Do you know failure is your friend? Right now, you’re probably either laughing out loud or cringing. You probably have this almost irresistible urge not to read this article. 
Well, hear me out. Most people are afraid of failure. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure that out. This is part of the human condition. It draws us to pleasure and causes us to recoil from pain.
We would love a big mansion, a swimming pool, global vacations every two months, and tons of money in the bank, but we hate the idea of having to work as hard as we would have to in order to have those things. We try to avoid putting in day-after-day at the office doing work that is meaningless to us. We try to avoid meeting with the very difficult people that can lead to great deals but are miserable to deal with. We would like to get the reward without going through the painful process. I understand that. It’s part of human nature.
We’re afraid of failure because we know nothing is guaranteed. We can put in the work, the time, the effort and make all the sacrifices and at the end of that process, there could be nothing there. We’re left holding an empty bag, but we’re already failing right now if we’re not shooting for our goals and dreams. We really are failing because every day we spend being paralyzed by failure is a day not spent working towards success.
Fear of failure can paralyze us and make us do things the wrong way. The worst thing we can do is put things off and wait for the ‘right time,’ but that right time never comes.
Stop waiting for tomorrow because tomorrow will never come. There will be many duties, responsibilities, and obligations that will pop up and distract us. They will throw us off track. You can bet on that.
Fear of failure can also make you hesitate and doubt yourself. Doubt is an emotional cancer. It can burn away at you. The worst part is it builds slowly until it explodes when you least expect it and you end up crashing and burning. Don’t doubt your capabilities. Challenge yourself but don’t doubt.
The ultimate truth about you is that you can do it if you put in the time, effort, sacrifice and choose the right goals. Unfortunately, if you’re so deathly afraid of failure, you won’t go through the learning process. You don’t even give yourself the chance to make it. It’s painful.
Successful People Think Differently
Successful people don’t fear failure. Believe it or not, successful people know failure is always a possibility but what do they do? They attempt it anyway and make it work for them. They view failure as the price they pay to learn.
If you want a good example of this, pay attention to the quote from Thomas Edison that says, “I didn’t fail to invent the light bulb. I discovered 101 ways of not inventing light bulbs.” Do you see the logic in that? Failure is the price you pay to learn.
You can use it as a stepping stone to the ultimate success or you can use it as a grave stone to all your hopes, wishes, dreams, and ambitions. The truth is successful people view failure as a necessity and a friend.
You are more than enough!
Judi Moreo is a keynote speaker, creativity coach, and the author of “You Are More Than Enough: Every Woman’s Guide to Purpose, Passion, and Power.” She can be contacted at judi@judimoreo.com or 702-896-2228.
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