• Speaking
  • Online Course
  • Hello Fears
  • Press
  • About
  • Shop
Menu

100 Days Without Fear

  • Speaking
  • Online Course
  • Hello Fears
  • Press
  • About
  • Shop

(CNN) – From the time she was a little girl, Michelle Poler was afraid of the world. She avoided big, playful dogs, scared they might bite her. Terrified of pain, she dreaded doctor's appointments. She missed dinner parties that required her to drive at night.

Join the movement
JOIN THE FEARLESS MOVEMENT
Name *
Name
Generation
Gender

Thank you so much for joining our fearless community! You will not receive any spam, just cool emails every now and then that you will love.

Make sure to confirm your subscription in the email that you'll be receiving soon

Lastly, if you have a story of courage that you'd like to share for hellofears.com , please use this link to tell us all about it: My Story of Courage

Talk to you soon! 

Michelle

New York City is definitely not for the fearful. After moving here I realized I needed to do something about it. So in efforts to become a braver person I embarked on a project where I faced 100 fears in 100 days. What I didn't expect was to inspire thousands along the way. 

I'm now super fortunate to have the opportunity to travel the world speaking at schools, companies and organizations on how to embrace the unknown and live a life beyond the comfort zone. 

If it’s not at an airport, you can also find me on YouTube posting weekly videos or uploading stories of courage from everyday people to HelloFears.com. Check it out!

Featured
Day 100: Inspire others at TEDxHouston
Day 100: Inspire others at TEDxHouston
Day 96: Age
Day 96: Age
Day 89: Stand Up
Day 89: Stand Up
Day 85: Surf
Day 85: Surf
Day 80: Teach
Day 80: Teach
Day 78: Paint
Day 78: Paint
Day 77: Pose
Day 77: Pose
Day 72: Embrace
Day 72: Embrace
Day 65: Jump
Day 65: Jump
Day 59: Quit
Day 59: Quit

Click here to see the full list of fears

Day 36: Curry on

May 13, 2015

What's the challenge?

To try a new kind of food.

What are you afraid of?

I'm afraid of the unkown.

How was the experience?

I went by myself to this Indian chain (Indikitch) near my office even though a couple of people already told me not to go since they thought it was pretty spicy. I decided not to listen and judge it myself. I didn't know what to order, so I just told the waiter to give me whatever as long as it wasn't spicy. I first tried the red lemonade with mint leaves and it was delicious. Then, I tried the bowl of rice and chicken that was even more delicious and to finish up, I tried "naan," their kind of pita bread with garlic and it was out of this world. I think I love Indian food now. 

← Day 37: Be proudDay 35: Present →

Subscribe to the fearless community

Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates.

We respect your privacy.

Thank you!

Why Fear?

A couple of reasons I wrote just to remind myself why am I doing this:

  • Fear keeps me from enjoying life

  • Fear will keep me from achieving success

  • I want to live courageously

  • Life starts at the end of your comfort zone

  • What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

  • NYC is not made for the fearful

  • Fear just doesn't make sense

  • If I don't do it now, then, when?

