Empower: Conquering the Disease of Fear - Paperback

by Tareq Azim (Author), Seth Davis (Author)

From finding common ground with warlords, introducing the Taliban to change, and working with NFL greats such as Marshawn Lynch, this uplifting memoir and "study of resilience" (General Paul Selva, United States Air Force) from coach and personal development expert, Tareq Azim, will help you build a relationship with fear and embrace your own power.

A descendant of Afghan nobles, Tareq Azim's family was forced to flee their homeland in 1979. He assimilated in the United States through his love of sports but when he returned to his home country in 2004, he discovered countless children living on the streets, waiting for the inevitable recruitment into terrorist networks and anti-peace militias. Azim's close encounter with the ravages of a war-torn society taught him how pain can generate the most intense forms of fear, anxiety, and depression. He had found his salvation through sports and physical activity, and he knew these children could too.

He put his method to the test and created the Afghan Women's Boxing Federation, the official governing body for women's sports for the National Olympic Committee and the first ever in the history of any Islamic republic, proving that Afghanistan was ready for social change by addressing the harms of accumulated trauma.

Now, his remarkable full story is revealed in this book that is both a memoir and a roadmap that "could not be more timely" (Hunter Maats, author of The Straight-A Conspiracy). Through his own experiences, he effortlessly explains how fear is an invitation to seek a deeper feeling within--a feeling that is achieved when we engage in righteous and sincere struggle. Only then will our choices be guided by values that help us avoid the pitfalls of moral and personal failure. Featuring actionable advice and varied clear-eyed case studies, including MMA star Jake Shields, former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, and San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York, Empower is the ultimate guide to living a life understanding that fear is there to help you.

Author Biography

For over twenty years, Tareq Azim has directed the creative and strategic development of leading institutions in professional sports, human performance, entertainment, government, law enforcement, and finance. A former collegiate athlete and seven-time world championship coach, Azim built the Empower Performance Institute--one of the most sought-after performance facilities in the United States, hosting top-tier athletes in the NFL, UFC, and others. Tareq is also CEO and founder of an experiential creative agency, The We Group, and his current passion and venture, the Elesel Lodge, is set to change the global landscape of hospitality by using the power of culture, heritage, and social responsibility to create new solutions to our current mental and emotional health epidemic.

Seth Davis is a studio analyst for college basketball at CBS Sports and senior writer at The Athletic. He is the New York Times bestselling author of Wooden: A Coach's Life and When March Went Mad: The Game Transformed Basketball.