What an upside-down rollercoaster ride taught me about facing fear and change

I have a confession to make: I am terrified of rollercoasters. The mere thought of going upside down, spinning, and plunging at high speeds makes my heart race and my palms sweat. I had a frightening experience many years ago when the water rollercoaster I was on broke down in a theme park in the UK, and I had to walk down from the top. Ever since then, I avoided any ride that looked too scary or risky.

On a bright day this past summer, I was standing in line with my family at Europa-Park, one of Europe’s largest theme parks. We were about to ride the blue fire Megacoaster, one of the world’s biggest and fastest rollercoasters. In only 2.5 seconds, this looping rollercoaster would go from 0 to 100 km/h! It flips over, not only once but four times! My husband and elder daughter were very thrilled seeing it and suggested going on this ride. I hesitated, as I knew it would be a huge challenge for me, and I was not sure if I would enjoy it. But I also knew that they were eager to try it. And I wanted to share this experience with them, as a family.

I decided to face my fear and join them. While we waited in line, we watched the rollercoaster zoom by with screams and cheers. We saw people of all ages and sizes getting on and off, some with exhilaration, some with relief. My husband and my elder daughter were super excited, while my younger daughter and I were nervous. I felt a mix of emotions: anxiety, excitement, curiosity, and dread. My family comforted me and encouraged me. We hugged tightly, and they told me that it would be fun, I would be fine, and we are in this altogether!

When it was finally our turn, I took another deep breath, put on my seat belt, and held tight on to the safety bar. The ride started. I closed my eyes, felt the force of the acceleration, and then launched into the air. I screamed as we went upside down and twisted and turned. I felt the wind in my hair and the adrenaline in my veins. I heard the rails, and the roar of my family and the crowd. In the middle of the ride, in a split second, I heard my elder daughter's voice, checking in on me: "Mommy, are you OK?" I managed to say yes! I opened my eyes as the spectacular speedy turns took us past a ragged Icelandic landscape, and the ride was a blur of speed, twists, turns, and loops. And then the ride was over.

My husband turned to me: “This is fun!” I answered with a big smile and shaking hands: “Not bad!” My younger daughter exclaimed: "I'm alive! That was better than I expected. " Yes, I was alive, and felt a surge of relief, joy, and pride. I realized that I was not only surviving but thriving. I accomplished something I never thought I would do. I had conquered my fear of rollercoasters and learned to enjoy the ride. ?

What I learned from riding an upside-down rollercoaster

As I reflected on this experience, I realized that the ride had taught me valuable lessons that are relevant to thriving in a career with fear and change. Here are some of them:

1) Family gave me courage.

I don't think I would have done it without my family. They supported me and cheered me on. They made me feel safe and loved. They reminded me that I was not alone, and that they would be there for me no matter what. They helped me overcome my self-doubt and pushed me to try something new. They also shared the experience with me, which made it more meaningful and memorable.

Similarly, in our careers, having a supportive community and people who care about us help us overcome challenges, cope with changes, and embrace opportunities. They inspire us, motivate us, and comfort us. They provide us with feedback, advice, and resources. They cheer us on and celebrate with us. We are not alone in our journey, and we can lean on others when we need to.

2) Trust that I'll be ok.

Even though I was scared of the ride, given many had done the rides, I trusted that the engineers who designed the ride had done their job well, and that the staff who operated the ride had checked everything carefully. I trusted that the ride was safe and that I would not get hurt. I trusted that even if something went wrong, I had people who would be there for me and help me.

In a comparable way, in our careers, letting go of worries, and trusting that we will be ok, especially with the support of our family and community, can help us cope with fear and change. We can trust that we are capable and resilient, and that we can adapt and overcome any challenges. We can also trust that there are people and systems that can help us if we need them.

3) Breath and focus on the controllable basics.

I was aware of my fear, and I noticed that when I was scared, I would tense up and hold my breath. That made me feel worse. I tried to relax my muscles by inhaling and exhaling slowly, deeply, and consciously. I focused on the sensation of the air filling my lungs and leaving my body. ?I tried to stay in the moment and catch myself when my mind wandered to the past or the future. I did not resist or fight the movement of the coaster, but rather let it take me where it wanted to and went with the flow. By doing so, I reduced my stress and anxiety, and allowed myself to enjoy the ride. ?

Similarly, focusing on the basics helps us cope with stress and change. When we feel anxious or overwhelmed, we can calm ourselves by focusing on our breathing and staying in the present moment. We can intentionally choose to avoid getting distracted by negative thoughts or emotions, and instead, focus on what we can control and what we can do: take care of our physical and mental health by eating well, sleeping well, and exercising. We can be mindful of our emotions, thoughts, and actions, and choose to respond rather than react. By not resisting or fighting fear, we thrive from embracing uncertainty and change to experience more joy in the moment. ?

