I recently watched the documentary Free Solo about a climber named Alex Honnold who free soloed El Capitan in Yosemite.
That means no rope, no gear, just him and 3200 ft of sheer granite.
What I found astonishing about it (aside from everything) is that they did brain scans and found that his amygdala (the part of the brain responsible for fight, flight or freeze) did not respond to stimulus that would normally trigger amygdala responses in other people.
It’s not that his amygdala malfunctioned. It’s that he was able to tamp down his amygdala response through conscious effort and gradual, repeated exposure to what he feared.
In other words, he managed his mind by expanding the limits of his comfort zone.
What might controlling your fear allow you to do?
Make that phone call. Ask for the gift. Climb El Capitan without a rope.
When we ask what we might do if we did not fear, the possibilities are endless.
