Fear is a very powerful emotion; It can cause one to experience feelings of vulnerability and if you allow it, fear can virtually paralyze you. But it’s very much a double edged sword. Fear can also trigger adrenaline and instincts that can save your life in times of need.

I remember watching a documentary on Mike Tyson and hearing him say how scared he was before a fight. His quote gave me insight on how you can control this emotion and use it to your advantage: “When I come out I have supreme confidence but I’m scared to death. I’m totally afraid. I’m afraid of everything. I’m afraid of losing. I’m afraid of being humiliated. But I’m totally confident. The closer I get to the ring the more confident I get; the closer, the more confident I get. All during my training I’ve been afraid of this man. I thought this man might be capable of beating me. I’ve dreamed of him beating me. Because of that I’ve always stayed afraid of him. The closer I get to the ring I’m more confident. Once I’m in the ring I’m a God.”- Mike Tyson.

After hearing the most feared boxer in the history of the sport say he’s scared before a fight,  I came to peace with the emotion. Every time I handle a business transaction I put my money where my mouth is and I experience the same feelings. What if my competition has better training than me? What if I pursue my goals and fail in the public eye? What if I was overly eager and greed got the best of me? That’s when I turn to my family and friends to do some soul searching. I ask myself questions like: is my heart in the right place? Does this venture line up with my ethics and dreams? Can my loved ones benefit from this experience? If I can answer yes to those questions I’m as confident as Mike was in the ring.

-Nima

Quote: “A boy comes to me with a spark of interest, I feed the spark and it becomes a flame. I feed the flame and it becomes a fire. I feed the fire and it becomes a roaring blaze.”- Cus D’ Amato