4) Shift the focus from mind to body.

At first, I closed my eyes and blocked out the sensations of the ride. I was too afraid to see what was happening. But then, I opened my eyes and looked around. I saw the sky, the view, the park, and the people. I felt the wind, the sun, the gravity, and the adrenaline. I heard the sounds, the music, the laughter, and the screams. I stopped thinking about the fear and what-ifs and started feeling the sensations. I allowed myself to feel the emotions of excitement, happiness, and gratitude. I embraced the ride as an opportunity to have fun and learn something new.

In the same way, shifting our focus from our mind to our body can help us enjoy the ride in our career with fear and change. We can sometimes get too caught up in our own thoughts and miss the joy of living. However, we can choose to stop worrying about the future and the past and start living in the present. We can let ourselves fully enjoy our rides more and experience the sensations, emotions, and feelings that come with it. Let us feel our passion, our curiosity, our creativity, and our joy. Let us be surprised and amazed by what we can do and what we can achieve. Let’s open our eyes wide and see the opportunities and possibilities of the world around us. By doing so, we feel alive and appreciate more beauty and wonder in our journey.

5) Celebrate and savor to grow.

After the ride, I felt a sense of accomplishment and pride. I had done something that I had never done before, and that I had feared. I had proven to myself that I could do it. We had ice cream as we celebrated as a family. We took a photo of ourselves with the coaster in the background and bought the ride videos as precious capture of our unforgettable family adventures. I also felt more confident trying other rides, and facing other fears in my life. I realized that I could grow and learn from every experience, and that I can have fun along the way.

In a similar way, in our career, let’s acknowledge and appreciate our achievements and successes, no matter how big or small. Let’s share and celebrate with others and thank them for their support and contribution. We continue to grow and learn from experiences. We evolve to better versions of ourselves. Celebrating moments and progress helps us to savor and relive the joy of our rides, so we renew energy and motivation. With pride and confidence, we ride the coaster of fear and change and have a blast.

A few weeks later after the blue fire Megacoaster ride in Europa-Park, our family adventured to Alpamare, the biggest covered waterpark in Switzerland. It has a large variety of exhilarating water slides, with different themes, speeds, bends, funnels, sound and light effects, and inflatable tires. I still feel terrified, especially at the beginning, standing at the beginning of the slides facing a red sign "Be aware. Advanced thrill seekers only". However, this time, I was more willing to try them. And this time, it was my younger daughter who gave me more courage. She wanted to go on the rides with me, and she was fearless and adventurous. She inspired me to be more like her, and to experience more of the fun with water and rides.

And I did. I tried to focus on breathing, staying in the moment, and letting gravity and the body go with the flow. I went from closing my eyes to opening them, to enjoying the experience more and more as we did it again and again. I felt the joy of being in the water, the thrill of the speed, sensations, and the bond with my daughters and family. I also felt the joy of embracing uncertainty and change, and of learning and growing.

How to thrive on the ride of AI

We live in a time of unprecedented change and uncertainty. The world is shifting from the digital age to the AI age and becoming more complex and unpredictable. The impact of AI on our work and life is profound and pervasive. It is changing the way we think, learn, communicate, collaborate, create, and innovate. It is transforming every industry, every sector, every profession, and every role. The skills and knowledge that we need are constantly evolving. The opportunities and challenges that we encounter are enormous. The pace and scale of change are accelerating. How can we thrive in such a messy and dynamic environment? How can we master messiness and enjoy the ride of AI?

The lessons from my experience riding that upside-down blue fire Megacoaster gave me hope to answer these questions. I hope they provide you with inspiration and insights too for the mindset and skillset needed to face fear and change. Let’s be courageous, trusting, present, joyful, and celebratory. It is a time of fantastic opportunity and potential for those who are willing to adapt, learn, and grow. It is a time to discover new possibilities, to solve new problems, and to create new values. It is a time to thrive on the ride, not just survive it. And most importantly, it is a time to have fun along the way. Because life is too short to not enjoy the ride!

So, when you face fear and change, think of my twisty tale of adventure with the blue fire Megacoaster. I went from terrified to thrilled, and from fear to fun. You can too! Remember that the rollercoaster does not just go upside down once, but as it loops and loops, you can progress from closing your eyes to opening your eyes wider and wider, and you would see more beauty and wonder all around you, with people cheering you on. By mastering the messiness of fear and change, let us all enjoy the thrilling ride of our life and career!