Unlocking Your Best Self: How Facing Fears and Embracing F-U-N Can Transform Your Life

Are you ready to fuel your unstoppable nerve?

Join me, Dai Manuel, as we shatter the limits of what you think is possible by embracing the power of F-U-N—Fueling Unstoppable Nerve. 

Today, we'll explore the science-backed reasons why challenging activities can transform your life, making you more resilient and boosting your well-being. Hear about my journey with rock climbing, and why facing my fears, head-on was the best decision I ever made.

Discover how engaging in activities that push your boundaries releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, building new neural pathways and reinforcing positive behaviors. 

We also explore Dr. Carol Dweck's groundbreaking research on the growth mindset and how adopting this mentality can help you conquer life’s bigger challenges. 

Whether learning a new skill, taking up an adrenaline-pumping sport, or tackling a daunting project, find out how to inject more F-U-N into your life and make every day an adventure.

For more information and strategies on Fueling Unstoppable Nerve, check out these valuable resources:

• Dai Manuel's Blog: Explore articles on personal development, fitness, and lifestyle optimization
• One-on-One Coaching with Dai Manuel: Get personalized guidance on building courage and confidence
• Dai Manuel's Instagram: Follow for daily inspiration and tips on living your best life

TEXT ME here - Have a question? Comment? Feedback? I’d love to hear from you.

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A Message from Dai, host of the 2% Solution Podcast:

Hey there, you fantastic listener! 👋

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Keep being the amazing, 2%-improving rockstars that you are.

🌟 Stay fabulous, stay tuned, and stay 2%! 🚀

Love, laughs, and much gratitude,

Dai M.

P.S. I'm primarily active on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Feel free to connect and start a conversation. If you're searching for inspiring, motivational, educational, and healthy living content, check out my over 1500 articles at DaiManuel.com - I enjoy writing, okay? lol

Episode Transcript

Dai Manuel (00:08):
Hey, hey, hey, my 2% Collective Warriors, welcome
back to another episode of the2% Solution.
I am your host, diamond.
Well, and today, well, we'regoing to talk about something
that I believe is crucial forliving your best life.
It's all about creating moreopportunities for fun.
Capital, f-u-n.
That's right, fun, but we'renot just talking about any old

(00:30):
fun.
I'm talking about an acronymfor the word fun Fueling
Unstoppable Nerve.
This is the kind of fun thatpowers up your courage, boosts
your confidence and gives youthe grit to take on any
challenge that life throws yourway.
So grab your favorite bed beam,get comfy and let's dive into

(00:52):
how to bring more of thispowerful fun into your life.
Let's kick things off byanswering a simple but powerful
question what are you doing tocreate more opportunities for
F-U-N in your life?
And I mean by fun fuelingunstoppable nerve.
It's about more than justhaving a good time.

(01:14):
Think about engaging inactivities that push your
boundaries, challenge your fears, ultimately build your
confidence.
According to a study publishedby the Journal of Positive
Psychology, people who regularlyengage in enjoyable,
challenging activities reporthigher life satisfaction and
overall well-being.
Now here's the kicker theseactivities don't just make you

(01:34):
happier, they also make you moreresilient and better equipped
to handle stress.
It's like your own personaltraining ground for life's
bigger challenges.
It's like your own personaltraining ground for life's
bigger challenges.
Instead of not carving out timefor F-U-N, you might be missing
out on an ingredient for afulfilling life.
I'm going to share a littlestory with you.
A few years back, I decided totake up a new hobby and this is

(01:57):
going back a long time ago, like20 some odd years Rock climbing
.
Now, I'm not going to lie, Iwas pretty scared at first.
I'm not someone that you knowsigns up and runs out into the
middle of nowhere and says, hey,I want to climb a mountain, and
less and more heights, please,I mean, come on, who wouldn't be
?
There's always a fear offalling right.
I mean, you're literallyhanging by your fingertips,

(02:19):
sometimes hundreds of feet abovethe ground.
But here's the thing Every timeI reached the top of a climb,
that sense of accomplishment waslike nothing I had ever felt.
It was fun in the truest sense,fueling unstoppable nerve.
It wasn't just about the climbitself, but about what it
represented.
I was facing my fears, I waspushing my limits way, way

(02:44):
outside my comfort zone, but Iwas also proving to myself that
I could do things that Ibelieved weren't possible before
.
Now, that's the kind of fun Iwant to encourage you to seek
out.
It doesn't have to be rockclimbing, of course.
It could be anything thatchallenges you and gets your
adrenaline pumping.
Maybe learning a new skill,taking up a new sport like rock

