Pro Wrestler and Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was special guest on New Heights with Hosts brothers Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce. The Rock dreamed of playing in the NFL like Jason and Travis. Jason is retired Center for Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles. Travis is the GOAT (Greatest of All-Time) NFL Tightend for 3-time Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs. Both Jason and Travis are future First Ballot NFL Hall of Famers.
The Rock played for the undefeated 1991 National Champion University of Miami Hurricanes. He didn’t play in the NFL, because of his injuries. The Rock followed a different path, his own path. He was 10-time WWE World Heavyweight Champion. At the apex of his Professional Wrestling Superstardom, The Rock left to become a Hollywood Movie Star, which he did.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is the Biggest Movie Star on Planet Earth. He was Forbes List Highest Paid Actor in 2018 and 2024. His movies have made more than $15 billion at the global box office.
The Rock talked with Jason and Travis about his movie The Smashing Machine, about 2-time mixed martial arts UFC Champion Mark Kerr, who recovered from drug addiction and depression. The Rock received much Oscar buzz for his performance as Mark Kerr. He told Jason and Travis that his heart told him to make this movie.
The Rock said, “It’s good to be scared.” Jason and Travis agreed.
Yeah, it is good to be scared. I’ve trained in Aikido for 35 years. Paviot Sensei, said, “Enter the attack and die with honor.” Ishibashi Sensei said, “The purpose of Aikido is to release your fear.” He said, “The safest place to be is under the attack, in the danger.”
When the bigger stronger man attacks, I wait out. I enter the attack, enter what I fear. I take a glancing blow if I have to. I’m not always going to get away scot-free. It’s one time. Under the attack, in the danger, I make my distance, make my timing. I hold my position. I apply the Aikido technique to myself, not to the attacker. It’s me against me. O-Sensei Morihei Ueshiba said, “True victory is victory over one self.”
Under the attack, in the danger, I open up. I let go my fear inside that I’m not good enough, my fear of Dad as a little boy. Although that fear inside me never completely disappears, every time I enter what I fear, I let go more of my fear inside. I free myself. I don’t run from what I fear. Don’t defend against what I fear. It’s good to be scared. It’s okay to be scared. That’s how I grow.
In 1993, I took the transformational educational course The Landmark Forum. I took the course, because the guy giving the course introduction couldn’t answer any of my questions. I took the course, because I was pissed off. Really, I took The Landmark Forum, because it scared the hell out of me. Something inside me said that’s exactly what I needed.
I participated in The Landmark Forum for 3 days and an evening. I got that the only meaning in life is the meaning that I give it. I choose what I do and who I’m going to be in any given moment. That making a difference is my authentic self-expression. My life is far greater, because I took The Landmark Forum, because I was scared. It was good to be scared.
In my Nidan (2nd degree black belt) Aikido test, I had to throw 5 bigger stronger black belts in randori, the final stage of the test. I was fucking scared. I remembered the late Mizukami Sensei taught me that my mind is calmest amidst the pressure outside of me. I quiet my mind. Sensei said, “Throw one person at a time.” I did what Sensei taught me for about 3 minutes until all 5 black belts caught me. At the end, I was so fucking tired. I passed my Nidan test. It was good to be scared. More so in retrospect.
I said, “I love you.” to someone. I was scared inside that she didn’t love me, that I wasn’t good enough. No, she didn’t love me. I wasn’t good enough. She stayed with me until she could find the man she loved. That’s what we all want in life. I have nothing to do with what goes on inside someone else. I determine what goes on inside me. I love myself for who I am and forgive myself for who I’m not. It was good to be scared. Because, now I knew.
If I never get scared, then I never have to be brave, never have to take a glancing blow, never have to honestly look inside me. It’s safe to live in the comfort zone where everything stays the same, where nothing changes. Still, life is about change, about evolution, about becoming the greater-than version of ourselves. It’s good to be scared. It’s okay to be scared. It’s good to have a meaningful life. Have your meaningful life.
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Photo by Andrew Umansky on Unsplash
