Everything you want is on the other side of fear

Published Oct 10, 2025 • Last updated 5 minutes ago • 4 minute read

Nadine Robinson’s reward for snorkelling in the frigid St. Lawrence at low tide from Parks Canada’s Marine Environment Discovery Centre was giggling as she and her ‘adventure partner’ Emily peeled off thick wetsuits and high-fived.

This has been the unofficial theme of my recent “choose-your-own-adventure” hosted trip through three regions of Quebec. I decided to say yes to do the things that scare me or push me; with the hope that the rewards would be greater than the nerves.

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What if everything you want in life is just waiting for you on the other side of fear? That thought has been following me … from a graduation poem that I wrote for my daughter this past June, to my car ride through Quebec yesterday, to a dinner conversation a few hours later with a new friend.

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My poem to my daughter ended with: “Trust yourself, and remember my dear, everything you want is on the other side of fear.” I was trying to explain this part of my life philosophy to my driving companion on the way to the Le Germain Charlevoix Hotel & Spa in Quebec and I kept getting choked up. It’s such a powerful thought for me, often easier said than done, but I lived it this week.

At dinner, Susan, the hotel’s general manager, was sitting across from me wearing bracelets that read “Strong AF” and “Live to the max.” I eyed them immediately and when asked, she echoed many of my thoughts on life. She added that her son’s mantra is “seek discomfort.”

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This has been the unofficial theme of my recent “choose-your-own-adventure” hosted trip through three regions of Quebec. I decided to say yes to do the things that scare me or push me; with the hope that the rewards would be greater than the nerves.

It started before the trip. I do not like driving in unfamiliar cities, but when our group needed an extra driver, I volunteered. My reward was an extra night at the perfectly unexpected and luxurious Monsieur Jean Hotel in Quebec City. I also learned that I didn’t need to be so scared, because I am capable of much more than I give myself credit for.

The itinerary included a possible hike in the Parc national de la Jacques-Cartier, and again I said yes. Just 25 minutes outside of downtown, this park is stunning. My hiking companion Patrick asked if I was good with a 16-kilometre hike, which is more than triple my usual. I laced up, saying: “Sure.” Once at the top, he asked: “How do you feel about running down?” Even though I’ve never jogged more than six kilometres, I heard myself say: “OK,” with a laugh.

The reward was epic views of glacial valleys and the rare solitude of having blazing yellow birch forests and vast vistas almost entirely to us. From there, I plunged, literally, into more fear-facing. Patrick asked how I felt about a frosty dip into the Jacques-Cartier River to end our hike and I again said yes.

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My next stop at Le Nordique Spa in Stoneham was my saving grace to warm up, and then I continued the hot-cold-relax cycle. It reminded me that to grow stronger, sometimes we must shock our systems.

The next morning, I knew that the best remedy for my aches was the hair of the dog. When I was asked if I’d do an early morning hike around Quebec City up the hundreds of stairs to the Plains of Abraham, I said: “Yes.” Expansive vistas of the city and finding the most delicious raspberry croissant on the return to the hotel were our rewards.

Then, in Tadoussac, I said yes to: kayaking for three hours on the estuary with Mer et Monde, seeing humpback and minke whales and harbour seals. Then it was another yes for Giving along the Saguenay Fjord with Ferme 5 Étoiles.

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And if those weren’t enough of an assault on muscles that I don’t normally use, I also agreed to go cani-hiking, which meant being pulled on foot by a sled dog named Sirius who decided I should lead the pack. Each experience, some literally, tugged me a little further from my comfort zone and closer to true contentment.

Sunrise hike to the dunes? “Yes.”

Snorkelling in the frigid St. Lawrence at low tide from Parks Canada’s Marine Environment Discovery Centre with Les Escoumins? “Ummmm… yes?” Emily and I slid inelegantly into the 4 C water, looking seal-like. I gasped through my snorkel as the shock of the near freezing water prickled the exposed skin on my face. Focusing on the delicate urchins, blue mussels, and anemones helped lull me into the adventure. My reward was giggling as we peeled off thick wetsuits, and eventually high-fiving my adventure partner.

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The old saying “no pain, no gain” has some truth. Because nothing changes if nothing changes. Whether it’s the burn of a cold plunge or the ache of a steep climb, discomfort often precedes transformation.

Now tucked under the duvet as I write this, hoping that my muscle pain will ease tomorrow, I curl up content and even proud of every “yes.” The world opens up to us when we step beyond what is comfortable.

To Patrick and Emily, may we continue to climb to new heights and plunge into what scares us. To Susan, may we continue to live to the max. To my kids, Audrey and Andrew, may you always remember that swinging the bat is how we hit home runs, that not swinging it gets us nowhere, and that when things aren’t obvious, everything you want is on the other side of fear.

*Nadine Robinson’s op-ed column and travel writing for Postmedia runs Saturdays. You can reach her at the.ink.writer@gmail.com or follow her on Facebook and Instagram @theinkran. *

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