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How to Face Your Fears and Bounce Back This professional surfer shares how he's used fear to push himself.

By Lewis Howes Edited by Dan Bova

This story originally appeared on Lewis Howes

Mark Kolbe | Getty Images

Not everyone would choose this path. But when Mark Mathews was a kid, he was terrified of the ocean. However, professional surfing was the lifestyle and career that was calling to him.

So he faced his fear, dove in and became one of the best big wave surfers in the world. And he didn't stop there. As an introvert, he was also extremely scared of public speaking.

But as his surfing career took off, he realized he could create a second career on stage, speaking about facing fear.

So he once again faced one of his greatest fears and learned the skill of public speaking.

Today Mark is not only a sought-after surfer and speaker, he is one of the most grateful men I've met.

Especially considering how many injuries he's sustained (including an intense leg injury he's still recovering from).

As we talked about what pain and fear have taught us, Mark explained in simple terms how valuable it is to face our fears, push ourselves through them and practice that over and over again. It's how we become comfortable being uncomfortable.

That's just one inspiring lesson you'll hear in Episode 515.

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Lewis Howes

New York Times Bestselling Author, Entrepreneur, Coach

Lewis Howes is a New York Times bestselling author of The School of Greatness and The Mask of Masculinity. He is a lifestyle entrepreneur, high performance business coach and keynote speaker. A former professional football player and two-sport All-American, he is a current USA Men’s National Handball Team athlete. He hosts a top 100 iTunes ranked Apple podcast, The School of Greatness. Howes was recognized by the White House and President Obama as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country under 30. Details magazine called him one of “5 Internet Guru’s that can Make You Rich.”  Howes has been featured on Ellen, Good Morning America, The Today Show, The New York Times, People, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Men’s Health and other major media outlets.

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