“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
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About this quote
Fear narrows your mind and makes decisions feel automatic. The practical move is to notice that tightening, let the feeling run through your body, and then look back at what it left behind. Try one small test: name the feeling, breathe for ten seconds, and then take the next action anyway. Each time you do that, you keep more freedom to choose.
When to use it
- Before my product demo to the board, I repeat the line in my head so the panic doesn't hijack the answers.
- Sitting outside the exam hall, I breathe and picture the fear passing so I can focus on the questions.
- At the starting line of the triathlon, my legs go cold but I use the idea to let the dread move through and settle into my pace.
- Before telling my sister I'm moving, I remember the line so guilt doesn't stop the conversation from happening.