It’s not clear to me why, but a few short years ago I started to seriously dislike flying. Each flight was ruined by the anxiety that built up prior to it which more or less disappeared once the plane was off the ground. I became a text book case of the anxious flyer: avoidance, ruined sleeps the night (and sometimes nights) prior, distraction strategies etc.

I convinced myself I wasn’t actually afraid of flying but rather it was the confinement and more importantly, the fear of fear itself. After all, as a teenager I had taken flying lessons and done my fair share of business and personal trips to many destinations, local and overseas. I’d even flown in an Airforce Hercules with the back door down.

So, as I write this on my 26th flight this year, feeling quite relaxed, partly from a big job now complete, I feel it’s time to reflect. Grant Amos’ Flying without fear course was the start of my return journey last year. I found the programme pretty confronting – not really my style of personal development – but there were lots of tools and techniques to get through whatever your particular paranoia might be: wings falling off, suffocating etc! (I can joke now). So thanks Grant.

In the end, like all personal development it’s the stuff you do yourself that makes all the difference. Others will shine a light on what it might be but you’ll be the one that needs to do the work. And get the reward.

Stephen