Unstoppable Calm: How Fear of Judgment Really Holds You Back with Carlos Garcia

Описание: Fear of judgment holds more people back than failure ever does. In this episode of Unstoppable Mindset, I sit down with Carlos Garcia to explore how fear, pressure, and avoidance quietly shape our decisions at work and in life. Carlos shares how growing up with imposter feelings pushed him to study fear, resilience, and mental conditioning, first as a JAG attorney and later as a resilience trainer. We talk about why fear is learned, how exposure and preparation reduce its power, and why calm always comes before confidence. This conversation breaks down practical ways to train your mind, build resilience, and take action even when stress shows up.

Highlights:

00:58 – Learn how early success can still create fear of judgment and quiet self doubt.
06:14 – Discover why exposing yourself to discomfort breaks fear predictions that rarely come true.
08:29 – Understand how preparation builds calm before pressure ever hits.
16:28 – Learn how to use stress as energy instead of letting it trigger avoidance.
25:23 – Discover why reflection turns mistakes into growth instead of shame.
52:04 – Learn why getting calm must come before bold action and real progress.

About the Guest:

Carlos is an attorney, certified Army Master Resilience Trainer, Army reserve JAG officer, and high-performance coach for smart, driven people. He’s spent over a decade navigating high-stakes environments, from adversarial legal settings fighting for soldiers as a trial defense counsel to the frontlines of resilience training with soldiers and leaders. It all began in 2011 in Washington, DC, where high-stress, high-judgment, and constant pressure came with the territory.

But behind the business attire and confident façade was a harsh reality: a fear of rejection that kept him second-guessing, staying quiet, people-pleasing, and missing out on opportunities he knew he wanted. For years, he avoided rocking the boat, held back in meetings, and lived for external validation. The result? He was invisible in rooms where he should’ve been leading, stuck on a path that didn’t feel like his, and missing out on the roles, relationships, and rewards he worked so hard for.

Then, he decided to rewrite the script. He dove into resilience training, went deep into neuroscience, psychology, ancient philosophy, and anything that could help him (and others like me) reject the fear of, well, rejection. That journey led him to the U.S. Army Resilience program, where he got certified to teach soldiers and leaders how to face judgment, stress, and adversity head-on.

It led him on a path of continuous testing and personal experimentation—at work, in ultra running, and in combat sports including Brazilian jiu jitsu and judo. And eventually, he created True Progress Lab to bring those same principles to leaders who are ready to step up.

His motto:

Get calm—clarity starts there.
Get bold—stability fuels courage.
Get after it—progress demands action.

Ways to connect with Carlos:

Website: http://trueprogresslab.com
Newsletter: http://trueprogresslab.com/newsletter
LinkedIn:   / iamjcarlosg  
Instagram:   / trueprogresslab  
X: https://x.com/TrueProgressLab

Contact info

[email protected]


About the Host:

Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog.

Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children’s Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association’s 2012 Hero Dog Awards.

https://michaelhingson.com
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  / michaelhingson  

accessiBe Links
https://accessibe.com/
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