by Mary Morrissey
Reviewed by Elizabeth Torres
Considered the world’s foremost expert on “dream-building,” Mary Morrissey writes Courageous, Bold & Free: How to release your fears, follow your heart, and pursue your dreams for individuals seeking transcendent lifestyle transformations. Fear, as she explains, is from a primitive part of our brains that holds us back from striving towards developing ourselves into successful, self-loving, accomplished human beings. In other words, fear is what’s waiting on the outskirts of our “comfort zones.” Her explanation of these comfort zones evokes a sense of familiarity as we are all aware of the safety these comfort zones bring to us. However, Morrissey provides a compelling protest and explores how being contained in our comfort zones builds barriers between the life we have and the life we crave. In order to take our lives to the next level, we have to be on the other side of these walls-- even if we feel exposed and vulnerable. As she sees it, “it’s crucial that we train ourselves in how to feel fear.” Her writing encourages self-reflection to help us realize that hiding behind the walls that are covering wider horizons does nothing but limit us. Her powerful message advises us to explore these foreign horizons and put ourselves out into the world and take action toward our dreams and desires. The walls are what keep us from facing our biggest fears, and while that may seem beneficial, she makes the argument that our fears aren’t best left unexamined.
Her discussion of the eradication of our fears is thought-provoking. The goals we set should not attempt to demolish our fears but instead, we should seek to change our relationship with it. She uses plausible and relevant examples to show instances where fear guides someone towards the promising direction. Fear may be a strong emotion, but being fearful isn't what sets us apart from each other. The relationship that we have with fear ultimately makes the difference. Everyone feels fear. Those “lucky” souls that seem fearless are not just part of a lucky bunch-- she sees these people as the successful beings that have found the balance. What makes a difference is how we use that fear to channel positive outcomes. Morrissey presents three courageous, bold, and free practices we can apply to our lives and explains how successful people manage to use their fear to make them stronger. Acknowledging your fear, making bold decisions, and starve this fear to instead feed your dreams are what those seeking success should put into practice. Morrissey uses these three memorable practices to advise the reader on the costless ways we can better ourselves and still manage to gain success. She may be advertising her DreamBuilder ® Program, but at the end of her eBook, the reader is better informed of the personal practices they can make today. They don’t have to buy a product, pay a monthly subscription, or provide their personal information. After all, personal advancement begins with decision-making, as “no dream can begin moving from the realm of your imagination into your living, breathing reality until you decide for it.”