The fear of failure is more deadly than failure itself. The fear of failure paints so many imaginary scenarios which petrifies you and renders you immobile. Most folks have buried their dreams because of the fear of failure, which graduates into the fear of stepping out.
Failure is simply giving in, in the face a setback or contrary outcome. Consequently we are the ones that turn an event into a failure. We get to decide if this is failure, or not and not the circumstances around us. We are the referees in this matter. We hold the whistle, and the referee's decision is final.
In summary, you have not failed, until you give in. Go back, if you will and review every event you have ever considered a failure in your life, or through observing events that happened in history, or to people you know. You will find out that somewhere, someplace somebody gave up.
You can fail a thousand times in a quest. That project can never be regarded as a failure, if you keep attempting till you win. Nobody remembers how many times you tried, the day you win. Abraham Lincoln can never be de-listed from the roll call of past American presidents, simply because he did not make it at first attempt. There are many fine politicians that gave up on the American presidency, and moved on with their lives. They gave up. One can say that their attempt at the presidency was a failure, though they may have learnt a lot of valuable lessons on the way, that will help them succeed in future endeavors.
There is no easy road to anything worthwhile. You are sure to encounter obstacles and setbacks. It is not a matter of if, but when. They sure will show up sometime. You can bank on that. The only thing you can do, is prepare for setbacks, and resolve to stand up each time you fall.
We are all afraid of something. We all have our fears. Some fears are normal. They are in built for self-preservation. Fear keeps us from running into a busy freeway, jumping off cliffs or bridges without a parachute, or into a forest fire. These fears keep us away from harm. Fear becomes fatal when it holds us back from moving forward, especially in the direction of our dreams. The fear of failure is deadly. It creates unrealistic scenarios in your mind.
Take your mind back, to all the things you have been afraid of. How many of them have come to pass? Statisticians say that more than 90 percent of what we are afraid of never come to pass. Some of these fears hold us back, but they are phantom fears. For the real fears, the best way to deal with them, is face them head on. If something scares you, go back and take a closer look, you will discover it is not so scary anymore.
If your worst fear is being laid off from your job, start preparing for it. Start saving, investing and creating multiple streams of income. You will find out that the fear of downsizing fades away, since you are ready for it. If it indeed does come, it will not be a big deal or calamity. You are ready for it. You have enough funds to tide you over for six months or more. You have other income coming in apart from your salary. You simply continue minding your own business, literally. You may decide to be on your own, or look for another job. You are not under any pressure to make that decision, because your livelihood is not under any threat.
If your worst fear is losing money, you face it by gaining more knowledge in the area that you are operating. Your risk decreases, as you become more knowledgeable and skillful. You become more in charge of the process. This gives you more confidence. Your are no longer gambling, you are taking an informed risk. You cut your losses, and increase your profit. Your confidence soars further.
If your worst fear is that your business venture will not succeed, start small. Begin from home. That way, you are not burdened by office and payroll costs. Your overhead is minimal. You step out gradually, and if they are any losses, they are minimal. You catch the lessons, and move one. You gradually increase your scope of operations as you become more experienced and in control. Before you know it, you need more hands, and a larger space to operate. You go for it?
Do not allow the fear of failure to keep you in one inglorious spot. Step out.
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step" -Chinese proverb
If a thousand miles is too daunting to contemplate, break it into steps, and take it one step at a time. The size of the steps are not standard, you get to decide. Take a step that is comfortable for you.
"If you cannot fly, run, if you cannot run, walk, if you cannot walk, crawl,by all means keep moving" -Martin Luther King Jnr.
If you remain on the same spot year in, year out, you are simply going nowhere. Keep moving. Time is the most importance resource you have. When your time is out, it is all over. You have no one, but yourself to blame, if you stay rooted in one spot.
Don't be afraid of failure. It is part of the process. What you should be afraid of, is fear itself.
Usiere Uko is the webmaster of the Financial Freedom Inspiration website and editor of the monthly Financial Freedom Inspiration Newsletter, a free ezine to inspire you to exit the rat race and fulfill your God given dreams. To subscribe or visit the site, please click on the URL below. http://www.financial-freedom-inspiration.com