Fear is Data, Not a Verdict

Not gonna lie….I was afraid coming down from the summit of Everest. I was snowblind, alone, running out of oxygen, and still had to make my way back to the South Col. There was no pretending the situation wasn't serious, and fear was a natural response to what I was facing.

But fear itself wasn't the problem. I learned that years earlier as a Navy Aviation Rescue Swimmer. When you're approaching a panicked survivor in the water, you understand how quickly things can go wrong. That fear serves a purpose. It reminds you to assess the situation, control your approach, and fall back on your training rather than rush into something that could put both of you in danger.

The challenge is recognizing when fear is giving you useful information and when it's getting in the way of making a decision.

On Everest, there were plenty of legitimate reasons to be afraid. I couldn't see, my body was exhausted, and I knew how unforgiving that mountain could be. I still had to descend from the summit to the South Col, navigating exposed terrain where a mistake could have serious consequences. Those were real dangers, and I needed to respect them.

What I couldn't afford was getting overwhelmed by everything that might happen between where I stood and getting back to high camp. Thinking about the entire descent wasn't going to help me navigate the terrain immediately in front of me. I had to focus on what I could control, trust the preparation that had brought me there, and keep moving.

I prayed for the next step, not the entire route. That didn't remove the danger or make the fear disappear, but it helped me separate what needed my attention from everything else competing for it.

I've thought about that lesson a lot over the years because fear isn't something we only experience in life-threatening situations. It shows up in our marriages, with our kids, in our careers, with our health, or when we're waiting for news that could change everything. And while the circumstances are different, we can still allow fear to take over and start making decisions based on what might happen rather than what's actually happening.

There's a difference between recognizing a legitimate risk and allowing every possible outcome to influence your next move. Sometimes fear is telling us to slow down, prepare, or change direction. Other times, it's simply making a difficult situation feel even bigger than it already is.

Fear is data, not a verdict. It's worth paying attention to, but it doesn't have to make the decision for us.

So here's something I'd encourage you to think about this month.

What's weighing on you right now? Is the fear you're experiencing pointing to something you genuinely need to address, or are you getting caught up in outcomes you can't control?

And remember, you don’t need to have the entire route figured out to take the next step.

If this resonates with something you're facing, hit reply. I'd be interested to hear about it.

Brian Dickinson
Author. Speaker. Host of Calm in the Chaos Podcast
briandickinson.net