Unmasking Fear - by Guryan Tighe (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Imagine the possibilities if instead of avoiding the things you feared, you approached them with courage and curiosity.

When we are in the grip of fear, our world can get very small and for many of us, the number of choices shrink to just four basic reactions: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. That's not a lot of options. On a collective level, elements of our society like governments, religions, and businesses sometimes instill fear to divide and control--to keep us feeling dependent on them instead of ourselves. On an individual level, fear can be the reason we're living a life that's not reflective of our truth or potential. It's what keeps us feeling stuck and holds us back. What most of us don't realize is that fear has much to teach us.

"Fear Technician" Guryan Tighe reframes the way we approach fear from the goal of conquering it to a goal of learning from it by providing readers three gateways to look at fear in a way that frees us: curiosity, gratitude, and purpose. She shows us how to interrupt our initial reaction, pause, check in with ourselves, and rewrite the patterns we use to respond to that which we fear. With this shift in thinking and how to engage it, readers will find new pathways forward as they shift from unintentional reactions to intentional responses.

When we change our relationship to fear, we gain valuable insights that inform our growth and development, connecting us more deeply to our truth. This different approach to fear doesn't just transform our relationship with ourselves but can also unite us with others through empathy and shared purpose. What has the power to separate us from ourselves and each other--fear--also has the power to unite us. Unmasking Fear shows us that fear is courage unrealized and understanding our fears frees us to pursue the life we want.

About the Author

Guryan Tighe is an experienced leadership coach, workshop facilitator, and communications strategist whose clients describe her as a "Fear Technician". She founded her company, FOURAGE, on the belief that understanding and working with our fears, rather than trying to conquer them, yields more professional success and personal fulfillment. She's served in several roles over the years to enhance interpersonal relationships, leadership development and organizational change, including serving as a Chief Culture Officer and workshop facilitator. She also has experience in influencer relations, messaging and positioning, and internal communications. In addition to coaching private clientele, Guryan continues to educate senior executives and help them reorient their relationship with fear as a recurring speaker with the Stockholm School of Economics Executive MBA program and a trainer and executive coach at Dominican University of California's Institute for Leadership Studies, through its office of executive education.