Instagram: @100dayswithoutfear

These are two thoughts that help me stay calmed when speaking in front of ANY audience — MOSTLY when it’s an audience that makes me uncomfortable: . 1️⃣ Brené Brown, in her book “Dare To Lead,” says that when in front of an intimidating audience she repeats the word “people” about four times to herself before going on stage. This helps her see the audience beyond their suits, ties and titles 👔🎩 @brenebrown . I do the same. I hardly get intimidated by people when I think about the struggles each one of them might have been going through. CEO or no CEO, as humans we all face the same fears and go to great extents to avoid facing failure or rejection (external and internal). I think about how my message has the potential to land in a place close to their hearts and help them change their minds 👊🏼♥️ . 2️⃣ If I told you that your discomfort could change 10 lives, would you do it? What about 1 life? This thought helps me pull through when in front of tough audiences. Not even one time I’ve been to a place and not received AT LEAST one message of someone saying that they NEEDED to hear my message that day. . So, as I’m speaking, even when my audience is not being responsive I think about that one person in the crowd whose life is about to change just by listening to my words. It makes all the difference — I suddenly don’t care about my own discomfort anymore. . What’s your favorite tool to overcome the fear of public speaking? ⤵️ Let me know!! . PS: my online course about public speaking tips in Spanish is available at DarLearning.com 🙌🏼☺️ #sehablaespanol #hellofears #courageis #publicspeaking
I never go to the movie theater. I spend so much time flying ✈️ that I rather watch movies (for free) on the plane. Not this time ⤵️ . Grateful that I decided to watch #BohemianRhapsody at the movies yesterday. . OMG . This movie inspired me in a way few movies have. Why? . Freddie Mercury’s self confidence was refreshing to watch💥 . Most movies about celebrities take half of the film convincing the main character what he or she is made. Not the case in this movie 🙌🏼 . If only we would all spend less time of our lives self-doubting our talents and more time putting them to work, we would be so ahead 🙈 . Freddie knew what he was made of and not for one second he doubted his potential. He didn’t need any external validation to know how damn GOOD he was 🤯🕺🏼 . That was a great reminder that we all need to believe in ourselves a bit more and stop wasting time looking for #validation to take action . I would LOVE to know your thoughts on this movie if you’ve seen it 👇🏼 (a ♥️ will do if you also loved it)
After giving presentations in over 12 different countries, my favorite one has to be.... . ISRAEL 🇮🇱 Why?👇🏼 . Israelis think they can improve everything. They are problem solvers at heart. And when there is no problem to solve, they find it and they fix it 👊🏼💥 . That said, after every single presentation that I’ve given in Israel, I always get more than a couple of people approach me to tell me how I can improve my speech 🤯 . The approach is always the same: “Thank you for a wonderful presentation, but... if I may... can I give you a few suggestions?” My answer is always: PLEASE DO! 🙏🏼♥️ . I wish more people would be THAT honest and willing to share their honest feedback and ideas with us in efforts to help us get better at what we do 🙌🏼✨ . What if we start this powerful chain of honest feedback ourselves? Next time you see someone trying hard to do a good job, if you have a way to improve what they do, dare to share it with them, and hopefully they will take it the right way and thank you for it 😅 . Photo by @caravisionnyc 📸
Who else didn’t dress up for halloween? 🙃 For some reason it feels weird admitting that I don’t really care about this holiday 😬 It feels wrong not to be part of this popular festivity, and it even makes me afraid to not “belong” or to be seen as a “hater” 🙈 . After dressing up for YEARS and pretending or lying to myself about how much I “enjoy halloween,” I decided to stop fooling myself and get real about it 💪🏼✨ . I’ll give it another shot in a few years, when I have kids, but for now I’m more of a Valentine’s kind of gal 🙋🏼‍♀️♥️ . Anyone else feels the same, or am I alone? 👾🙄 . Image by the lovely @agathesorlet — #culturalfears #sorrynotsorry #dressingup #halloween #ghost #vulnerable #fittingin
In the spirit of #halloween 👻 . What’s a big scary thing you want to do next? . 💪🏼💪🏼💪🏼 @abbiepaulhus
