Responding to the call to adventure

How can you develop a fearless approach to life?

We should all aspire to navigate a hero’s journey

How can we develop a fearless approach to our lives?

Fear is like fire — it keeps us at the edge. It is necessary for self-protection. It is our friend.

However, at the same time, unnecessary fear holds us back from anything that is worthwhile. We avoid action and procrastinate all the time because we do not want to risk failure. We waste too much time worrying about the risks of failure and we miss the biggest adventures of our lives.

We need to navigate uncharted territories and find our own adventures. Joseph Campbell calls this “The Hero’s Journey” in his famous classic The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

The hero responds to a call of adventure, departs the familiar world behind, ventures into an unfamiliar world of adventure, experiences failures, hits rock bottom, goes through a series of tests and trials, sacrifices the self, proves own character, and comes back to the hometown after experiencing all the adventures and bringing back the wisdom/learning from the journey.

Perhaps we need to think of ourselves as the hero. There are constant calls to adventure in our lives, and we need to respond to them. This means we need to leave our familiar territory behind and set sail to new horizons which are full of unknowns and surprises. Growth comes from leaving comfort behind and navigating uncertainty.

Perhaps we need to approach life as an adventure game we are playing — which means we need to establish our own game and playing field.

We need to utilize the power of positive thinking and self-confidence to expand our playing field. We need to invest in ourselves and build on our best strengths to figure out our best contribution.

This is a mind-set that requires transcending above the fears and worries that paralyze us.

We need to act within five seconds whenever we make a positive decision. If we think longer, our brains will prevent and paralyze us. There will be a thousand concerns, excuses, and worries if we do not take action right away.

The key to dealing with our fears is to acknowledge and analyze them and take precautions as necessary. Which fears are justifiable? Which fears are irrelevant? How can we prepare for negative scenarios?

To move to the next level, we need to fly above our fears. We need to take risks, seize opportunities, and rise above the challenges. We will sometimes fail and learn from our mistakes. All the journeys we take will grow our confidence, skills, resilience, and mental strength.

Exercise: How can you develop a fearless approach to life?

Please look at the poster below.

How can you expand your courage muscles? How can you expand your comfort zone?

Read it and try to think of 10 actions you can take to develop a fearless approach to your life.

You might design yourself some challenges that will help you get out of your usual routines. Examples might be: Speaking with strangers at the bus stop, delivering a public speech, wearing a funky outfit, sharing a new idea with your boss, taking a spontaneous solo trip to another city, etc.

You might also take small actions, such as meditating, taking deep breaths, saying no to requests that fill your days, making a silly dance to a song you love, treating your fear as only chemicals, rewiring your brain, trying out new things, having that conversation you have been avoiding, having a cold shower, jumping into cold water, etc.

Please write down your preferred action points.

How will you implement them?

Start implementing them right now. Do not leave them until tomorrow.

Fast and immediate action is key — no matter how small the action is.

Let us finish with two quotes of wisdom:

“You have to accept whatever comes and the only important thing is that you meet it with courage and with the best that you have to give.” Eleanor Roosevelt

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” Steve Jobs

Towards a more courageous life following the desires of our heart,

Sincerely;

Fahri

Fahri Karakas is the author of the Self-making Studio. You can explore more here.