'if we surrender to our fears …

There are so many times in our lives when we find ourselves stuck in the middle with no way out. If we decide to live and follow our intuition, we get so wrapped up in what “could” happen and get afraid thinking about all the fears associated with taking risks. On some subconscious level, we think that by facing our fear, we will die. In our fear-based thoughts, risk equals death. However, if we face the fear with strong mind and heart, we can easily overcome it and live a fearless life. The lesson, "Deep Water" effectively highlights this fact through the character of Douglas. Douglas had developed an aversion to water as a child. His aversion grew stronger when he was thrown into a pool at the age of 11 or 12 by a bully. His fear haunted him till later in his life and deprived him of joy. But he couldn't stand living a fearful life. So he summoned courage, hired an instructor and mastered the art of swimming. He himself overcame the residual thoughts about his fear by swimming across Lake Wentworth. He had experienced both the sensation of dying and the terror that fear of it can produce, but his strong determination and willpower helped him overcome his fear and live a fearless life later on. He realised that all he had to fear was the fear itself, not death. Hence, if we surrender to our fears, they overpower us; if we face them, they fade away.