If you create a positive relationship with fear, you can accomplish anything.

In a capsule, that’s the message Akshay Nanavati, the speaker, author and explorer behind the book Fearvana came to share with me today. He has been featured in Inc. Magazine, Fast Company, Entrepreneur, Forbes and many more high-profile outlets.

And get this: the Dalai Lama wrote the foreword to his book after a cold pitch that took four months of confronting fear.

Akshay is a veteran of the Iraq war who suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, survivor’s guilt and alcoholism before he learned to confront his greatest fears.

By digging deep, he figured out the fears that caused his procrastination and made them an ally.

Now he uses fear and guilt to drive his “worthy struggle” of helping others overcome their own fears by embracing them.

“If you don’t seek out a worthy struggle, struggle will find you anyway,” Akshay tells me in this episode.

And that’s a lot more scary than choosing the fear you face.

Have you ever felt like you procrastinate because you have a deep-seeded fear you can’t overcome? This episode’s for you.

Have you ever avoided doing something that could lead to a great reward because you were afraid? Akshay can tell you how to move forward with actionable advice.

Do you ever wonder what you could become if you could quit being scared of what might or might not happen? Akshay can tell you how to change your mindset and find bliss in your brutal reality.

Click play in the player above to get started.

Podcast episode highlights with Fearvana author Akshay Nanavati

• How fear and suffereing lead to personal growth.
• Choosing to live in the danger zone of a war zone.
• Dragging a 190-pound sled for 350 miles across one of the world’s largest icecaps.
• How Black Hawk Down changed his life.
• Why the common advice of “following your passion” is a big mistake.
• A structure to help you get important things done faster, forever.
• How to use music to psychologically signal “go time” at work.
• Why you spend too long at your desk, and how you should structure your day.
• How to make fear a positive ally instead of an obstacle.
• What to do when fear takes control of your life.

Books and resources mentioned in this episode:

• “Fearvana,” by Akshay Nanavati
• "The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How.” by Daniel Coyle
• “Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner,” by Dean Karnazes
• “Man’s Search for Meaning,” by Victor Frankl
• Video about Corp. Jacob Neal

How to contact Akshay Nanavati, author of Fearvana:

• Website