Michelle Obama understands fear is something you have to grab by the reins.
The former first lady recently touched on the vulnerable topic discussed in her upcoming book, The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, getting candid about the "monster" in her mind she works to override.
In an exclusive sneak peak of her interview with ABC News' Robin Roberts set to air Nov. 13, Michelle shared, "To put that quote in context, it's in the chapter that's called Decoding Fear because that monster that I'm talking about is my fearful mind."
But the Becoming author knows a life without hesitation is a dangerous one, explaining that she feels fear has two sides.
"Fear, as I explore, is an important tool. It's an important emotion because when used properly, it keeps us safe. It raises a warning bell that says, 'Don't go. Don't do that. Don't,'" she explained. "But the other side of fear, if we don't really understand it, is that fear can keep us stuck. And it's that fearful mind of getting stuck and not being able to move outside of your comfort zone that I refer to as that I have to fight back against that."
However, battling fear isn't something achieved overnight. As Michelle noted, when people ask her how she has the courage to do what she does, she points in the direction of consistency.
"It's practice," she states in the preview clip. "It is every-day practice to silence the ‘no' in your own head, the thing that is telling you 'Don't try that new thing. Don't risk that thing. Don't meet that new person. Don't try to understand someone who is like you.'"
As Michelle shared, those very thoughts can often be disguised as something they're not.
"All of that is grounded in our fearful mind mistaking what could be protection as just, 'I don't want new,'" she added. "And so, I too have had to learn to wrestle that fearful mind down."
Michelle's "20/20" special, Michelle Obama: The Light We Carry, A Conversation with Robin Roberts will air Nov. 13 on ABC.