What would you do if you were fearless?

On my first instrument lesson in zero visibility, I asked my instructor how he remained completely unaffected by the patterns of clouds swirling by the windows. Sometimes it visually appeared that we were flying backwards or straight down!

Jet Li in Fearless, a feature of Rogue Pictures

“Just realize that the instruments tell you everything you need to know, and ignore everything else. Your body feels like its falling, your eyes tell you we’re going backwards. Your brain knows none of that is true. Don’t pay attention to your senses. Pay attention only to your brain, your training and the instruments.”

“Right.” I said, “Fine. But how do you DO that?”

It’s not always easy, but if you ever start feeling anxious, just ask yourself, “What would I do if I were fearless?”

“You don’t actually have to BE fearless, but in the process of asking and answering that question for yourself, you are forced to remember your training and you start doing the right things before you know it.”

He was right!

And not just about flying.

I’ve found myself saying the same thing to ABCI’s coaching and consulting clients as well, when they contemplate a bold marketing campaign or a public speaking engagement when that’s not exactly inside their “comfort zone.”