"We have been put into life as into the element we most accord with, and we have, moreover, through thousands of years of adaptation, come to resemble this life so greatly that when we hold still, through a fortunate mimicry we can hardly be differentiated from everything around us. We have no reason to harbor any mistrust against our world, for it is not against us. If it has terrors, they are our terrors; if it has abysses, these abysses belong to us; if there are dangers, we must try to love them. And if only we arrange our life in accordance with the principle which tells us that we must always trust in the difficult, then what now appears to us as the most alien will become our most intimate and trusted experience. How could we forget those ancient myths that stand at the beginning of all races, the myths about dragons that at the last moment are transformed into princesses? Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love."
— Rainer Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet, Letter VIII, translated by Stephen Mitchell (1984)
In this episode, we explore one of the most significant psychological trials in powerlifting: facing a weight that carries more than just pounds or kilos. It's a weight that carries fear, expectations, self-doubt. Drawing wisdom from legendary boxing coach Cus D'Amato and poet Rainer Maria Rilke, we learn how to meet this challenge with unclouded eyes and an open heart—and emerge transformed.
We shift from the practical techniques of facing heavy weights to the psychological and mythological landscape of fear itself. This is an invitation to you - the lifter standing at the edge of a number that feels impossibly heavy, a number that carries more than just physical mass. It's a number that carries doubt, dread, maybe even a sense of impending doom.
Drawing wisdom from the legendary boxing coach Cus D'Amato and the poetic insights of Rainer Maria Rilke, I invite you into a different relationship with fear: one that befriends it rather than trying to conquer it, one that harnesses it as fuel rather than being paralyzed by it.
The episode begins by exploring why certain numbers hold such psychological power—how they become more than just weights, but symbols of our deepest fears and aspirations. Using D'Amato's distinction between the hero and the coward, we learn that courage isn't the absence of fear, but the mastery of it. It's about choosing to act in spite of fear, to let our actions define us in concert with our emotions.
From there, we explore practical tools from sport psychology to help us channel fear into focused performance. Visualization techniques allow us to rehearse success, to replace images of failure with experiences of triumph. Arousal regulation strategies help us find the optimal zone of intensity - not too relaxed, not too anxious, but alert and ready.
The episode then takes a philosophical turn, drawing on Rilke's concept of "living the questions." Just as we learned to approach technique with curiosity rather than certainty, we discover that facing fear is also a process of questioning, of staying open to what the weight has to teach us. Rilke invites us to see fear not as an enemy, but as an integral part of ourselves - a "dragon" that transforms into a "princess" when met with beauty and courage.
Throughout, the barbell serves as our mirror - reflecting back to us not just our physical strength, but our psychological and emotional depths. In the climactic act of lifting, we pour ourselves into the weight - and in doing so, we're transformed. We discover that we're not just lifting iron - we're integrating fear and courage, doubt and confidence, limitation and possibility. We're forging a new sense of self, one rep at a time.
The episode concludes with a call to action: to identify a weight that scares you and approach it with the spirit of the hero - with curiosity, with humility, with a willingness to learn from it. To treat fear as a friend and let it guide you to your own untapped power.
Here, D'Amato's wisdom meets Rilke's: it's not about becoming fearless, but about learning to "live everything," to embrace all parts of the journey. It's about developing the courage to show up, to face the dragon, to lift with a full heart - no matter how heavy the weight becomes.
Perfect for: Lifters haunted by a number on the bar, anyone who's felt the icy grip of anxiety before a heavy attempt, those who've backed down from a lift out of fear, and anyone ready to build a new relationship with the weights that scare them - and with their own hidden strength.
Philosophical Voices:
Assignment: Identify a weight that scares you. Approach it with the tools from this episode - visualization, arousal regulation, self-talk. Notice what it stirs up for you. Journal about it. Share it with a trusted friend or coach. Most importantly, keep showing up. Keep facing it. Let it be your teacher.
Books Referenced:
Key Concepts Introduced:
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Website: www.prometheuspowerlifting.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jralicdan
Email: ed@prometheuspowerlifting.com
