“Sharks eat fish.”

Three simple words, uttered by a weathered boat captain off the Great Barrier Reef in the late 1990s, would become the mantra that transformed my relationship with fear. Like millions of others who came of age in the aftermath of Jaws, I had spent decades letting Hollywood’s silver screen shape my perception of what lurked beneath the waves. Every sensational news headline, every dramatic documentary, every summer blockbuster had conspired to paint the ocean as a realm of certain doom.

But there I was, having quit my job to travel to Australia, perched on the edge of a boat and about to challenge everything I thought I knew about fear.

The First Plunge

As I prepared for the first of four dives, those three words became my lifeline: “Sharks eat fish. Sharks eat fish.” Each syllable a reminder of a fundamental truth that cut through years of conditioning. With every breath through my regulator, with every foot of descent, the grip of fear began to loosen its hold.

What emerged in its place was nothing short of miraculous.

The ocean revealed itself not as the menacing void of my imagination, but as a living cathedral of light and motion. Shafts of sunlight danced through the water like nature’s own stained glass, illuminating a world that no photograph or video could ever truly capture. Schools of fish moved in hypnotic unison, their scales catching the light like thousands of tiny mirrors. Coral formations, built over centuries, created an underwater metropolis teeming with life and color.

Meeting Wally

Then came the encounter that would cement this transformation. Wally, a massive Maori Wrasse well-known in these waters, approached me with the casual confidence of a gentle giant. As this enormous fish drew near, something profound shifted in my perception. In that moment, we weren’t predator and prey, weren’t danger and victim – we were simply two living beings sharing the same space on our vast planet. The fear that had kept me from this experience for so long suddenly seemed absurd, like being afraid of your own shadow.

The Deeper Lesson

Today, as I work with professionals grappling with imposter syndrome and self-doubt, I often find myself thinking back to those crystal-clear waters. How many of us create sharks where there are none? How often do we let our minds conjure up threats that exist only in our imagination, keeping us from diving into new opportunities, new careers, new relationships?

Sometimes, all we need is our own version of “Sharks eat fish” – a simple truth that can cut through the noise of our fears and limiting beliefs. It might be

“I’ve succeeded before” or

“Growth requires discomfort” or simply

“I belong here.”

These personal mantras, when embraced fully, can help us challenge the stories we’ve been telling ourselves about what we can and cannot do.

The Universal Truth

What I learned beneath those Australian waves goes far beyond marine biology or personal development. It’s a universal truth about human nature: our greatest fears often guard the doorway to our most profound discoveries. The things that terrify us most might just be the portals to experiences that will transform us forever.

The ocean I feared for so long became one of my greatest teachers, showing me that beyond the surface of our anxieties lies a world of wonder waiting to be explored. We just have to be brave enough to take that first dive.

So I ask you: What waters are you afraid to enter? What sharks live in your mind? And most importantly, what wonders might you discover if you find the courage to dive in?

Because sometimes, the simple act of challenging our fears doesn’t just change our perspective – it changes our entire world.

Ready to stop letting fear and self-doubt hold you back? Join the Imposter Syndrome Detox and start rewriting the story you’ve been telling yourself—one empowering step at a time. Join the waitlist here!