Speaking Notes
I am a barefoot runner.
What that means is that I wear minimal sandals when running on trails.
I’m going fast enough that a misstep hurts plenty.
But on streets and roads, I run barefoot.
It’s been a good decision for me.
Last week a lady was walking her dog as I ran by.
She asked how I could run barefoot with all the broken glass on the sidewalk.
I told her that I just avoid all the big pieces.
But the reality is that there is hardly any broken glass on the sidewalk.
She saw my bare feet and thought of broken glass and her mind created the idea that it was everywhere.
This is how our brains work!
None of us are good at judging the amount of danger in the world.
Part of your brain is wired to make you afraid.
Amygdala – Lizard Brain – in charge of the 4 Fs: Feeding, Fighting, Fleeing, and Reproduction.
No rational thought. Only survival. “What is out there that will kill me?”
Anything outside of “normal” is a threat!
Even bad habits.
Most of us look at skydiving and bungee jumping as dangerous. Wouldn’t think of it!
Stats: Just as likely to die at a dance party as you are skydiving.
50x more likly to die in a canoe as bungee jumping.
35x more likely to die in a car than riding a bicycle.
But most of us will still feel safer driving a car than skydiving.
If you’re happy with your life the way it is, then you don’t need to think about any of this.
As long as you stay in your comfort zone, you’ll be fine.
But if you want to have more than an average life, then you need to know how to deal with your lizard brain.
When I was a kid I was terrified of snakes.
But I wanted to be like Daniel Boone & Davy Crocket.
So I dreamed of being a mountain man. I read books and watched movies.
But I was afraid to go into the woods.
I imagined there were snakes everywhere.
I was not different from the woman who imagined sidewalks full of broken glass.
Now I spend hours in the woods running trails.
When a bicycle comes, I have to step into the woods to get out of the way.
And I don’t have time to look where I’m stepping.
But I know the chance of stepping on a snake is low.
I also know that I’ve run by snakes and never seen them.
What changed?
I’ve learned some ways to manage my emotions . . . including fear.
I had a similar experience when I began running through the rocks and roots in minimal sandals.
I felt like I was going to tear up my feet because only the bottom was protected.
Not perfect. But most of my fear was my imagination.
So how do you get your Lizard Brain to be quiet long enough for you to do the things you want to do?
I’ve learned several mindset tools you can use to manage the emotion of fear.
But the first one I learned and the simplest technique to use: Do it afraid!
The only thing I was more afraid of than snakes was heights.
A friend promised he could cure my fear of heights.
We went to Echo Cliff and he explaned the basics of rappeling.
I backed up to a 50’ cliff and let my heels hang off the edge.
My heart was hammering and I was hyperventilating.
But I leaned back and felt the rope stretch and then hold.
I went down the cliff and survived. Then I did it 10 more times until I wasn’t afraid any more.
Disclaimer: Do it scared doesn’t mean “be stupid.”
Most dangerous words: “Hold my beer & watch this.”
But there’s a good chance your Lizard Brain is keeping you from something you’d really like to be doing.
Here’s the takeaway for this Monday Morning Mindset: Feeling fear is natural. Your brain uses fear to try to keep you from dying. But your brain isn’t a good judge of risk (skydive vs dance party).
Yes, there is a little glass on the sidewalk. But if you decide to join me and run barefoot, you’ll find there isn’t as much as you imagined.
What I do as a mindset coach is to show you how to manage your energy, your thoughts, and your emotions.
That’s what you need for success in ultramarathon.
You need that when you’re a business owner.
You need that for LIFE!
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