If you haven’t heard of Michelle Poler before, she is a keynote speaker, fear facer, author, branding strategist, and creative entrepreneur. She has captivated audiences across the globe, encouraging audience members to live more authentically and step outside their comfort zones.
The first time I ever heard about Michelle Poler was on Episode 120 of Rachel Hollis’ RISE podcast. Rachel interviewed Michelle about her 100 Days Without Fear project in which Michelle faced 100 fears in 100 days. Michelle’s project inspired a social movement, Hello Fears, which has empowered millions to live courageously and tap into their full potential.
In May of 2020, Michelle released her first book, Hello, Fears. This book sits alongside other well-known, personal development reads like You Are a Badass, Big Magic, and Girl, Stop Apologizing, to name a few.
Hello, Fears is full of actionable, tangible advice for stepping outside your comfort zone and overcoming your greatest fears.
Below are 14 of my favorite nuggets of wisdom from the book:
1. “Being brave is when, despite the fear, we have the courage to take action, and that is way more powerful and inspiring than being fearless.”
2. “Courage is checking your own boxes–not the ones society expects you to check–and definitely NOT when you are expected to check them.”
3. “Your authentic self is not the best parts of you; it is ALL of you.”
4. “This experience made me realize that while other people do judge, no one is judging us the way we judge ourselves. Even when we judge others, we are indirectly saying something about who we are, not about the person who we are judging.”
5. “Life will always give us choices: some will take us back into our comfort zone; others will challenge us, but help us grow. The important thing here is to identify which one is the growth choice and choose that one despite the fear of what it may bring. In fact, that’s the best way to tell them apart: growth is–most of the time–the scariest choice to make.”
6. “It was only then that I decided to flip the question around, and I humbly asked myself, ‘Michelle…what’s the BEST that can happen?'”
7. “When you believe in yourself so much, you make others believe in you as well.”
8. “Because if there is one thing we cannot bring back, it is time. Time is our most precious asset and the one we most take for granted.”
9. “Success is 100 percent personal.”
10. “We have to be okay leaving the life we are living to live the life we dream of living. Now read that again–and again–until you fully grasp what I mean.”
11. “We are allowed to detour, to rethink our paths, to question our strategies and change our minds. We have to trust that our future selves will make the best decisions for us when the moment comes while we continue doing our best in the now.”
12. “The truth is that we ALL can bloom, but blooming is entirely up to us. Only WE can water ourselves.”
13. “You deserve to live your best life.”
14. “Sometimes the things we want the most are just one act of courage away.”
Have you read Hello, Fears? Will you pick it up in the future? Still not convinced that you need to read it? You can learn more about why I recommend this book here.
About the Author
Alyssa graduated from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice. Early in her career, her interests shifted, and she works in communications and change management. She lives in Denver with her husband, and they love going on adventures together. She lives for summers in Colorado and enjoys hiking and stand up paddleboarding. She also enjoys collecting plants and stationery sets, reading self-help books, and is obsessed with the Yoga with Adriene YouTube channel. No matter where her career path leads her, writing, and sharing her experiences to help others will always be a part of her plans.
Website: https://www.wordswithalyssa.com/