One evening, I got a feverishly excited phone call from my dad. He was at the "Unleash the Power Within" Tony Robbins Seminar, and he informed me he had just walked on burning hot coals. He exclaimed how amazing he felt, how he didn't feel a thing as he trotted across 2,000 degree coals and how he felt like a totally new person. I was very happy for and proud of him, but I thought to myself: "Hell if I ever do that! I don't want to burn my feet off, thank you very much!" I assumed he must have been either hypnotized somehow or they had slipped him something beforehand. I was just too astounded to really think about it. Then a few months later, my dad roped me into going to "Unleash the Power Within" along with my two younger sisters. I had no idea what to expect, but there was one thing I was sure of: there is NO WAY I am walking on burning coals.
The first day of the seminar blew me away. There were about 3,000 people in attendance and the energy Tony created in the gigantic room was amazing. I had never, ever felt that amount of enthusiasm and excitement in any type of atmosphere before. It was infectious. And through Tony's way of pumping you up, and showing you how to delve into your emotions and bring out any one you choose so strongly it fills you completely with that emotion alone, something happened. My extremely strong, stubborn decision on not doing the fire walk had melted away. I hardly even had to debate with that fearful voice that commonly holds me back from opportunities -- my confidence was so powerful, I knew 100 percent I would never back out now. We were told exactly how to successfully do the fire walk: look up as you walk, walk at a purposeful but normal pace, and chant, "cool moss" as you cross. All this, and most importantly, being in a state of absolute certainty, would have an opposing effect on the 2,000 degree heat on your feet.
We marched barefoot 3,000 people strong down the street to where the lines of glowing coals were set up. Before I knew it I was in line just 10 people away from it being my turn. I could see the searing red coals, glowing like rubies, and I could visibly see the heat shimmering in a deathly looking haze. Here is where the voice suddenly reappeared. A wave of fear started to wash over me, but I immediately stopped it in its tracks by pushing it out of my mind and replacing it with that entirely confident feeling I'd had back in the seminar. I began to chant "cool moss" to drown out the negative voice in my head. Five people to go, three people to go, my sister walks across, I'm a couple feet behind her. Two people drenched with sweat from the heat suddenly and enthusiastically yell to me to "GO GO GO!". I don't think, I just do it. I'm looking at the sky and yelling "COOL MOSS!" to myself over and over again as I keep a strong steady pace across the eight second walk over the glowing coals. I feel heat beneath my soles, but just slightly. Suddenly I'm stopped in my tracks by two people on either side of me, and as they spray off my feet with a hose I realize I made it. My sister runs over to me and we're hugging and jumping up and down with shocked excitement. I did it. I can't believe I did it. And if I can do this, I think to myself, I can do anything.
That mentality, I can bring back by going into that memory, which is etched into my mind for the rest of my life. It gives me utter confidence, and a fierce belief in myself. I feel unstoppable. Now I know what my dad was talking about on that phone call to me that time ago. He wasn't hypnotized, he wasn't drugged. He was taught how to mentally condition himself. Condition yourself even to withstand 2,000 degrees in contact with the skin as you walk over 10, 20 or even 40 feet of red hot coals, and have no injuries whatsoever. Not just any state of mind can protect your body like that; it has to be strong, fierce, unbreakable.
So my advice on walking on fire: if you truly, deep down to the depths of your soul, believe you can do it, you can. And after you have that experience to prove it to you, you can do anything you completely set your mind to.