Fearless

I always thought that everything people do – they do either out of love of life, or out of fear of death.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear: but of power, and of love, and of sobriety

2 Timothy 1:7

 “Only the fearless know what I mean

When you die to the princess
and rise to the Queen”
DOITGIRL

 Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure — these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Steve Jobs

Fearless leadership isn’t about dealing with trepidation and anxiety when they come up; it’s also about seeking out new fears to overcome, because you know that doing so will make you a better leader

“Fearless leadership” , by Carey Lohrentz

 I’m living about my 5th life within 1 lifetime.

• Childhood-adolescence in Russia
• TX, USA exchange student years, university and post-university years in Moscow
• Cyprus years – international travels, Europe, India, and all the world
• My first years here in Atlanta, GA – adjustment, transition
• and now

I had my fears at every stage of that path. Leaving my parents home, going to live abroad, relocating to US, getting my first bike…. 🙂

At some points by now I feel I’ve had it all – already, and by now I don’t have fear of not having something in life. That once I faced my biggest fears – I have symbolically died but somehow yet was given another chance. And only after that  I learned to live – free. To live it up without fear of anything at all. The turning point was – my decision to go on my path to the first Ironman , Ironman Chattanooga 2014. In spite of fears. With my fears. Sharpening the ability to work with fears.

• In my reflection on IMCHOO-2014 I’ve mentioned the fears I had before I charged into this adventure
• The beach run had me facing my fears again

We make choices. We are always driven by ever yin-yang either love of life, or fear of death. Longing for comfort or strive for progress. Balancing between fears and courage.

You always have a choice. You are free to choose what to spend your energy, your time, your effort on:

• settle, not taking risks, and, as a result – making sure you do not feel anything out of ordinary – out of fear of taking risks, fear of unknown
• choosing to be bold, acting bold, choosing to navigate considering your fears, but without being guided by them, choosing to take your chances

They ask me where do I take my energy from? I rather do not spend it on choosing fear, I don’t settle.

And if you choose the second way – you will get used to it, acting relentlessly, constantly – calm regardless fears. Then choosing to keep on doing in your life what you believe in, what you love , what your passion is for – regardless your fears, will keep leading you to opening up to LIFE.

By choosing acting out of wish for progress, desire for life itself, out of your passion –  you will learn a lot about who you are. This choice will help you to connect – with this reality around you, with people having the same passions, with your work, your daily life – everything. Resiliently tacking through your fears, refusing being a victim of any situation , choosing to be in control – will help you grow and thrive. In your career, in your daily communications. It will help not only you – but will help others too: the ones who did not yet get that feeling of free flight

That being said – the difference between a rational fear and fear you can dismiss or work with is defined by you goal. By the questions of

• Why?
• What for?

My HR went Zone 5 at the bottom of that hill and I even didn’t start yet.

Z5 when I hit that button “Register” for Key West 12 miles ocean swim.

As I plunge into my next adventure, I hope I could share on this wish for the readers of my blog:

• never settle for anything out of fear , keep being present in this moment, in this life, keep getting your answers for these “Why?”s and  “What for?”s