I was reminded the other day about a story I had heard as a kid. It was about an apprentice and a dragon. The apprentice was told that to become a man he had to tackle the dragon at the end of the valley. He looked down the valley and the dragon was huge and terrifying. Knowing what he must do, though, he shouldered his sword and set off. He was terrified. Every time he looked up the dragon was there at the end of the valley. He cast his eyes down again and trudged onwards. As he got closer, though, he discovered that the dragon appeared to be getting smaller. When he arrived at where the dragon was resting he realized it was no more than mouse-sized. He was astonished and actually felt some pity for the tiny dragon.

I offer this story because we all have things that we’re afraid of. I have recently met several people who have hesitated or avoided starting something because of a fear they have of something that, at a distance, looks terrifying. Nearly every fear, though, looks less scary the closer you are. Quite often, your inner chimp brain fills in the blanks.

In coaching we often spend time helping clients gain a different perspective on a story. This story is all about perspective: at long range the perspective is all wrong but as you get closer everything starts to make sense.

As my sister used to say: “Do it now. You may enjoy it so much you’ll have time to do it later.”

Jace