This statement by Walter White (Breaking Bad) is a good reminder that our fears are nearly always far worse than anticipated the reality. Fear stops so many from pursuing their dreams and designing the life they want and deserve. Those who succeed are rarely fearless, as many a Special Forces operator will acknowledge. They simply feel the fear and do it anyway.
Being confronted with our mortality is one way of putting our irrational fears in context. As Steve Jobs noted, imminent death is a useful tool for making important decisions and focusing on what’s really important. Better than waiting for that moment, is making the decision to avail yourself of the many tools science has befitted us for conquering fears and living every day as if it were your last. Irrational fears are no longer inevitable and unavoidable but more often a consequence of a choice not to deal with them.