I am hungry, and it is not what you think ⤵️ (📸 by @caravisionnyc ) . Yes, I am a foodie. If you follow @michellepoler you would know that. But this post is NOT about that ❌🥑 . I recently realized that I’m not only hungry for food, but also for success, and THAT is what keeps me going, day after day, relentlessly 👊🏼 (a question I get asked a lot) . While some people are driven by fear, and get easily paralyzed just by the thought of things going in the wrong direction, others are driven by hunger. ✨ I’m hungry for meaningful connections. I’m hungry for fulfilling my own definition of success. I’m hungry for maintaining a healthy relationship with @stramhacks ♥️ I’m hungry for figuring out passive income, so we can start a family in the next few years I’m hungry for impacting as many as possible with my message I’m hungry for making my future-self proud 🙌🏼 ✨ These ⬆️ are just a few of the things that drive my hunger, daily. . Tell me, what are you hungry for?👇🏼🍜
How hard is this for you? 😰 . @brenebrown tells us to only listen to those who are also “in the arena”, meaning exposing themselves in a similar way as you are. I believe we can listen to everybody’s comments with the right ear. And I don’t mean ‘don’t use the left ear’, which is almost impossible. I mean, criticism is the only way we can grow/improve if taken in the right way. Example ⤵️ . When going viral in 2015, the mean comments 😈 made me step up my game, even when they came from those who were FAR from being in the arena. Those who were IN the arena helped me perfect my game and turn a project into a lifestyle/business. Both kinds of comments had major impact in my career 👊🏼 Glad I listened. . 4 things to do when people criticize what you do👇🏼 1️⃣ Listen carefully and ask yourself: is this true? Be honest when answering that question even if it hurts. Also ask yourself: what is the person’s intention? To help or to hurt? Be clear. 2️⃣ Investigate: gather information on the person’s background: mentality, struggles, current situation, etc. Try not to take it personally, everybody judges from a different perspective. 3️⃣ Make a choice: to listen or to ignore? Choose the option that can lead you to growth, whichever it is. 4️⃣ Take action: use criticism as fuel either to become a better version of yourself or to prove others wrong. . Don’t be afraid of criticism, embrace it as a way to grow 🙌🏼♥️
When I read those words from @brenebrown 🙌🏼 it all clicked: . I used to think that by saying “yes” to favors I didn’t want to do, “looking good!” to things I didn’t really like, or “I’ll be there!” to plans that I didn’t enjoy, I was being kind — I was NOT. In fact, I was lying not helping 🤥💔 . I realized that my relationships changed 😳 the moment I decided to be clear with the people I care about ⤵️ . Last month I had a very honest conversation with my mom where I told her what are some of my real needs, feelings and expectations, as a way to work on our relationship and improve moving forward. . Last night I had a 4-hour dinner conversation with Adam about the way we’d like to raise our kids in the future. We discussed the things we appreciate from each other but also each other’s weaknesses and what we can do about it. . And even my friends come up to me when they need an honest opinion, because they know I’m not afraid to say things as they are 🤷🏼‍♀️ . Honesty is the base of healthy relationships and this is what being assertive is all about. . If you care about having meaningful, long-lasting relationships and being a trustworthy person, start by practicing your assertiveness and having those tough conversations. . This is a topic that my friend, and therapist @therapyuntangled is deeply passionate about. So, I asked her to give away free 30-min sessions (via Skype) to the first 10 people from the @hellofears community that reaches out to her (she is based in Miami and speaks 🇺🇸 and 🇪🇸)! ♥️🙌🏼 Follow her and DM her about this. It will be 100% confidential. . From 1 to 5 how hard is it for you to be clear? . #cleariskind #brenebrown #assertiveness #kindness #honesty #therapy #daretolead
Sending a message to our *future* selves ⤵️ . Last year, during our 6th Anniversary, we shot a 20-min video of ourselves talking straight to camera about a few things we wanted to express and forever capture. . Yesterday, on our 7th Anniversary, we woke up and the first thing we did was to watch last year’s video 🤪 . The feeling was quite amazing! 🤯 . Some things we mentioned really surprised us and made us reflect on what we’ve done and accomplished this year 👊🏼♥️ . If you want to try this, as a couple during your Anniversary, with a friend or by yourself on your birthday, these are some things you can take into consideration: . ⚡️Describe where you are in that moment (physically, mentally and spiritually). You can even add details that matter to you, a few facts about yourself: your age, your weight, number of followers, salary, current obsession... . ⚡️Describe briefly what your year looked like. Highlight special things that happened in your life and in the world this year (good and bad) — that, will give context to your future self . ⚡️Now, share your deepest hopes, dreams and fears. Tell yourself the things you would like to accomplish in the next year and what are some of your concerns . ⚡️Wish yourself a happy Anniversary or birthday ♥️ Send much love and good vibes to end the video on a high, positive note! . Try to keep your video at 25 min or less. Be as HONEST as possible. Be real and descriptive. Be vulnerable 🙏🏼 Only you will watch this video 👀 . Tag the person you want to do this with! . Also, swipe to see our photo at that same beach 7 years later!
