Huffington Wants Women To Be 'Fearless'

Fearlessness, says political pundit and writer Arianna Huffington, is not the absence of fear, but the mastery of fear.

"It's doing something while you are afraid," she told The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm. "As a result, building what I call a fearless muscle. It's like a workout. The more we do it, the easier it becomes, the more we change our lives, the more we change as human beings. It's really learned behavior. You know, nobody's born fearless. I mean, I was afraid of everything."

It's this kind of advice that Huffington, author of 11 books and founder of the liberal blog, "The Huffington Post" imparts in her new book "On Becoming Fearless."

At one time, Huffington, a former candidate for governor of California, said she was afraid of everything. She was afraid of leaving her first great love, who didn't want to get married or have children.

"I was by then 30, desperate to have kids," she said. "The fears of leaving that relationship, fear of being alone, fear there would never be another man, were fears I had to overcome while I made that choice. And it changed my life. It changed everything. And I've gone through other areas in our lives, work, parenting, aging, where taking the steps, even while we are afraid, makes all the difference."

A lot has changed for Huffington since then and she has used her mastery of fear to make bold moves, most famously her swing from the political right to the left. She has endured a great deal of public criticism.

"Well, if there is one message I want to leave the readers of the book and the viewers with is, don't be afraid to fail and don't be afraid to be criticized," she said. "Because, really, every time we're criticized, if we don't internalize it, we just get stronger and more confident. And it's easier for us to take the next step because, in the end, you know, the most important thing is how quickly do you get up after you fall down? Our recovery time."

Huffington says that every woman has an obnoxious roommate in her brain, an inner critic who judges her constantly.

"We can learn to take control of it and not threat rule our lives," she said.

To combat this inner judge, Huffington said surround yourself with a support system she called a fearless tribe.

"The charter member was my mother, who loved me unconditionally, whether I was successful or failing," Huffington said. "You need to identify one, two, three people in our lives who are our fearless tribe and cherish them. They give you the confidence to strive for your dreams. If you fail, they'll be there for you no less."

Huffington also includes a chapter that dispenses practical advice such as getting enough sleep.

"I know for myself, when I'm sleep-deprived, I'm more moody, reactive, I respond to bad things that happen every day, and every day includes good and bad things happen in a much more emotional way," she said. When we're tired, because we haven't slept enough, we go for the danish or the muffin or something to give us energy. So sleep deprivation is an evil cycle."

To read an excerpt, click here.

To read thoughts on fearlessness from Huffington's blog, "The Huffington Post," click here.