Fear often shapes our choices long before we notice it, nudging us toward safety instead of growth. In this new Courageworks series on the Live Brave Podcast, I unpack how hidden threat biases and self-protective scripts quietly limit our confidence, decision-making, and potential. I explore how fear becomes ambient in an uncertain world, and why it so often trades our potential for false security. Drawing on my work with leaders at Google, Amazon, and NASA, I share why courage is a learnable daily practice and the meta skill we all need to lead and live with greater clarity and impact.

My hope is that this episode helps you recognize where fear is shaping your choices and gives you a clearer path to acting with more intention, integrity, and bravery.

• Why fear becomes ambient and shapes daily decisions without our awareness

• How internal scripts keep us playing small and undermine confidence

• Why avoidance creates less security, not more

• Courage as a learnable and scalable skill for work and life

• How bold action aligns you with your deepest values

• A reflection prompt to notice where fear may be holding you back

The Courage Gap
February Courage Is Calling Reset Retreat at Rising Circle Ranch (Modern Elder Academy)

What if the real cost of playing it safe isn't what you miss today—it's who you never become tomorrow?

Your brain treats your future self like a stranger—and that's why you keep choosing comfort over courage. In this episode, I explore the neuroscience behind this disconnect and why it leads us to make decisions our future selves will regret. You'll discover why prioritizing what feels safer today is actually the riskiest choice you can make.

I share Richard Branson's advice that inspired my climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro (with my four kids!) and why you need to risk more "worthy failure" - the kind you'll never regret. If you're ready to start making braver choices you'll never regret, this one is for you.

In this episode:

• Why your brain treats your future self like a stranger—and how to change it
• The Timidity Tax: the invisible cost of letting fear make decisions
• How to build empathy for the person you are yet to become
• What worthy failure means—and why your future self will thank you for it

Related Links & Resources

• Read The Courage Gap
• Free Webinar: Nov 25, 2025 Close Your Courage Gap
• Retreat: Courage is Calling — Feb 15-19 2026 with Modern Elder Academy
• LinkedIn article: "Don't Betray Your Future Self — Bet on Them"
• Read my Kilimanjaro story: "What's Your Kilimanjaro?"

We've all had those moments of hesitation—"Do I speak up or stay quiet? Do I make the change or stick with the familiar?" Too often, fear of feeling awkward, exposed, or foolish keeps us playing it safe. Yet the awkward moments we try hardest to avoid aren't obstacles—they're the very gateways to the growth, opportunities, connection and confidence we desire the most.

In this episode, I share why my response to the "Pool Guest" (Ep 127) turned out to be wiser than I first thought—and why it matters. Because the more we practice braving the awkward in everyday moments, the more courage we build to back ourselves in the bigger ones that can truly change the trajectory of our work, relationships, and life.

Ultimately, awkward isn't the obstacle, it's the opening. I hope this episode gives you the nudge you need to risk the awkward moment your biggest future is riding on

Courage is Calling Retreat: Modern Elders Academy, Santa Fe, February 2026

Warning: This episode may not be your cup of tea if you'd rather not hear about nudity (or Oprah… or Jill Biden). Why? Because it starts with a wild and wacky story ripped straight from my morning. It might make you laugh, raise your eyebrows, and—hopefully—not judge me too harshly for failing to walk my own talk and say, "Could you please put your clothes on?"

Let's face it: if our deeply ingrained patterns didn't sometimes win out, there'd be no need for courage.

As I share in this episode, to be human is to be flawed, fallible, and to fail. But growth comes not from getting it right all the time—it comes from not missing the learning when we don't.

In reflecting on my own recent lapse of courage, I'm reminded that some of our greatest treasures come from the times we trip up and fall short of showing up as the person we most want to be.

Read my blog on this experience at www.margiewarrell.com and drop a comment! I'd love to hear your thoughts.

• Order The Courage Gap

In this episode, I sit down with Alex Pease, a former Navy SEAL whose extraordinary story—both heart-wrenching and deeply inspiring —threads through The Courage Gap. Alex's journey reveals the truest measure of courage: the willingness to embrace vulnerability and give ourselves grace.

We dive into the universal need to belong, the power of authentic leadership, and why forgiving our failures is essential—not just for healing the past, but for unlocking our future.

If you've ever resisted lowering your guard, struggled to make peace with your past, or wished for the courage you admire in others, this conversation is for you. Alex's insights will challenge, inspire, and remind you that true strength—and the most meaningful connections—come from facing our fears and the parts of ourselves we might otherwise want to hide.

Compelling listening for anyone ready to step into a braver, more authentic life, this is one of my most inspiring conversations.

• Order The Courage Gap

In this episode, I unpack a key principle from The Courage Gap—one I learned early in life: "Growth and comfort can't ride the same horse." Because while staying in our comfort zones might feel safe, over time, it can slowly cause us to shrink on the vine of our own lives.

I share a few personal stories of my own dance with discomfort, including the time I risked looking like a borderline stalker as I refused to let my fear of feeling awkward keep me from taking the very actions that would open new doors and enable me to travel far… literally!

We'll explore why the "tyranny of a comfortable life" can keep us stuck, what Maslow observed about our deep need for growth, and how neuroscience shows that even the smallest brave actions can rewire our brains and strengthen our 'courage muscles' over time.

If there's something you've been putting off or playing small around, I hope this episode gives you the nudge (or loving kick) you need to step into your 'courage gap' and make peace with discomfort!

• Order The Courage Gap

In this episode, I speak to General Stanley McChrystal to explore the intersection of courage and character—two mutually reinforcing virtues being put to the test in today's world. Building on his powerful Foreword for The Courage Gap and themes from his upcoming book On Character, we discuss how to find the courage to do the right thing, particularly when uncertainty is high and there's a lot at stake. Together, we explore why anchoring to core principles is essential for staying true to ourselves and shaping a better world.

• Order The Courage Gap
• Write a review on GoodReads
• Stan's new book On Character

Sweaty hands. Butterflies in the belly. A total sense of paralysis. Let's face it—fear is deeply physical.

In this episode, I explore another key concept from The Courage Gap: how to reset your fear at the physiological level. Fear isn't just in your mind—it embeds in your body. Understanding this unlocks a powerful pathway to cultivating courage and harnessing the full power of your physical presence.

I share a personal experience from 2020 when COVID-19 tilted my world totally off its axis, triggering my fear and leaving me awash with anxiety. While very humbling, it reinforced the importance of learning how to reset our 'defensive self' at the ground level and respond more effectively when stressors pile up.

Learn how to turn the psychology of fear into the physiology of courage, so you can bring your bravest self, to your biggest challenges and boldest goals.

Get ready to breathe in courage, breathe out fear and play your bravest game.

• Order The Courage Gap
• Write a review on Amazon
• Write a review on GoodReads