FEAR
We all have the ability to reach our goals. Too many times what stands between us and our destination is within ourselves. Previously, I had written a post about silencing the recurring old tapes in our minds. In many cases, it is those nasty little comments we silently tell ourselves that stops us from succeeding. Furthermore, those old tapes stop us dead in our tracks before we even make an effort to do something different than our norm.
Fear of Change
Complacency is comfortable. We are all provided amazing opportunities..however it is what we do with those opportunities that sets us apart from others. Do you remember what you wanted to be when you grew up? Are you doing it? What happened to your dreams? For the majority of people, blending in with the crowd continues to be more comfortable. Therefore anything that makes us stand out puts on too much pressure, hence we stay frozen in place.
New relationships, relocation or even accepting a new position at work can send many of you into an anxiety ridden tailspin. Why? Because we fear the unknown. We doubt ourselves. We are comfortable just where we are and whether we are happy or not fails to play into the dynamics.
Fear of Failure
Much as failure is a part of life, the majority of us don’t handle it well. I don’t know one person that easily accepts failure. Essentially, it feels like we are letting those old tapes win and giving credence to anyone who didn’t think we would be successful. However, what if we changed our perspective? What if we began to see failure for what it is? First of all, an opportunity to learn, furthermore an opportunity to improve.
Imagine what would have happened in Michael Jordan gave up when he missed a shot? We could all learn from his words of wisdom and his determination.
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed”. Michael Jordan
Fear of Success
To me, this is the most powerful realm of fear. Virtually everyone I know who has begun a new adventure initially panics and wants to backpedal. Rather than move forward with blinders on, the majority of us become paralyzed by an inexplicable fear of succeeding. Why? What if we do succeed? First of all, becoming successful further sets us apart from our comfort zone. Becoming successful draws attention to us and raises people’s expectations, while additionally raising our own expectations.
God gave you the gift of life and an unlimited ability to achieve your dreams. He did not create you to fail, nor has He instilled fear within you. It is my opinion that when God places a dream within us, we are to go after it. Therefore, when we sense a feeling of fear, we need to pray. We need to reach out to those who support us, and we need to erase those nasty old tapes.
Let’s remember the wise words from an unknown source…
“But what if I fail?
Oh my darling, but what if you fly?”