The Quest for Fearlessness

The Road to Fearlessness

One thing that didn't change in the two days between Pugh's crushing failure and stunning success was fear. After his second failed test swim, he thought, "At best, I will lose a few fingers; at worst, I will die." He desperately wanted to turn back and give up. It was not until the moment he stepped out onto the sea ice that his fear turned into aggression. How was he able to overcome his fear, depression, and doubt? 

Before we examine how he did it, it may help to look at why he would do it. He asked himself that very question over and over: "So, what pushes somebody? I'm not a lunatic; I'm not a madman. I'm a lawyer. I have a lot of experience in swimming. What pushes somebody to sail all the way to the geographic north pole, seven days of sailing, and stand there on the ice, and take the jump, when even the experts say you could very well kill yourself?"

Why would anyone purposely risk death? It seems there are three possible reasons someone may do so:

  • For a purpose beyond the individual (some cause, or to save or help others)
  • To feel alive in a way that can be experienced only when pushing oneself to the limit, perhaps close to death
  • Lack of concern for oneself, at least in that moment

Fear, as with all seven basic emotions (see Chapter 5), is designed to help us. Fear protects us from danger and helps us focus. The problem occurs when our emotions get out of control. There is so much energy in fear that it can be crippling.

Pugh was able to use the energy from fear to empower him. When he stepped out onto the ice at the north pole, a sense of confidence and intensity came over him. Something clicked when he felt the bitter cold: "I was in a totally different zone. I walked off the ship, and somehow, for the first time ever, I felt so confident that this thing was going to happen." His "self" faded to the background as he became so connected with the mission and his team that he risked his very life to accomplish his purpose.

What Pugh did was connect with something bigger than himself. The swim was his way of using his gifts to make a positive difference in the world, in something he truly cared about. Pugh found something that was so compelling--the devastation of global warming--that he was willing to give his life for it. In doing this, he found a way to truly live.

Absolute Fullness of Life

To truly live is to seek self-actualization, according to psychologist Abraham Maslow. Self-actualization, he said, is the final level of personal development. One of the key characteristics of self-actualization is to have a cause greater than yourself and to pursue growth and connection with others. There is a Greek word for this: Zoë.

Zoë is the state of being possessed of vitality, with absolute fullness of life, real and genuine, active and vigorous. It's the full potential of your inner life, the generator of beauty and passion so intense that the moments have a sacred quality to them, detached from every obstacle, doubt, and fear.

Zoë encompasses love, wisdom, and courage, the three of them intimately interconnected--you can't experience one fully without some of the other two. When you experience all three together, while pursuing your unique gifts, Zoë unfolds in sacred moments.

To pursue Zoë is to pursue love, wisdom, and courage, where love is to lead with your heart, wisdom is to expand your vision, and courage is to be fully present...