My partner yelled at me, “keep your paddle up.”
As the opponent sped the ball up at me, I recoiled instinctively not wanting to get hit, and we lost the point.

I was afraid to get hit, so I took a step backwards, lost my balance and missed the shot. After some coaching, I realized, I have to expect that fast shot at anytime and I have to keep my feet still.

It turns out that the best way to counter a speedup (fast ball) is to meet it head on and hit the ball straight back at the opponent. I had to meet my fear and respond accordingly. While practicing, I even got hit in the neck twice and my lip once which stung but I realized it wasn't that bad. The fear of getting hit was worst than the actual experience. 

I had to meet my fear and respond accordingly.

When I learned to encounter that fear and meet it head on, it no longer became so scary… in fact I started to look forward to the fast ball. I learned to ground myself and react. I was redirecting the pace and speed back to my opponent.

I am talking about pickleball, but I think it can apply to other aspects of our lives. Is there something else in our life we are being challenged to meet head on, ground ourselves, and respond rather than run? How can we manage difficult emotions such as anxiety and fear and not let it dictate our lives but rather control those emotions so we can respond accordingly?

Is there something else in our life we are being challenged to meet head on?

My work

Yoojin Nam LMFT is the author of Thinking to Feel. He has been providing psychotherapy for 7 years and is licensed to practice in CA & TX.

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Disclaimer: These posts are not a replacement for therapy. The information contained within is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be therapeutic advice.