The 90-Second Rule: How High-Achievers Process Emotions to Unlock Fearless Action

Good Morning, Goal-Getter!

When fear is holding you back, what are you really afraid of?

Your brain will tell you it’s a logical threat to your safety or success. But if you dig deeper, the truth is you are not afraid of the event itself. You are afraid of the feeling the event will produce.

Embarrassment. Humiliation. Rejection. Failure.

We spend our lives running from these feelings, believing they are dangerous. But a feeling is simply a physiological response to a thought—a vibration in your body. It’s data, not a directive.

When you resist, reject, or numb your feelings, they get stuck. They persist and intensify. But when you allow them to be processed, they move through you with surprising speed.

This is a core skill of emotional intelligence for leaders. Here is a simple, powerful protocol to practice it, using the acronym NOW:

• N - Notice & Name. Identify the emotion without judgment. "This is disappointment." "This is fear."
• O - Open & Observe. Instead of resisting, open up to it. Where do you feel it in your body? Describe the physical sensation with curiosity. Is it a tightness in your chest? A heat in your face?
• W - Witness & Watch. Simply witness the sensation as it moves, changes, or intensifies, knowing it is temporary. Keep your focus on it until you feel a sense of relief.

This entire process often takes less than 90 seconds.

When you know, with absolute certainty, that you can handle any feeling that comes your way, the fear of the circumstance loses its power. If you can feel any feeling, what is there left to truly fear?

This is how you unlock your next level of courage and achieve what once felt impossible.

To your power and your peace,

Stacie