How To Turn Fear Into Fuel w/Patrick Sweeney | Ep. 010

Sensei Says Podcast

🚴‍♂️ "The Fear Guru" Patrick Sweeney reveals strategies to overcome all types of fear, whether it'd be fear of failure, fear of starting a business, fear of flying or simply being afraid of asking out that person you like.

📚 RECOMMENDED READINGS

"Fear Is Fuel: The Surprising Power to Help You Find Purpose, Passion, and Performance" by Patrick Sweeney: https://amzn.to/3lFfScH

🎧 DESCRIPTION

Successful tech entrepreneur Patrick Sweeney remembers his difficult childhood: bullied and abused, Patrick grew a fearful kid. He vividly recalls a plane crash at Logan Airport (Boston, USA) that traumatized him. From that unfortunate moment on, Patrick developed fear of almost everything and tried to bury his shame through performance in sports and business.

Reaching adulthood, as none of these means worked, the motivational speaker nicknamed “The Fear Guru” admits relying heavily on alcool and voluntarily burying himself in overwork to cope with his relentless anxiety.

However, the Wall Street Journal best-selling author's reality changed drastically when he got admitted to the John Hopkins Hospital emergency department, experiencing a strange pain in his left arm. After a series of tests, the University of New Hampshire graduate was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia… and was asked by his doctor if his affairs were in order.

At that moment, Patrick promised himself that – if he were to win his battle with cancer – he’d face all of his fears, at last. And win, he fortunately did.

Honouring his promise, cancer survivor Patrick Sweeney used fear as fuel and devoted himself to fatherhood and living a courageous life. The man who became the first cyclist to bike Mt. Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, flipped a switch and pro-actively confronted his greatest fears.

Determined to help others overcoming their fears, Patrick consulted with tens of neuroscientists and CEOs, figuring out what fear really was and how to efficiently cope with it. He later shared his findings in his book “Fear Is Fuel”, so that we may learn what fear can teach us.

More importantly, The Fear Guru’s wish is that we don’t have to go through a near-death experience before changing our lives, optimize our personal growth and develop better mental health awareness.

💡 3 STRATEGIES TO OVERCOME YOUR FEARS

1️⃣ | Sensei says: Scare Yourself

Everyday Listening to the Fear Guru, I agree that we do need more fear in our comfortable lives. Physically, when we get scared, our amygdala (or “lizard brain”) triggers our Fight or Flight survival response. Ensues a cocktail of physical and emotional reactions that might be detrimental to us. Exposing ourselves to fear regularly would allow our system to become accustomed to the responses and normalize how fear affects the brain.

2️⃣ | Sensei says: Detach Yourself

Inspired by cancer survivor Patrick Sweeney’s words, I learned that it is wise to train oneself to emotionally retract from a stressful situation. To carefully observe and analyse grants us a rational perspective from which we can make a proper decision.

3️⃣ | Sensei says: Decide On Opportunity

Listening to fellow Red Sox fan Patrick Sweeney ( Pah ! Pah Paaaaah !), I get that we either make decisions based on fear or opportunity. While fear-based decisions only produce regret, shame and failure, choices triggered by opportunity bring happiness, growth and fulfilment. In other words, to turn fear into fuel.

📣 What are YOUR strategies to defeat your fears ? Please, share with me and other Seïtos ! ⬇️

Osu ! 🙏

- Sensei Pascal 🥋| https://twitter.com/senseipascal

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🎙️ WHO AM I ?

I’m Sensei Pascal, former radio personality on XM Satellite Radio, passionate martial artist, relentless entrepreneur, enthusiastic adventurer, inspired essayist (Oxford Brookes University), motivated fitness coach, aspiring comedian and insatiable student of the human experience.

Master of Kenpo Karate, WKC World Championships silver medallist and survivor of multiple extreme endurance races, I dedicate myself to the betterment of others. My humble vocation is to support and guide people on their path to self realization.

Read my full bio here: https://senseisays.link/sensei

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