I don’t know if any of you wake up cheery, but I have a rule with everyone who works with me that there are no phone calls before noon. I like to slowly wake up in the morning . . . whatever time that may be.

I mean, my girlfriend and I hardly talk to each other in the morning. In the morning, I go for a walk and make breakfast while she goes and gets herself ready. We rarely even speak before 11:00 a.m.

Right now, though, I have houseguests. Yes, my girlfriend’s mother and her aunt are staying with us and they like to start talking to me first thing thing in the morning. So I have developed a routine. I’m friendly and I smile, but then I go down to the beach and answer emails on my BlackBerry for an hour.

My Grandmother always liked to talk to me in the morning. I can’t tell you how many countless mornings I would lay in my bed with a full bladder just to avoid having her talk to me when I’d get up to go and pee.

I’ve never been a morning talker. Now try shutting me up at night, and that’s a whole other story.

Today’s topic is about learning to face your own kind of fears. What are you holding back on in your life? What is your biggest fear?

This past week has been the first of two weeks I’ll have my girlfriend’s family in town. The longest I’ve ever had family in town before now has been one week.

Hell, I was the guy who bailed on family dinners after 90 minutes. When I grew up, family functions stressed me out so much that I always had an escape route.

With guests having been here now for about a week, I have really learned so much about who I am and what is important. This has been a huge bonding experience for my girlfriend and I, and I am fully enjoying every minute of it.

What we fear has a way to cripple us and make us really terrified of the unknown. Once you dive into that unknown, however, you actually learn so much more about who you are as a person.

Do you remember the first time you were forced to dive into the water, and the fear you had about going into the water head first? Life is all about diving in head first, and just trusting that each experience will really open you up to a whole new you.

Today’s podcast is about how you need to be open to all new experiences, and why the things you fear the most will actually be your most life-changing experiences.