24 Years ago in the Special Forces skydiving course, I was anxious. But I needed to succeed to be operationally deployed, my dream.
Jump or get benched.
But my body betrayed me every time:
• Stomach in knots
• Cold sweat on my forehead
• Kerosene smell turning me nauseous
There I was.
Trying to keep a straight face for my team mates.
Not showing my fear. Trying hard.
But my performance told the real story:
• Slight hesitation at the door
• Stiff exits
• Forced movements in the air
This could mess up my Special Ops carreer.
The solution?
Face the fear. Head on.
I made a decision:
Turn fear into familiar.
That summer vacation I went to a civilian jump site in Spain:
Every. Single. Day:
• First jumper up at dawn
• Last one down at dusk
• 80 freefall jumps
• Zero excuses
The result?
Next Special Forces para training:
No nerves
Jumping with backpack and weapon? Easy!
Jumping with gear at night onto a DZ marked by IR strobe lights? Fun!
Here’s what jumping out of perfectly good airplanes taught me, and will benefit any business owner, founder or leader:
Fear isn’t your enemy.
It’s your compass.
Pointing directly at your next level of growth.
The thing you need to do.
One rep at a time.
TL;DR
– Fear something? Do it anyway.
– Put in the reps.
When did you last overcome your fear?
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