(03:05):
climbing, or maybe break dancingright, I mean, did you see that
in the Olympics?
Oh, my goodness, and shout outto the Wicked from Vancouver who
brought home the gold.
It was frigging awesome.
If you haven't seen the replaysof the YouTube videos, go check
out the breaking competitionfrom the Olympics.
Holy smokes, it was awesome.
Anyways, I totally digress, butit can be something like that,

(03:25):
right, learning a new skill,taking up a new sport, or even
tackling a big project at work.
The key is to find somethingthat pushes you out of your
comfort zone and into the growth.
Now, what about the sciencebehind why this kind of fun is
so powerful?
When you engage in activitiesthat are both enjoyable and

(03:47):
challenging, your brain releasesa cocktail of feel-good
chemicals.
Some of these include dopamine,endorphins, serotonin.
These chemicals not only makeyou feel great in the moment,
but they also help reinforcepositive behaviors and build new
neural pathways.
Thank you neuroscientists andall the great work that they're

(04:08):
doing.
I've been proven.
A study from Harvard MedicalSchool found that people who
regularly engage in challengingactivities are more likely to
develop what's known as a growthmindset.
Not familiar with that Pastepisode, I talked about it quite
in detail.
Some of the research by DrCarol Dweck.
She wrote a book called MindsetGrowth Mindset and if you

(04:31):
haven't seen her TED Talk, gocheck it out.
Really great resource.
But this is the belief thatyour abilities and intelligence
can be developed with effort,learning and a whole lot of
persistence, aka elbow grease.
In other words, the more youpush yourself, the more your
brain adapts and grows, andthat's a powerful tool for

(04:52):
building confidence andresilience.
But if it's cool, it forbuilding confidence and
resilience.
But it's cool, it doesn't juststop there.
Engaging in FUN activities canalso reduce stress, improve
mental clarity and boost yourimmune system.
According to research publishedin the American Journal of
Lifestyle Medicine, people whomake time for enjoyable,
challenging activities are lesslikely to suffer from chronic

(05:13):
stress and more likely tomaintain a positive outlook on
life.
I mean, it's kind of likegiving your mind and body a
much-needed tour.
Now how can you start bringingmore FUN into your life?
Here's a few practical tips.
Number one identify your comfortzone.
Take a moment to reflect onwhat activities make you feel

(05:34):
comfortable.
Now think about how you canpush just a little bit outside
of that, maybe just 2% outsideof that.
It doesn't have to be a giantleap.
Sometimes the smallest stepslead to the biggest changes.
Number two set challenges.
Whether it's signing up for arace like a Spartan or a Tough
Mudder, learning a new languageor taking on a big project at

(05:56):
work, set challenges that exciteand scare you at the same time.
Remember the goal is to stretchyour boundaries, not to break
them.
Number three make it social.
Doing things alone is great,but sharing those experiences
with others can amplify the funand build a sense of community.
Invite a friend to join you inyour next adventure or join a

(06:17):
group that shares your interest.
Number four reflect on yourwins.
After each experience, takesome time to reflect on what
you've achieved, celebrate thesmall victories and recognize
how each challenge has fueledyour unstoppable nerve,
especially as it creates thatbelief in yourself that you can
do challenging things.

(06:39):
And lastly, number fiveprioritize fun in your schedule.
It's easy to get caught up inthe daily grind, but making time
for FUN should be a priority.
Treat it like an importantappointment because, quite
frankly, it is Wow 2% Collective.
That's it for today's episode.
I'm creating more opportunitiesfor fun in your life.

(07:00):
Remember, it's not just abouthaving a good time.
It's about fueling your courage, boosting your confidence and
powering up your unsupportablenerve to take on whatever life
throws your way.
As always, thank you for tuningin to the 2% Solution.
If you got fired up withtoday's episode, share with a
friend who might need a littlebit more FUN in their life.

(07:21):
And don't forget to follow uson social media and leave a
review if you're loving thepodcast.
I absolutely love those.
As I've said in past episodes,it's like getting a high five
for my ears.
So thank you in advance.
And then, lastly, staycourageous, stay adventurous,
keep pushing your limits, evenif just 2% at a time.

(07:42):
I'm Diamond Wall and you'vebeen listening to the 2%
Solution.
Let's keep thriving together.
I'll catch you in the nextepisode.