Failure is Not an Option

Failure is Not an Option!

What would you do differently if you knew with certainty that you couldn’t fail?  Would the concept of fear be relegated to a mere afterthought?  Would you step out boldly, knowing that you’d accomplish anything you put your mind to?

Fear is said to be the number one obstacle to our successes.  Fear prevents or significantly affects the decisions we make to accomplish an objective.  Yet, despite knowing this, we often allow fear to control the very direction we take in the decision process.  Giving in to fear can lead to failure.  And that should never be an option!

First, let me say there’s absolutely nothing wrong with fear…as long as it’s recognized for what it is.  Allow it to become an obstacle to your dreams and desires, and it takes on a life of limitation, doubt, and insufficiency.  Put in its place however, fear can serve as a useful internal warning system that serves to alert us to obstacles or hurdles we must overcome to achieve our objectives, goals, and desires. 

Fear is also a very revealing indicator of our level or amount of adequate preparation.  Think about it…if you’re afraid to fly solo, is it because you haven’t had enough education, training, or practice?  Or is it simply a fact that it is indeed the first time you will “fly” by yourself?  If you’re not adequately prepared, go back and do your homework!  If you are adequately prepared, then use fear as the tool it is to keep your awareness high and your reactions sharp!  In other words, feel the fear and do it anyway!

Define your fear.  Determine just what it is that you’re afraid of and use it to your advantage instead of allowing it to become your disadvantage.  Are your fears specific or more broadly defined?  Are they based in reality or are they assumed?  After all, we tend to overinflate or overestimate our fears.  If you fear something specific, find out why you’re afraid of it and address it head on.  Are you afraid to talk to someone for some reason?  Your boss, a group of people, your friend, or an important business prospect… 

Don’t allow fear to rob you of the successes and experiences you deserve.   If your fear is non-specific – for example, the fear of failure – then I encourage you to break that down to a more manageable definition in order to be better able to react to and master it with specificity.  There’s little to compare with the feeling of overcoming your fear and feeling the power of your convictions supported by a dose of confidence.  You can do this!

 I think if we simply redefine “failure” and its negative connotation, and choose instead, to look at it from a positive aspect; we’ll learn to accept it as an element that sometimes shows up to correct our path and offer lessons to improve our focus.  I don’t typically care for the term “failure” so I’ll often refer to the condition of failure as a “temporary setback” or “learning opportunity” which actually better defines the term anyway. 

You may have heard the term “failing forward” used instructionally.  Now there’s a phrase that puts things into perspective.  You see, we can choose to allow “failure” to be an excuse to quit altogether or we can choose to accept the lesson it offers (there’s always a lesson) and use it to move forward with confidence toward our goals or objectives. 

Ever heard the phrase, “where there’s a will, there’s a way?”  Life is full of examples where people have consistently demonstrated the sheer will to drive through the obstacles to connect with the desires of their dreams and aspirations.  How do they do it while others seem to fall short?  It may all come down to how each handles the “setback” or “lesson.” Quit…or learn and re-group.  Accept discouragement…or find a solution.  The choice is yours.

So what would you do if you knew with certainty that you couldn’t fail?  How would that knowledge and confidence change your life?  How would it change the decisions you make?  I encourage you to reach down deep and take stock of the things you’ve set aside or forgotten altogether because of the fear of failure.  Was it really a closed door or was it a lesson in disguise?  Do not allow the perception of fear to block you from an otherwise abundant life!

Until next time!

- G -

“Courage is not the absence of fear.  It is action in spite of fear.”

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