Ever heard the saying "Put your money where your mouth is?"  I was thinking about that in regard to fear of flying while joyfully reading Martha Beck's book The Joy Diet: 10 Daily Practices for a Happier Life.

I love Martha Beck--her columns are the first thing I read in O Magazine.  So this book is a big, long drink of the Beck wisdom and wit I've come to expect from her columns. 

According to Martha, "The Joy Diet is a list of ten behaviors you can add to your way of living and thinking to enhance every day's journey through the unpredictable terrace of your existence...The Joy Diet is simply what you can do to feel better, especially when you don't know what to do to feel better." 

I found the chapter on Risk, Menu Item #5, particularly interesting in light of my experience with fearful flyers.  Martha says, "Experience has taught me that the way to a joyful life is always fraught with fear, that to find it you must follow your heart's desires right through the inevitable terrors that arise to hold you back.  If you don't do this, your life will be shaped by fear...." 

The chapter has a lot of great ideas about risk taking in order to achieve the chapter's goal of "Each day, do at least one frightening thing that contributes to the fulfillment of your desires." 

So what did Martha say in this chapter that reminded me of the fearful flyers I work with?  It was her description of some of her life-coaching clients.  She used to coach unemployed clients for free until she realized that these clients weren't really benefitting from her free advice compared to the paying clients who wanted to make good on their investment.

I can't tell you how many people tell me that want to get over their fear of flying, but when it comes right down to it, they're reluctant to spend the money to do so.  I guess it's not really their heart's desire, as Martha calls it. Currently we offer three options for overcoming fear of flying, each with different price points:  the Fearless FlightKit, a download of a webinar class, or individual coaching with Captain Ron.  When people call me or email me to tell me how much they want to get over their fear of flying, I can't always tell how much they want to get over it by what they say.  It's by their action steps that I know, and many disappear when it comes to investing their time and money in the process.  

So when I read Martha's observation about her clients, I had an ah-ha realization about fearful flyers. "I'd better start telling fearful flyers to "Put Your Money Where Your Fear of Flying Is," I thought. 

Do you want to get over it or not?  Do you want to take that risk to overcome your fear of flying?  Then do something about it!  Often  it means you have to spend some money--and for sure your time--to overcome fear of flying. 

Your reward for spending your valuable time and money?  You will achieve the joy and fulfilling life that Martha Beck tells us we're all capable of feasting on.  Your life will no longer be shaped by your fear.