In this Inc.com article, Bill Carmody recounts his experience of completing Tony Robbins’ firewalk and the purpose of walking over the hot coals in the wake of media coverage from the Dallas chapter of Unleash the Power Within.

According to Carmody, the Tony Robbins firewalk is about choosing to take a risk and take action in the face of your fears. Walking over the coals is about investing a small amount of pain that is transient in exchange for a powerful, permanent mental and emotional transformation.

Carmody explains that the negative press coverage of the event is a symptom of our cultural fascination with sensationalism in the media and not a reflection of any real danger. Contrary to the dominant message about the Dallas firewalk that spread in the press, Carmody points out that the event went as smoothly as the other firewalks Tony has hosted throughout the past 35 years. While it is typical to see less than 1% of participants experience “hot spots,” which are similar to sunburns and treated with aloe vera, event organizers employee onsite emergency medical personnel as a normal precautionary measure.

Carmody reports that 911 was called by someone who was unfamiliar with the firewalk process, even though there was no actual need for their presence. Of the approximately 7,000 participants at the event, only five requested examinations by the responders. There were no serious injuries and no participants were hospitalized.

Carmody finishes this op-ed with his thoughts on why the physical and emotional challenge presented by the firewalk is worth the temporary discomfort that comes with it. Any activity, even something as mundane as driving a car, has some inherent risk, so having the opportunity to face your fears in a safe environment like the Tony Robbins firewalk is worth the momentary pain if it will ultimately set you up for the next phase of your success.