffic lights.

So it's not like there were a lot of jobs for professional bass players in my hometown. If I was going to pursue my dream, I would have to leave everything I had ever known.

Although I was underage, I used to sneak into Frankie Haag's Kiksadi Club to check out the new bands when they came to town. (By the way, I never tried to buy alcohol; I was all about the orange juice and the music).

On one of those visits I learned that there was turmoil in the band that was playing at the club. Although it had just arrived in Sitka from Ventura, California, the members of the band called "Night Shift" did not get along with their bass player.

I saw this as my chance.

One night I snuck a tape recorder into the club and recorded all of their sets. The next day I taught myself all the songs in the first set. That afternoon I went to the apartment where the band resided and knocked on the door.

I can honestly say I was not scared; I was terrified and on the brink of full-out panic. I thought about running after I knocked.

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt

As fate would have it, the entire band was in except for the bass player. I asked if I could visit with them for a minute and they let me in.

I told them that I had heard that their bassist was thinking of leaving the band. They told me the bassist had just told them that day that he was leaving the band and going back to California.

I took a deep breath and told them that I am a bass player — and a good one too. I told them that I could take over for their bassist right away if needed.

They were visibly shocked by what I said. They did not expect a 17-year old kid to invite himself over and offer himself as their new bass player. Although they tried, they couldn't quite hide their amusement. Nevertheless, they told me very nicely that they were not interested in me as their bass player, besides their agent was sending up a replacement bassist from California.

I knew before I got there that they would probably reject me, so I had a counter answer ready for them.

"That's fine," I said, "But he or she won't be here tonight, right?

"So this is what I propose: let me play the first set with you. The first set is early in the night, and it is when you have the least number of people in the club.

"If I'm not getting it done, then just ask me to stop and I'll leave the stage. However," I said with a grin, "If I'm doing well, then on our first break, let's talk again about me being your new bass player."

They looked at each other as if they each didn't know what to say, and were hoping someone else did.

"What do you have to lose?" I asked with a smile.

"Okay," said the guitarist and band leader. "You can play the first song of the first set, and we'll see how it goes."

Even though I had made a recording of their sets already, I had them write down the songs of the first set — just in case something had changed. I wanted to make doubly sure I was ready.

“Men go to far greater lengths to avoid what they fear than to obtain what they desire.”
- Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code

I had butterflies when I took the stage that night, but I also knew I was prepared. I knew I could play those songs really well, and I was excited for the band to discover that too.

Thankfully the departing bassist was cooperative — I think because he was curious. He let me use his "rig" (amp and speaker cabinet) to play with the band.

Not only did I nail the set and become a member of the band, but I also became a novelty and a draw for the nightclub. During the gigs, the band would announce me as their new bass player from Sitka, Alaska, and that brought cheers. Then more people would come out in the following days to check out the situation.

Because I was underage, I was made to leave the club on the breaks.

The Fine Print

What no one told me was that even when you are living your dreams, life will still present you with new fears and challenges to overcome.

For example, I soon had an agent in Santa Barbara, California, and was being sent around the west to do studio work and play in night clubs.

But I had never driven in a place that had traffic lights, and multiple lanes that went the same direction before. I had never driven on a freeway. Consequently, I had to quickly learn to have an "urban mindset" and overcome my fears of living in a city in the lower 48.

And every time I showed up for a gig, I feared the unknown. Would they have a challenge there that I could not rise to? I learned that if I worried about failing, it dramatically increased the odds that I would, so I focused on what needed doing, not what I thought I could not do.

"One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn't do."
- Henry Ford

Reacting vs Responding

Fear is neither bad nor good. What is bad or good is what we do when faced with fear.

Fear is neither bad nor good. What is bad or good is what we do when faced with fear.

If your doctor gives you a prescription, and you break out in a rash from it, you are having what they call "a reaction". Reactions are bad.

However, if the medicine is helping you heal, then your body is "responding". Responding is good.

The key to facing our fears lies in responding instead of reacting.

"I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear."
- Rosa Parks

We all have our fears. Some people fear flying. Others fear public speaking. Some fear failure. Others fear the unknown. Some fear letting people down. Others fear learning they are not good enough. Some fear being wrong. Others fear being alone.

Whatever our fears, be honest with yourself and identify what you fear. Then give your fears some thought in advance, and try to figure out how you can respond when faced them, rather than react. It's better to use times of peace and clearity to reason through rational responses to your fears rather than wait for the heat of the moment to react.

As it happens, I am currently facing some of my worst fears. At the moment, it feels something that I have dedicated my entire adult life to is in peril of failing.

So I add this bit of advice: always keep Heavenly Father aware of how you feel, and include Him in your daily thought process. Be close to Him always, and not just in moments of dire need.