Fear Is Not A Fact

Have you ever heard the proverb: worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but gets you nowhere? When we start to think about our dreams and hopes, the fear and worry creep in. The “what if’s” can pile on top of each other so quickly that you feel buried, causing you to give up before you have even started.

The crazy thing about fear is that it is truly “fake news.” It hasn’t happened. Not only that, it likely won’t happen. Yet the very thought of these fears can stop us dead in our tracks.

We can learn something from children when it comes to fear. A child has to learn how to do everything. If they were fearful of falling every time they took a step, a child would never learn how to walk. Somewhere along the line, as we transitioned into adults, we became fearful. It makes sense that our ancestors, who relied on survival of the fittest, had a fear of failing because their very existence likely relied on it. Thankfully, we are far from those days, however the fear remains strongly within many of us today.

Earlier this year I visited the Kennedy Space Center and was truly inspired hearing the story of how our space program came to be. Talk about having fear! Can you imagine being told you are part of a team that is going to be responsible for figuring out how to create something that not only goes into space but is safe enough for people to travel in? And if that wasn’t enough, these scientists were also given a deadline. WHAT? *Spoiler alert: there were failures, added expenses, and deadlines missed. My guess is there was also a lot of fear and worry! However, with each of those failures, came knowledge which ultimately led to a successful mission!

Mistakes Are A Part Of Success

The truth is that there is no success without risk. It doesn't matter who you are, everyone has fears and failures. That is what makes success so amazing! It involves overcoming the fears and the failures! It’s how you proceed with those fears and failures that brings about the success. Learning from mistakes is part of the success! It makes you stronger, your result stronger and provides resilience for the future!

The real failure is never starting for fear of failing. If you never start, your results are the same as if you had started and failed, except you didn’t even give yourself the chance to succeed. By trying you gain knowledge, power, understanding and new avenues to explore. By never starting you simply gain a lifetime of regret.

Don't let fear dictate your choices! Fear is not a fact!