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Jacqueline Wales, author of The Fearless Factor: Swine Flu Panic is Back – What Do You Love About Being Scared?
New York, NY
Thursday, August 27, 2009
New York City --"Watch out, because here we go again on swine flu," warns Professional Development Coach Jacqueline Wales, known as the Fearless Lady and author of The Fearless Factor, http://www.thefearlessfactor.com/, as she cites a stunning report delivered this week to the White House that says 90,000 Americans could die of swine flu in the coming months.
As Wales points out, this may be another case of our modern love of panic, as chronicled in a new book Panicology by Simon and Hugh Aldersey-Wiliams, who cite this paradox: "Modern life has greatly reduced many of the risks that humankind face, and yet it is modern life that seems to spawn most of our fears – fears of chemical, biological, and nuclear war, pollution, terrorism, climate change, and less directly, fears associated with immigration, aging, loss of cultural diversity, and much else besides."
Getting back to the swine flu, Wales reminds us that the global panic we saw this spring was similar to mad cow disease and then bird flu, which was trumpeted in its time as something that could wipe out a large proportion of the Earth's population. In the end, the bird flu killed less than 300 people worldwide. Meanwhile, the regular flu claims more than 30,000 people each winter. Hardly worth a sneeze, is it, she asks?
Yet, Wales notes that Dr. Harold Varmus, co-chairman of the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology has pushed the panic button again in an exclusive interview this week to the New York Daily News, warning "This flu could be extremely dangerous. It needs to be taken seriously."
The report that Dr. Varmus co-authored goes on to predict that half of all Americans will get the H1N1 virus and 1.8 million will end up in the hospital, stressing
the health care system. Concerns now seem to be focused on whether the swine flu vaccine will be ready on time and in what quantities and who should be immunized first.
Wales insists that we should resist the calls to panic, adding in a blog this spring about the original swine flu panic: "We worry, stress and over-inflate the drama of threat and risk in our lives. Why? Does it give us a thrill? Does it give meaning to our lives? What do people love about being scared all the time? Do you feel more alive? Are we so numb in our lives, that any thrill is better than none?"
As Wales concludes, "I don't know the answers to this, but I do agree with the authors of Panicology that all too often the panic levels far exceed the actual risk involved. In many cases, the risk could be reduced or eliminated by exercising personal control. But that would be asking too much, wouldn't it?"
About Jacqueline Wales
Jacqueline Wales is known the world over as The Black Belt Millionaire. Her unique programs have helped women around the globe develop strong personal success, confident communication and clear visions of their goals. Jacqueline has successfully made the leap from author and caretaker to being an extraordinary force in the women's self-help movement. Wales is the author of five books, holds a red belt in Tai Kwon Do and a black belt in Shotokan karate, and as a professional singer has sung in front of thousands of people. As a regular contributor to Boomerliving.com and other online magazines, she has had the opportunity to share her knowledge and expertise through media outlets such as ABC Business Week Weekend, PBS Nightly Business Report, as well as various radio shows including Martha Stewart Living Radio, The Three Broads, Dr. Pat Show, Karen Salmonson, The Louie Jones Show and Women Power Talk Radio among others. She is host of her own weekly radio show Fearlessly Speaking on Achieve Radio and lives in New York. You can learn more about Jacqueline Wales on her website at http://www.thefearlessfactor.com
Contact: Janet Andrew, RAMedia jan@ramediaonline.com 917-803-9980
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As Wales points out, this may be another case of our modern love of panic, as chronicled in a new book Panicology by Simon and Hugh Aldersey-Wiliams, who cite this paradox: "Modern life has greatly reduced many of the risks that humankind face, and yet it is modern life that seems to spawn most of our fears – fears of chemical, biological, and nuclear war, pollution, terrorism, climate change, and less directly, fears associated with immigration, aging, loss of cultural diversity, and much else besides."
Getting back to the swine flu, Wales reminds us that the global panic we saw this spring was similar to mad cow disease and then bird flu, which was trumpeted in its time as something that could wipe out a large proportion of the Earth's population. In the end, the bird flu killed less than 300 people worldwide. Meanwhile, the regular flu claims more than 30,000 people each winter. Hardly worth a sneeze, is it, she asks?
Yet, Wales notes that Dr. Harold Varmus, co-chairman of the President's Council of Advisers on Science and Technology has pushed the panic button again in an exclusive interview this week to the New York Daily News, warning "This flu could be extremely dangerous. It needs to be taken seriously."
The report that Dr. Varmus co-authored goes on to predict that half of all Americans will get the H1N1 virus and 1.8 million will end up in the hospital, stressing
the health care system. Concerns now seem to be focused on whether the swine flu vaccine will be ready on time and in what quantities and who should be immunized first.
Wales insists that we should resist the calls to panic, adding in a blog this spring about the original swine flu panic: "We worry, stress and over-inflate the drama of threat and risk in our lives. Why? Does it give us a thrill? Does it give meaning to our lives? What do people love about being scared all the time? Do you feel more alive? Are we so numb in our lives, that any thrill is better than none?"
As Wales concludes, "I don't know the answers to this, but I do agree with the authors of Panicology that all too often the panic levels far exceed the actual risk involved. In many cases, the risk could be reduced or eliminated by exercising personal control. But that would be asking too much, wouldn't it?"
About Jacqueline Wales
Jacqueline Wales is known the world over as The Black Belt Millionaire. Her unique programs have helped women around the globe develop strong personal success, confident communication and clear visions of their goals. Jacqueline has successfully made the leap from author and caretaker to being an extraordinary force in the women's self-help movement. Wales is the author of five books, holds a red belt in Tai Kwon Do and a black belt in Shotokan karate, and as a professional singer has sung in front of thousands of people. As a regular contributor to Boomerliving.com and other online magazines, she has had the opportunity to share her knowledge and expertise through media outlets such as ABC Business Week Weekend, PBS Nightly Business Report, as well as various radio shows including Martha Stewart Living Radio, The Three Broads, Dr. Pat Show, Karen Salmonson, The Louie Jones Show and Women Power Talk Radio among others. She is host of her own weekly radio show Fearlessly Speaking on Achieve Radio and lives in New York. You can learn more about Jacqueline Wales on her website at http://www.thefearlessfactor.com
Contact: Janet Andrew, RAMedia jan@ramediaonline.com 917-803-9980
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Jacqueline Wales
Founder
The Fearless Factor
New York, NY
212-740-7085
