A revolutionary guide to acknowledging fear and developing the tools we need to build a healthy relationship with this confusing emotion—and use it as a positive force in our lives.
We all feel fear. Yet we are often taught to ignore it, overcome it, push past it. But to what benefit? This is the essential question that guides Kristen Ulmer’s remarkable exploration of our most misunderstood emotion in The Art of Fear.
Once recognized as the best extreme skier in the world (an honor she held for twelve years), Ulmer knows fear well. In this conversation-changing book, she argues that fear is not here to cause us problems—and that in fact, the only true issue we face with fear is our misguided reaction to it (not the fear itself).
Rebuilding our experience with fear from the ground up, Ulmer starts by exploring why we’ve come to view it as a negative. From here, she unpacks fear and shows it to be just one of 10,000 voices that make up our reality, here to help us come alive alongside joy, love, and gratitude. Introducing a mindfulness tool called “Shift,” Ulmer teaches readers how to experience fear in a simpler, more authentic way, transforming our relationship with this emotion from that of a draining battle into one that’s in line with our true nature.
Influenced by Ulmer’s own complicated relationship with fear and her over 15 years as a mindset facilitator, The Art of Fear will reconstruct the way we react to and experience fear—empowering us to easily and permanently address the underlying cause of our fear-based problems, and setting us on course to live a happier, more expansive future.
Author Info
Kristen Ulmer is a facilitator who draws from her tenure as the best woman extreme skier in the world for twelve years and from thousands of hours facilitating clients on the subject of fear. Her work has been featured on NPR and in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, USA Today, Outside magazine, and many other publications. She lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Reviews
“Beautifully blending practical, personal, and philosophical insights, Kristen Ulmer has expanded my mind and changed my life. Read The Art of Fear and you’ll always be scared again—but only in the best possible way.” — Michael Finkel, bestelling author of The Stranger in the Woods
“What to do about fear eluded me until I met Kristen. I now use her advice daily...to take the pit out of my stomach, do a better job at work, and get much-needed sleep. You are going to love this book.” — Bob Roll, former professional cyclist, author, and television sports commentator
“People have been avoiding or medicating away fear and anxiety for too long...Finally, someone who is clear about this enormous and important subject, with great practical advice that is simply spot on. This book will turn the fear and anxiety world on their heads.” — Kate Maloney, PhD, conscious living and social change innovator
“Learning how to have an intimate relationship with fear is one of the best things you can do, and Kristen is masterful at teaching you how to do that.” — Dr. Andy Walsh, director of high performance at Red Bull
“Kristen Ulmer’s The Art of Fear causes a radical shift in our relationship to this companion in life called Fear, shapeshifting it into an ally on which we may rely to wisely guide us on the path of the unknown.” — Michael Bernard Beckwith, author of Spiritual Liberation and Life Visioning
“Everything you ever wanted to know about fear. Ulmer takes a radical approach to an age-old problem and delivers smart, exciting, and extremely fresh ideas.” — Steven Kotler, bestselling author of Stealing Fire and The Rise of Superman
“...[A]uthentic, original, and deeply helpful guide for turning fear to your advantage. Kristen Ulmer offers us a manual for living with freedom and joy in the midst of all the competing voices that arise to derail us on the journey.’ — Sally Kempton, author or Meditation for the Love of It and Awakening Shakti
“Who better than Kristen Ulmer to introduce us to our constant companion, fear, and turn him from an enemy to a friend? But this book is about so much more as well—how to embrace every moment of life with open arms.” — Deb Rieman, tech entrepreneur
“For years, I dangled my ski tips over the edge of cliffs. Kristen got me to actually jump. Whether on snow, in your career, or just life itself, no one owns fear better than Ulmer.” — Christopher Sacca, Founder and Chairman of Lowercase Capital
“Whether you’re a professional athlete, running a business, or looking to live a more authentic life, Kristen will show you the path to championship performance.” — David Ford, hedge fund manager
“Read this book if you want to know the reason behind many of your struggles. It explains, simply, everything.” — Michael Staenberg, entrepreneur and head of the Staenberg Group
“Ulmer unpacks this misunderstood emotion and lays out strategies for experiencing fear in an empowering way.” — Parade
