FEARLESS IS A CHOICE: HOW TO BUILD A POWERHOUSE MINDSET IN YOUR CAREER, RELATIONSHIPS & LIFE

By Vicki Ostendorf

Let’s talk about fear.Not the kind that keeps you out of dark alleys at night — the kind that whispers:

“You’re not ready.”

“You’re too old.”

“You’ll fail.”

“They’ll laugh at you.”

“You’re not enough.”

That fear is quiet. Sneaky. And if you’re not careful — it will run your entire life.

I’ve lived it. I’ve stared fear in the face through a cancer diagnosis.Through a broken back. Through breakups, relationship changes, financial hardship, and running a business when the world shut down.

And here’s what I’ve learned:

Fear isn’t the enemy. Staying stuck is.

Why We Let Fear Lead

Fear is human. It’s your brain trying to protect you. But comfort zones are clever little prisons — they look safe, but they cost you your dreams.

Fear keeps you quiet in the meeting.Fear keeps you avoiding the mirror. Fear keeps you settling in your relationship, your career, your body — and telling yourself it’s fine.

But fine isn’t what you were made for.

Want to Be a Powerhouse? Start Here:

Whether you’re chasing a better body, a bigger career, or a more authentic life, you don’t get there by waiting for fear to disappear. You get there by moving anyway.

Here’s how:

💥 1. Call Out the Lie

Fear is a master manipulator. So, write it down. Literally — take 10 minutes and write the fears that are holding you back. Don’t censor. Don’t edit. Just pour.

Then ask:

Is this fear based in truth? Or in trauma, comparison, or past failures?

If it’s not true — it’s not welcome in your future.

💥 2. Choose Your Hard

Staying stuck is hard, but so is showing up and doing the work.

Being in a body that holds you back is hard. So, hard is choosing clean food, lifting weights, and prioritizing sleep.

Living paycheck to paycheck is hard, but so is launching the business, asking for the raise, or putting yourself out there.

Choose your hard. The future version of you is begging you to do it scared.

💥 3. Move Your Body to Shift Your Mind

One of the fastest ways to change your mindset is to change your physiology. When I move, I believe more.I’ve coached hundreds of women — and I’ve seen it again and again:

A strong body builds a strong mind.

Lifting heavy things, breaking a sweat, showing up on the days you don’t want to? That’s where confidence is born. Not in talk — in action.

💥 4. Surround Yourself with Power

You become like the people you spend the most time with.So if you’re surrounded by women who normalize burnout, self-doubt, and giving up… that’s what you’ll become too.

Find women who stretch you.Women who are chasing more.Women who speak life into you and don’t flinch when you say you want to rise.

This is what I’ve built inside. The Athlete Lab and every coaching group I lead: A space where strength is contagious. And growth is expected.

💥 5. Say Yes Before You’re Ready

Spoiler alert: you will never feel ready.Confidence doesn’t come first — it comes after the action.

Sign up for the race. Book the call. Say yes to the thing that scares you and figure the rest out later. Fear loses its power when you stop waiting for perfect.

Final Word: You Were Made for More

You are not weak. You are not broken. And you are not behind.

You are one decision away from an entirely different life.

I’ve lived on both sides. I’ve broken, and I’ve rebuilt. And if I can keep rising — with all the pain, setbacks, and scars I’ve carried — so can you.

So stop waiting. Get stronger. Get louder. Get braver. Because the world doesn’t need another perfect woman —It needs more women who are done letting fear run the show.

Let’s rise, together.

— Vicki