Rollercoasters, Subways, and Sweaty Palms: The Thin Line Between Terror and Thrill
Transform Your Challenges into Exhilarating Opportunities (Or How I Learned to Love the Subway) - Week #3
"The very thing we are afraid of, our brains are afraid of. And yet, that is the thing we also want the most." - Cory Allen
Dear Courageous Souls (and Reluctant Subway Riders),
Have you ever noticed how a rollercoaster can elicit screams of terror and shouts of joy from the same person?
It's like our emotions are playing a chaotic game of ping-pong in our brains.
This week - week #3 in our "Basics of Courage for Dummies (Like Me)" series - we're exploring how to harness excitement to our advantage, especially in our professional lives.
(If you haven’t already, check out weeks one & two!)
A New York Adventure in Courage (Or, How I Almost Became a Permanent Subway Dweller)
Last week, I found myself in the bustling heart of New York City, rubbing elbows with the incredible Dorie Clark (three-time Top 50 business thinker by Thinkers50 and #1 Communication Coach globally).
I felt like a chihuahua at a Great Dane convention, but hey, fake it 'til you make it, right?
Amidst the whirlwind of intense meetings and breakthrough discussions (where I mostly nodded and pretended to understand), I received a text from Cam DuPuy, one of our beloved Scare Your Soul ambassadors, inviting me to dinner in midtown.
Cam had seen Il Corso’s insanely delicious lamb ragu on Instagram, and invited me along.
Now, here's where it gets interesting.
I've always been pretty intimidated by the NYC subway system. It's like a giant, underground snake pit, but instead of snakes, it's filled with impatient New Yorkers and mysterious puddles.
But armed with Google Maps on my phone (my digital security blanket), I decided to brave the underground and made my way from the FiDi to Il Corso on 55th street.
The evening was filled with heartwarming conversations about life and courage with Cam - including updates on his vacation with his wonderful girlfriend, Chrissy.
I felt like a spiritual giant … no! a courage guru … no! a ... person whose phone was about to die.
Yep. When I stood up to leave, I realized my phone's battery had shuffled off this mortal coil.
Kaput. Finito.
No maps, no easy escape route. Just me, my wits, and a city full of eight million people.
I had a choice: take a $40 cab ride back downtown (the easy route) or navigate the subway system relying solely on the kindness of strangers and my own intuition (which, let's be honest, once told me that gas station sushi was a good idea).
I chose the path of discomfort.
As I descended the subway stairs, I made a conscious decision. Instead of letting fear take the wheel, I reframed the situation.
"How exciting is this?" I thought. "When do I ever get to navigate a big city without technology, relying only on my wits and the help of others?"
Two train rides and one transfer at Times Square later, I emerged victorious in the Financial District.
The rush of joy I felt was overwhelming.
I know this sounds like a tiny win.
It wasn't.
Yes, two subway rides produced pure, unadulterated joy - all because I chose the challenging option, reframed fear as excitement, and succeeded on my own terms.
Take that, Google Maps!
The Science of Excitement Over Fear
This experience aligns perfectly with fascinating research by Harvard Business School professor @Alison Wood Brooks.
She discovered that fear and excitement are physiologically similar, especially in professional settings. Both make our hearts race before a big presentation or an important meeting.
It's like our body can't decide if we're about to give a TED Talk or get eaten by a bear.
Brooks found that by consciously shifting our self-talk from "I'm nervous" to "I'm excited," we can dramatically alter our performance.
This small linguistic shift can transform a daunting task into an exhilarating opportunity for growth. It's like putting on rose-colored glasses, but for your emotions.
It's not about denying the butterflies in your stomach. They're still there, probably having a rave.
But you're reinterpreting their meaning.
This Week's Scare Your Soul Challenge: Choose Excitement
Before your next professional challenge - whether it's a presentation, a difficult conversation, or trying to figure out the office coffee machine - try this:
Notice the physical sensations in your body. Racing heart? Sweaty palms? Sudden urge to fake your own death?
Take a deep breath. (No, deeper than that. Really get in there.)
Say out loud: "I'm excited!" (If people stare, just wink. They'll leave you alone.)
Remind yourself why this opportunity is exciting. What could you learn? How could this help you grow? How many times can you use the word "synergy" before someone throws a stapler at you?
Did you conquer your fears or at least manage to not hide under your desk?
A Final Thought
Remember, courage isn't about the absence of fear. It's about how we choose to dance with it.
As
wisely notes, "The way we look at the world is how it appears. If we're in love, we see love everywhere."
So let's choose to see excitement in our challenges. Let's choose growth over comfort.
Let's choose courage.
Or at least, let's choose to not cry in the bathroom before big meetings.
With courage, excitement, and a healthy dose of self-deprecation,
P.S. Have you taken our global workplace courage survey? It only takes 3 minutes, and I would love to hear your thoughts on what makes for a brave workplace! Thank you!
And just for fun …
Some pics from my week in New York! (Don't worry, I've carefully curated these to hide all evidence of my subway-induced panic attacks and my failed attempts at looking like a suave New Yorker.)
