These days, the global population is understandably wary when it comes to deciding whether or not to travel. 'Health and safety' has arguably become every industry's foremost buzz-phrase as people seek to safeguard themselves from the COVID-19 virus while out among others in public spaces.
A pandemic is one thing-but, after six months spent in a climate ruled by trepidations, it seemed fitting to conduct a further investigation of the nature of fear itself, how we might best learn to distinguish real threats from irrational fears and what it might mean for us, as individuals, to purposely take some calculated risks.
Host of BBC's 'The Travel Show' and his own YouTube series 'Fearless and Far' Mike Corey has made it his mission to regularly challenge his fears and inspire others to do the same. He seeks out intriguing (often uncomfortable) experiences in remote places around the world to demonstrate how charging toward scary scenarios can lead to a deeper sense of self and reward you with incredible, life-changing experiences.
Corey began as a marine biologist who backpacked around the globe as a research assistant to scientists studying ocean conservation and then won several international film competitions for the imagery he captured while documenting the work. He transitioned into travel filmmaking and has visited a total of 78 countries, and he remains fascinated with lesser-known corners of the world.
We asked the avid adventure-seeker a few questions about his approach to travel and to life in general.
TravelPulse (TP): How do we determine which fears we should listen to and which we should chase?
Mike Corey (MC): Great question. Let's draw some lines. There are things that are scary, things that are dangerous, and things that are both. Public speaking is scary, but not dangerous. Driving is dangerous, but not scary. Sky diving off a cliff (BASE jumping) is both. And, of course, there are many things in between.
What I'm interested in is the first one. Things that are scary, but really can't hurt us. Things like heights and snakes also fall under this category but are a bit different. Obviously, you can fall from a cliff, or be bitten by a rattlesnake, but these are such rare occurrences. It's like being scared of a house cat because there are lions. They are different because we KNOW they are different. We have knowledge about the topic.
Often, we are scared of these things in our life because we haven't been introduced to them the right way, or simply don't understand them. It's the adult manifestation of monsters under our beds. It's the unknown.
TP: How does a lack of understanding relate to many of our fears?
MC: For myself, I was scared of being in the spotlight. I had a phobia of public speaking. Long story short, I had a bad teacher, and it stuck with me, long into my adult years. Only through [exposure] was I finally able to crack it. I kept finding myself in various uncomfortable experiences in different languages, often having to push past my fears simply because there was no other option.
This feeling would well up inside me again and again, with no horrible incident. No "proof" for my mind to confirm that everything it dreaded had come true. Through sheer exposure, I learned to be comfortable with the feeling, and that most of the time, I would fear the feeling of fear itself. That seemed ridiculous to the rational side of my brain, so I used that as bargaining chips to my emotional side.
TP: What sorts of experiences have you had in pursuit of fear, thus far?
MC: After realizing that most of my fears were ill-founded, I became more confident walking with the feeling. I began to try things that were uncharacteristic of my "normal" self. I realized the more I opened up to the world, the more the world opened itself back up to me. It became a travel style. How many ways can I (safely) push myself?
Diving into many of these "dangerous" activities, I realized that with the proper training, and three drops of common sense, you can safely scuba dive, free dive, skydive (pretty much any kind of dive), and from there it was finding interesting cultural practices and rituals; Kambo frog poison (made me violently ill), Sak Yant Magical Thai Tattoos (done with spears), and many more. Folding unique and genuine travel experiences into pushing my personal boundaries of comfort. That's how Fearless and Far started.
TP: How does conquering their fears help people to become the best version of themselves?
MC: Fear is a bully and a thief. It steals your confidence and extorts your future. If you let it boss you around, it becomes stronger. And it will control your whole life. Like a bully, you have to stand up to fear, you have to hold your ground. It's a muscle you have to train. Like willpower. The more you exercise this defiance, the more in control you are of your life and your destiny. These people who seem "fearless" are not, they have just made this decision. To feel the fear, and do it anyway. That's the big secret.
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