The amygdala is our chief safety officer. It is a part of our brain and its job is to keep us safe. The amygdala considers anything that is unknown, uncertain, or unfamiliar to be unsafe. When we encounter something that is unknown, uncertain, or unfamiliar, our amygdalas tell us to run away or else we will die.

There are situations where this is useful and even keeps us alive. But, there are also situations where the run-away response is not the best choice.

If I’m walking down the path and there is a rattle snake in front of me, retreating is a good option. If I’m walking down the path of my business and there’s a new opportunity in front of me, retreating is not a wise choice.

In both these situations, my amygdala will respond the same. It will tell me that this is uncertain and therefore dangerous and that my best course of action is to run away.

Just because our amygdalas are telling us to run away does not mean that we have to run away. We can be bold and embrace the discomfort and do it anyway. This is one of the key things that separates top performers from average people. Average people retreat, and top performers lean into the discomfort. Both groups have amygdalas, they just respond to them differently.

Jonathan