“The very thing we are afraid of, our brains are afraid of. And yet, that is the thing we also want the most.” – Cory Allen
It’s week number three of our six weeks of getting down to the basics of courage, are you ready to uncover the science of excitement over fear?
Last week, I found myself in New York, feeling like a small dog at a giant convention alongside the brilliant Dorie Clark.
Amidst the whirlwind of intense meetings and breakthrough discussions (where I mostly nodded and pretended to understand), I received a text from Cam DuPuy, one of our beloved Scare Your Soul ambassadors, inviting me to dinner in midtown.
Now, here’s where it gets interesting.
I’ve always been pretty intimidated by the NYC subway system. It’s like a giant, underground snake pit, but instead of snakes, it’s filled with impatient New Yorkers and mysterious puddles.
I successfully made my way to dinner, but when i stood up to leave, I realized my phone’s battery was about to die….
No maps, no easy escape route. Just me, my wits, and a city full of eight million people.
I had a choice: take a $40 cab ride back downtown (the easy route) or navigate the subway system relying solely on the kindness of strangers and my own intuition (which, let’s be honest, once told me that gas station sushi was a good idea).
I chose the path of discomfort.
As I descended the subway stairs, I made a conscious decision. Instead of letting fear take the wheel, I reframed the situation.
“How exciting is this?” I thought. “When do I ever get to navigate a big city without technology, relying only on my wits and the help of others?”
Week #3 Choose Excitement
This small linguistic shift can transform a daunting task into an exhilarating opportunity for growth. It’s like putting on rose-colored glasses, but for your emotions.
It’s not about denying the butterflies in your stomach. They’re still there, probably having a rave.
But you’re reinterpreting their meaning.
Choose Excitement in this week’s Scare Your Soul newsletter and weekly challenge, we explore how to choose excitement over fear during your next professional challenge, whether it’s a presentation, a difficult conversation or trying to figure out the office coffee machine.