It is a summer afternoon, and the sun hangs high in the cloudless sky, casting its golden rays over the glistening expanse of the sea. Lyla and Maddison, twin sisters and friends of mine decided to come out here for some cliff diving and asked me to come with them because they wanted me to overcome my fear, I said yes.

I stood hesitantly near the edge of this cliff, my heart pounding against my chest as if it were trying to break free. The crashing waves below roared with an intimidating force, adding to the mounting anxiety building up inside me. The briny scent mixed with fresh breeze wafts over me. The sea stretching out as far as the eye could see seemed like an endless abyss of unknown depths and hidden terrors.

I have always been afraid of water, it has been a suffocating presence, challenging me at every step in life. At this moment, making that terrifying leap could either liberate or consume me. The salty breeze playfully tugged at my loose strands of hair, mirroring the turmoil I feel inside and the rhythmic crashing of the waves drowns out all thoughts in my head. I clench the towel wrapped around my body finding solace in the texture. My mind starts conjuring images of chilling tales of creatures that lurk below the surface.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and remind myself that fear cannot dictate my every move and I will not live my life in fear. The prospect of overcoming my fear of water stirs a flicker of determination in me. I open my eyes and with renewed resolve, I step closer to the edge of the cliff.

My heart races and each heartbeat resonates in my ears. The cool mist hitting my face, I take another step toward the edge of the cliff. Adrenaline courses through my veins and it was at this moment that I realize this is the point of no return, where I can either let my fear consume my life or overcome it.

I remove the towel that’s wrapped around my body, take a leap of faith and dive into the water. When I come up for air, I hear clapping and turn around to see the twins looking at me with wide grins on their faces and squealing.

Lyla: That was awesome! You overcame your fear, so proud of you.

Maddison: You did it!! You’re so brave for doing that. I’m so glad we were here to witness it.

Me: Thank you both for encouraging me to do this.

The fear that gripped me before, has been replaced with awe and wonder. I am grateful for the strength to overcome this fear.