| The fear of failure is probably one of the biggest | | | | no else finds out. Nobody wants to look stupid and |
| reasons why most people never even start to | | | | be a failure, right? Unfortunately this mentality is |
| pursue their dreams. This fear is not always a | | | | prevalent in our society and with the pressure of |
| conscious fear but mostly an unconscious reaction | | | | being loved, we all learn to do things, almost |
| that prevents you from taking the very actions that | | | | automatically, that what we believe will be safe. The |
| will lead to the achievement of your goals. What | | | | truth is that most people don't want to be left |
| happens is that the majority of people never even | | | | behind and they are all to happy to see you "fail." |
| start to pursue their dreams as the mountain of | | | | By society's standards, all the great successes in the |
| success seems too big to climb and the road to | | | | world are actually "failures" in that they failed |
| success too long to travel. So, they start finding | | | | numerous times before they succeeded. When you |
| excuses and blame their position on events and | | | | realize that failure is part of the process of success |
| circumstances. For them, living an extraordinary life is | | | | you can start to use it by anticipating it and not |
| something that is "given" to other "lucky" people. | | | | allowing any so called failure to defer you from your |
| Even the few who do eventually draw the line and | | | | goals and your vision. Napoleon Hill, after studying |
| take responsibility for their destiny run into fear along | | | | more than 500 of the most successful individuals in |
| the way. The way you deal with your fear will | | | | the world concluded that persistence is one of the |
| determine whether you "make it" or not. | | | | key characteristics for success. The ability to keep |
| The only way to eventually make any change in your | | | | going regardless of unfavourable outcomes to your |
| life is to take action. Dreaming and hoping won't do | | | | actions is a mindset and a testament to your |
| anything for you apart from making yourself feel | | | | emotional strength. It is therefore not a capability but |
| more out of control. Having the desire for something | | | | a skill that you develop as part of your character. |
| and not being able to have and experience it is the | | | | They key to taking consistent action is to not try |
| ultimate pain in life. Fulfilment in life comes from | | | | and overcome your fears but to embrace them. One |
| fulfilling your needs and desires elegantly; from | | | | of the most empowering beliefs you can adopt to |
| wanting something and then having the ability to get | | | | assist you in becoming more action minded, is to |
| it and enjoy getting it. The main reason why most | | | | realize that there are no failures, only results. Every |
| people never take action is because of their fears. | | | | action will produce a result and you are the judge and |
| Fear gets installed by our interpretations of feedback | | | | jury as to what that result means. Thomas Edison |
| that we get from taking action. The key word being | | | | was the master of this belief. He "failed" more than a |
| interpretation. When you take action you always get | | | | thousand times in trying to invent an electric light |
| a result. Whether the result is a success or a failure is | | | | bulb. He just never saw any of his experiments as |
| entirely up to your interpretation. The quality of your | | | | failures, but merely saw them as stepping stones; as |
| life is not determined by the events of your life, but | | | | a series of results that he had to learn from. He |
| by your interpretation of what these events and | | | | trusted that if he kept on going he will eventually |
| experiences mean. People build up fears by | | | | achieve the desired result. Although he was ridiculed |
| misinterpreting the results of their actions. If they | | | | by all his peers he had persistence and knew that he |
| don't achieve exactly their desired outcome after the | | | | cannot fail as long as he keeps taking action. |
| first or second try they will "train" themselves to | | | | Success or failure is never based on the outcome of |
| avoid it altogether. Think of fear is your personal | | | | the situation but rather on your beliefs about what |
| bodyguard that keeps you from doing things that | | | | constitutes success or failure. If there are no failures |
| can be potentially painful. By making the wrong | | | | what would you attempt that you feared in the |
| linkages to actions and outcomes you actually instruct | | | | past? If you had the belief that there are no failures |
| your unconscious bodyguard to protect you and | | | | but only results what would you attempt to do? The |
| keep you from taking action. | | | | number one reason why people fail is not because of |
| The ironic thing is that most people don't even really | | | | ability, talent or resources; but because they never |
| judge the outcomes of their actions subjectively. | | | | even take the first step. They are immobilized by |
| They learn to judge outcomes by what is considered | | | | their fear of failing and looking bad. Can it be that not |
| failure or success by their own peer group. This | | | | taking action and spending a lifetime wanting |
| explains why most people will try something once or | | | | something in vain be the ultimate failure? What if |
| twice and if they don't achieve their desired outcome | | | | taking action and producing a result means success |
| they will never try it again. If they do they hope that | | | | and procrastination means failure? You get to choose. |