- Alex Mathers
- Posts
- Can you really be fearless?
Can you really be fearless?
What high stakes spins teach us.
‘Hey Alex, why are you watching gambling videos?’
Says a friend, peeking over my shoulder.
I know, it’s not really like me, but I’m mesmerised.
Bar...
Bar...
Squirrel.
I’m watching a YouTuber, Mr Hand Pay, place $600 bets on single slot spins.
It’s crazy.
And fascinating.
This guy doesn’t flinch.
Cherry...
Cherry..,
Jackpot!
He can spend and lose $12,000 in a single morning at the casino but frequently walks out with $35,000 or more.
You could say he’s fearless.
So do those crowding around his machine to watch, mouths touching the floor.
But no one is without fear.
We’re humans, with beating hearts and nerves and stuff.
What we’re really seeing in people who seem to be without fear is this:
They don’t attach frightening significance to a loss.
In other words, they don’t entertain frightening thoughts about the meaning of a loss.
Frank spins $600, loses it, and spends the next five minutes in the fetal position on the casino floor.
Mr Hand Pay, however, spins $600, loses it, smirks and carries on.
He’s not fearless.
He just chooses not to be so triggered by an event.
‘Fearlessness’ is not just for automatons. It’s for all of us.
It requires some practice. But we can all enjoy the peace and pleasant karma of attaching less fear to loss.
Money is only an illusion.
You can take it seriously, or you can see it as the paper it is.
I’m not saying go out and throw money out the window.
No need to be reckless.
But you can be calm no matter what happens.
If you’d like me to guide you through a process designed to disconnect you from the significance of thoughts that keep you stuck...