Tuesday, May 13, 2025
I heard Steve Harvey say that once you fly first class, you can’t go back. He called it “exposure.” I quit a secure, well-paying, cushy, full-time job, then I quit a part-time job that was equally as nice. I have tasted freedom. I’ve been exposed. I can’t go back to “work.”
I have tasted the euphoria of the seeming counterintuitive way “most people” think. Each step towards fear leads you further away from the crowd. Risk aversion is the old way. Life rewards action, despite anything that seems dire, destitute, and “stupid.” A naive way to live by most standards, but the thrill of a lifetime for those who have seen what’s in the dark. Nothing!
Will Smith says, “Everything you long for is on the other side of fear.” The dividing line between anxiety and thrill is a hair’s width. The butterflies in your stomach from fear are the same butterflies that come from thrill. It’s just that the butterflies from thrill take you on a migration. The butterflies from fear freeze you in your tracks.
While most people run from what they fear, exposure is about peeking through the gaps in your fingers that cover your eyes at a horror movie. You’re strangely drawn. Afraid of being alone? Be alone and see. Afraid of having nothing to do? Do nothing and see. Afraid of having no money? Give away and spend what you have and see. Afraid of dying? Some imaginary time at your own funeral, and you will see.
Facing your so-called demons is what makes them go away. Running from them is what makes you go away. But if you stick around long enough and don’t panic, have a look. Even your worst nightmare is just an illusion, and you’re simply afraid of an emotion. Emotions are harmless. Expose yourself to them, watch them dissolve with a deep breath, and see the light before you.