PSA: Stop scrolling 🙃👊🏼♥️ . Comment: 🙋🏻‍♀️ — if you’re #guilty (I am) . @marloesdevee you are 🙌🏼
I celebrate the #dayofthegirl because I believe the future is female. That strong girls can change the world and that if we set the right example and empower the next generation we will get to see a better tomorrow. Keep reading 👇🏼 . S W I P E ➡️ That is the reason I do what I do. My nieces, my friends’ daughters and the girls I get to share my message with. They give me hope, joy and purpose ☺️🙏🏼 . My message to girls out there: . 👊🏼 Help each other grow, life is not a competition is a collaboration. There is space for each one of you. . 👊🏼 Stand up for those who need it now, don’t keep quiet for the sake of belonging to a group #noonedeservestobeforgotten . 👊🏼 Be part of a tribe, not a clique. A tribe that welcomes you as you are and encourages you to become the best version of yourself. . 👊🏼 Don’t look to be perfect, look to be real. No one can relate to perfect. You can only impact others when you’re real #Ownyourtruth . 👊🏼 Finally, before you try to make others happy ➡️ Make yourself happy. Seek to make yourself proud. . Who would YOU like to become one day? Start now. TAG A GIRL you care about ⤵️ 🙌🏼⚡️#hellofears #bravegirlsdoitbest #weallgrow
Why is traveling ☁️✈️ SO important? . Traveling is when we get the furthest away from our comfort zone because we face “the unknown” 😖🛫 . But it is only when we dare to experience a new culture, a new side of the world, a new language and a new way of thinking that we gain perspective on what we have and the way we do things. . Perspective is what allows us to think outside of the box and reconsider what we thought was possible. It challenges our status quo and gives depth to our monotonous lives. . So whatever fear is keeping you from traveling: is NOT worth it. Is it the fear of taking time off, the fear of flying, of spending your savings, or the fear of the unknown? Are these real fears that can significantly damage your life in the long run, or just excuses? . If you could go ANYWHERE, where would you travel? Let me know 👇🏼☁️ . Excited to fly to South Korea in a few hours to speak at @branksome_hall_asia 🙌🏼! If you’ve been to 🇰🇷 , we need to talk! 🙏🏼♥️ #hellofears #comfortzone #roomforteanyc #outsideofthebox #travel
Yesterday I had the honor to speak to a group of 500 certified Emergency Nurses. And I thought: fearless! The things they see everyday 😱 I could not be able to handle it. They have to deal with loss, tragedy, blood and pain (emotional and physical) day after day 🚨 . What can I teach them? I thought 😳 . For some people it takes courage and intention to be at least 10% “selfish” and take care of themselves, for once. These people spend their lives caring for others, so much, that they forget to find the time for themselves. So THAT was my mission yesterday: to challenge them to do something for themselves and not feel guilty about it. . Same goes for entrepreneurs and their work. So many hours working to make it, saving all of our money and investing it back into the business. But, what about us? . When was the last time you got yourself a message at a spa? Or took a night off to do something by yourself that you LOVE to do? Or splurged at a restaurant that you’ve always wanted to go? Or bought tickets to see a show or a concert? . It is OK to do these things once in a while. Spoil yourself, you deserve it. You worked for it. #noguilt . When we take care of ourselves we feel happy, we bring our best selves to the world and then we will be able to help others, because happiness is contagious ♥️🙏🏼 #selfcarefirst #courageis #hellofears #mentalhealth #behappy
This happened 🤭 . In 1 word this is: SURREAL. . It took me an entire day to share the news with you guys because I needed time to process 😂 . We’ve been working on this deal for months but seeing it out there shook me 😭♥️ . So if you liked the 100 Days Without Fear project.... I bet you’ll enjoy the TV show 😳✨ . Humbled to see how my message and my story will reach more people at a whole new level 🙏🏼 . I hope you are as excited as I am ☺️☺️☺️!!! This is still early stages... but... let me know in the comments who you think should play ME and who should play ADAM’s role 👇🏼😂 #100dayswithoutfear
Last chance to get your ticket for tonight’s event! ✨ Who’s coming? . ⏰ 7:00pm 📍 8000 Northwest 21st St (Doral) 🇻🇪 En Español 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Edades: 11+ 💵 $30 adultos $20 estudiantes 💙 A beneficio de @discapacidad0 🙌🏼 Organizado por @engranart 🗣 Presentado por @elibravooficial . Los veo pronto gente!!! Lleguen puntual 😬✨🙏🏼 #MenosMiedoMasAccion #hellofears #miami #doral

Powered by Squarespace