There is a really cool video called Dare-Change that has been kicking around the web for a while that brings me to tears every time I see it, because it reminds me of something from my child hood; a powerful event that made me the neighborhood hero for one summer and shaped the way I deal with fear and challenges to this day.

I’m curious how you deal with fear and challenge?

Do you step away from it- or as in my story below; run for your life- or do you take a stand and meet it head on?

Here’s my story of running for my life-

It was a beautiful summer afternoon in 1978.

I was 13 years old and I was setting out to do my paper route. Somehow I had managed to convince a bunch of the kids in my neighborhood to come with me. There were 8 of us laughing and screaming and having a grand old time.

At the beginning of my route, there was one long stretch of road that we considered to be the danger zone.

There was a scary house up a long driveway with a crazy old man living in it. He had a bunch of mean attack dogs penned up in the yard. They would bark and howl whenever I would walk by.

It was scary!! Our parents warned us to stay away from that house because there were all kinds of stories about the dogs attacking people!

As the gang of us approached the house, we quieted down our laughing and shouting and tried to sneak by unnoticed, but it didn’t work! The dogs started barking and howling, and next thing you know they were running down the long driveway after us!!

“Holy Shit!!!!”

We all looked at each other in panic and someone yelled RUN!!!!

All 8 of us took off in different directions.

I was running for my life!!

I sprinted down the road  faster than I’d ever run before.  I glanced back and saw a big German Shepard coming after me; barking and gaining fast! I was petrified! I knew that if that dog caught me I would be dead meat.

I was getting panicky; the vicious beast was right behind me! He was nipping at my heals.

Then something switched over inside of me. I was still scared but I knew that running was not the answer.

I need to take a stand!

I stopped dead in my tracks and spun around and screamed right in the dogs face- “Get away from me!!”

I remember the dog looking me right in the eye, with a surprised look on his face. I prepared to be attacked, but the dog turned tail and ran away!

WOW!!! I was still alive and not bleeding! Whoot-hoot!!

Can I tell you how powerful I felt!!

Within the next minute or so the owner of the dogs drove up and called them all home. The ordeal was over!

The rest of the kids emerged from their hiding paces one by one in awe of my bravery and power! I was the hero for the rest of that summer.

From then on I stood up to my fear and any challenges that came along. I learned take a stand and meet it head on.

This came in handy later on in life when I was a bouncer at a cool Boston nightclub, but that is a different story( ask me and I’ll tell you about it sometime).

Here’s the video-bet you can’t make it through without tearing up!

Did you get through without crying?

I’d love to hear YOUR  stories of dealing with challenge and fear in the comments below.