Are You Being Ruled by Threats That Don’t Exist? One of the strangest patterns I’ve noticed after years of coaching high achievers is this: the more successful someone becomes, the more frightened they are. Not of real danger, but of things that mostly exist in their imagination. I’ve come to think of it as being afraid of ghosts. Invisible threats, invented catastrophes, worst-case scenarios that feel urgent and real, even though there’s no evidence they’re actually going to happen. What makes this especially confusing is that these are smart, capable, highly rational people. They solve complex problems for a living. They manage risk. They make good decisions. And yet, inside their own heads, they’re oddly superstitious, reactive, and constantly on edge. Their nervous systems are stuck in fight or flight, even though their lives are objectively safe. I talk about this in the video using an example from my own life. Years ago, I worked in Corrections, managing high-risk offenders where real danger was part of the job. Constant vigilance made sense there. But when I left that environment, my brain didn’t get the memo. I kept reacting to everyday life as if a crisis was about to erupt. This isn’t unique to me. High achievers are especially vulnerable to this because imagination is one of their greatest strengths. The ability to mentally simulate the future, spot patterns, and anticipate outcomes is what makes people successful in the first place. But that same ability can turn against you. In the video, I break down the difference between real fear and anxiety. I also talk about why high achievers are more likely to trust their thoughts than they should. When your mind has been involved in years of success, it’s easy to assume it must be accurate. But that’s a dangerous assumption. The real cost of this isn’t just stress. It’s relationships sacrificed, joy postponed, rest treated like a threat, and a constant sense that you can’t slow down without everything collapsing. And ironically, the very thing you’re trying to prevent often shows up anyway, because chronic stress makes you less clear, less present, and worse at judgment.

"It's just not working!" If you feel like you’ve been “into self development” for a long time but you’re frustrated with the lack of change (or how long it’s taking to improve), this is for you. I’m going to help you figure out why all that content you’ve been consuming - videos, podcasts, articles, courses, programs - is NOT translating into a new life. read more here... Or listen to this;

This reminds me when I was a child when I would shy away from things because I did not know what was on the other side. Here I was six years old in the kitchen and my dad stood in front of me and said "Go play with the kids at the playground. Make some friends you'll have fun." I immediately shot back with "But daddy I'm scared. What if the kids don't like me?" He replied, "Boy go to the playground and have fun." "Yes daddy", I replied and walked out the door. As I was walking towards the playground I felt my heart pounding and then I started thinking to myself "man what if they don't like me?" I got to the playground and all the kids were playing on the swings and there were a lot of swings. I found the first free swing, ran and jumped on it and started swinging. But then I noticed that the other kids were jumping out the swing. So I got halfway up and jumped out the swing myself. That's when the unexpected happen for me. The other kids laughed and smiled and yelled at me "do it again, that was so cool!" I spent the rest of the afternoon swinging as high as I could and jumping out of the swings. I got along with the kids and they liked me and I liked them. Every time I jumped out the swing it felt like I was flying. I learned two things that day. I learned how to fly by swinging and I learned that what was on the other side of my fear of the kids not liking me was pure bliss. But I had to walk to the playground in order to find that out. I recently started implementing Daniel's goalsetting from his book The Legendary Life. I have momentum going in my life right now. But now a new problem has emerged. I feel the fear of my dream life starting to come into focus. WTF?!? 😳 This has caught me off guard. Well........... I gotta be like the six-year-old me and walk to this playground of my dreams, get on the swings so I can jump out and learn how to fly. Maybe this time too, I'll find out that making my dreams a reality can also be pure bliss.