How an Open-Water Swim Helped an Entrepreneur Conquer her Fears She now makes fear-conquering a habit.
By Ann Tuennerman •
This story appears in the June 2017 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
As I stood at the banks of the lake, I stuck my hand into the dark water. I could barely see my fingers a few inches down. Soon, I'd be jumping into this water, along with hundreds of other people -- the first step of my first sprint triathlon, where I'd face my fear of swimming in open water. Holy crap, I thought. What have I gotten myself into?
Related: Don't Fear the Fear -- Let It Drive You
I tried to calm myself by remembering the answer to that question. This wasn't some one-off adventure. It was part of a continuing process that started in 2000 when I quit my corporate job and became an entrepreneur. The book Feel the Fear… and Do It Anyway, by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D., helped me find my bearings and inspired a new personal philosophy: Rather than be forced to take on my fears, I should make fear-conquering a habit.
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