A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life

Book Synopsis: A Next Big Idea Club Must-Read for October 2023 The creator of the popular finance podcast So Money demonstrates how leaning into your fear can actually become your greatest superpower, in this accessible and clever guide to maximizing your financial success and beyond, for fans of Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies and You Are a Badass at Making Money.

Farnoosh Torabi is familiar with fear. Growing up in the 1980s as the daughter of Iranian immigrants, she was warned to proceed with caution and play it safe. She spent her childhood immersed in fear—of rejection, loneliness, missed opportunities, and falling short of her potential. Of course, now her mother says, “It all worked out, didn’t it?” Funnily enough, it did. Farnoosh came to the realization that fear never limited her. Instead, it has become a friend, opening her world and equipping her with the tools and street smarts to navigate life’s trials and thrive on her own terms.

Now, Farnoosh pairs stories from her immigrant upbringing with hard-won industry knowledge and data to show how leaning into your fears can help you take control of your financial future. With clear-eyed advice and an engaging, heartfelt voice, she lays out the nine most common fears that hold us back—both personally and in our financial decisions—and shows how these fears can be pivoted into strengths and mined for wisdom to help us achieve richer, more meaningful lives:

1. The Fear of Rejection and how it leads to self-discovery and where we are loved.
2. The Fear of Loneliness and how it promotes strength, resilience, and empathy.
3. The Fear of Missing Out and how it begs for self-reflection and promotes individuality and boundaries.
4. The Fear of Being Exposed and how it heightens awareness and draws comedy and connection.
5. The Fear of Uncertainty and how it accelerates our goals and finds order in the disorder.
6. The Fear of Money and how it encourages landing on your (true) money story and pursuing financial freedom.
7. The Fear of Failure and how it helps us to embrace red flags and the next right thing.
8. The Fear of Endings and how it sparks action, deepens an appreciation for what endures and unveils the beauty in regret.
9. The Fear of Losing Your Freedom and how it fuels self-advocacy and inspires a legacy.

Discover how to become more self-reliant and financially resilient, how to invite more calm and control into your daily routine, and how to stop hiding from fear and instead invite it into your living room, where it can serve you in building your best life.