Everyone who is everyone who knows me knows how much I love being in control of things. I have, however, done a few things in my life that have taken me out of the control freak mode I constantly live in and putting someone else in at the steering wheel. One of these such experiences was a few years back when I went for a ride as a passenger in a V8 Super car for a couple of laps around the racetrack. At first I was so frightened, anxious and nervous, as I hardly ever let anyone else take control of anything in my life. I had the below thoughts running through my head on repeat:

• • What have I done paying for this?
  • I don’t know if I can go through with this
  • What if it crashes?
  • What if things go wrong as I am not the one who is in control of the vehicle? Will I survive?
  • I am not sure if I can do this
  • What will people think of me sitting in the passenger seat instead of driving the car?
  • Will this be the end of me?
  • What if I just run away now and not do it

As I waited patiently for my turn to come around, my heart was racing so fast and I was feeling a little dizzy and very anxious, with my stomach churning slightly.

I got up off the bench spoke to my friend that was there and who had his turn before me.

I had a glass of water and had a look around and saw another V8 race car come in and the people that were in it were so happy and excited that they had done it, so I pulled myself together. Got my thoughts in gear. I started to think after seeing their faces in the below thoughts, which psyched me up for the ride.

• • If they can do it, I can do it
  • The odds of a crash and the car being out of control are slim to none
  • Just let go of being in control and enjoy the ride
  • The drivers are trained professionals
  • How hard could it be?
  • I like challenges and I am all in
  • Forget the fear and go with it
  • I had a fear of heights, and I did skydiving to get past that fear
  • I also did the virtual plank over the sky deck, which was so frightening
  • How hard could it really be to let someone else take control and to just trust that they know what they are doing?
  • I am really doing this yay

The car and the driver came around the corner, and they told me I was up next. I felt anxious and excited all at the same time.

As they strapped me in the car and told me to hold on tight I remember feeling as though I was in control as I was taking back the power by not giving in to my fear and the limiting beliefs and stories I previously had playing in my head.

The door to the car closed and at first we went slow and that was ok then we started picking up speed. I felt a little dizzy, but I kept the thoughts of I can do this, this will be fun on replay in my head. On the first lap around the racetrack, I didn’t feel anything negative. As we started to go on to the second lap and the speed picked up even more and it knew what the driver was like when going around the track from the first lap I took a leap of faith and just trusted him I even started to enjoy it.

My thoughts towards the end of the laps were of joy and excitement and relief as this was only the 2nd time in my life apart from the skydiving that I wasn’t in control and I liked not being in control.

It was one of the few moments in my life where I didn’t want to and didn’t need to be in control, and I really enjoyed it.

I guess what I am getting at here is for you to truly enjoy life. You have to sometimes be out of control and let someone else take control. Sometimes you experience more pleasure being in the passenger seat than in the driver’s seat and you have to experience life from all angles. If you don’t, then you will never know how to truly let go and just experience life for what it truly is. In life, you will have the ups and downs (peaks & valleys and a roller coaster ride) and how you handle them is what truly matters. If you are always in control, then you are missing out on experiencing the joys of sitting back and enjoying life on the other end of the spectrum for what life really is. Why not just sit back in the passenger seat every once in a while and let someone else do the drive? That way you can experience life to the fullest. Life, to me, truly is amazing and an exciting experience. Why not live it!. ©

Copyright © 2022 Lynette Diehm.

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