When this wonderful little book by Warren Bluhm first dropped into my hands a decade ago, I thought it was important. Today, I think it’s particularly vital, Wally Conger writes in the preface to the Tenth Anniversary Edition of Refuse to be Afraid.

As Bluhm writes:

You are the boss of you. It’s your life; you have to live with the choices you make; make sure those choices are actually yours.

The first step is controlling your fear. Not ‘Don’t be scared’ - Don’t let being scared stop you altogether. Question why you’re scared: Is someone trying to scare you, and why? Is it a rational concern that merits moving forward with caution? Are you frightened beyond reason, and if so, what’s a more reasonable course of action?

But move forward. Act. Don’t be paralyzed by the fear.

What I meant to say is:

Refuse to be Afraid. Free yourself. Dream.

Tired of the fear mongers? Ready to plow through the nagging doubts and outright fears of various sizes and shapes that are keeping you from living your best life? Eager to take the leap into that new job, start that new business, or meet that person you’d really like to know better? What’s keeping you back? This is the challenge before you: Faced with a scary reality, to navigate past the anxiety, refuse to be afraid, and free yourself to move on to your dreams. This revised and expanded edition of Warren Bluhm’s groundbreaking 2010 book is more relevant to our times than ever.