Why do we fear failure so much? Why aren't we so eager to complete our goals and achieve our desires that the fear of failure can't hold us back?
Failure - Lack of success or non-success...
Yes, that's the definition and I get that but I have to call a little bull on that statement. I believe it should read...
Failure - Lack of success in that moment or non-success at that time..
Its not a permanent statement but a conditional statement. Yes you may fail or you may have failed but what if we viewed that more as a stepping stone and less as a final statement and the end to the story.
Failure isn't permanent, we ALWAYS have the option to begin again and again. We can easily see failure as rejection instead of refinement.
Is your definition of failure based on someone else's story or achievements? Is it a fear of pass/fail or comparison that is holding you back?
**I have a whole other blog post about how comparison is our greatest thief if you'd like to check that out but here were talking about failure.
Back to our main topic, why do we fear failure so much? I asked a few of my friends that exact question and here are some of the responses, see if any resonate with you.
1. Fearing that after failure I will be worse off than I am now.
2. Fearing the judgment of others after failing, The behind the back conversations from those around me.
3. Fearing letting myself or others down that believe in me or depend on me.
4. Fearing what the outcome may actually be.
5. Fearing that I will be labeled as a failure.
Elbert Hubbard said:
" The greatest mistake that you can make in life, is to be in continual fear that you will make one"
PREACH!! I Love that statement, The only way we can truly fail, in that permanent failure kind of way is to let fear of failure control our lives and never step out in the first place.
What would you do in life if you knew that you could NOT fail?
What does the bible say about failure..
Well one verses that hits it pretty hard is
**Matthew 19:26 " With God ALL things are possible"
Does that speak loud enough for you, Why do we limit Gods capabilities when He tells us up front that with HIM all things are possible.
**Philippians 4:13 " I can do ALL things through HIM who gives me strength"
Its perfectly ok to fail at times or fail at things, but it is in no way ok to be a failure. That is to live in defeat! We are not called to be defeated, We are called to live in victory because our battle has already been won!
As Christians we are not immune to failure, God doesn't promise us a life without sorrow. He does tell us however to "shake the dust from our feet".
God says to be like the lilies in a field of sparrows. He feeds them, gives them what they need and they don't even consider not having it.
WOW!! to live in a mindset of failure not even being a thought, maybe a little unrealistic but what about not being in fear of failure and not letting it control us. That's a definite possibility.
Once again, Failure is in no way the same as being defeated. Being defeated is when you are unwilling or unable to stand up and try again.
Fearing failure should never be an excuse to not try. You are literally cutting your possibilities short and cutting yourself short all because of an emotional response.
And honestly think about what is the worst possible outcome, is it really that bad? Can you overcome that? Then why let failure hold you back.
We are in every way possible molded by our failures, We can learn from them and refine our lives by the moments success was not achieved.
Also look within yourself, We can easily set ourselves up for failure with self-doubt. We can fail before we even try. We are called to be bold, We are called to be warriors. If a warrior goes in to battle full of self doubt then there is a much higher chance that he will be defeated. But if he is confident not only in who he is but who his God is, he enters that battlefield with his shoulders back, head held high, sword drawn and is unstoppable. Be confident in not only who you are but who you are in Christ, in who He has called you to be.
Failure does not define us, it is our reaction to failure that determines what comes next, sometimes we cannot get rid of the fear and just have to do it afraid. Failure is an opportunity to grow and should be treated that way, I have even heard successful people say that we should welcome failure because without it we can take things for granted, failure has a bad reputation. Don't take failure personally, it is part of life don't become victimized by it.
I want to encourage you with this, don't let the fear of a possibility stop you from achieving anything. When we fear failure we are actually just fearing a possibility, it is not a definite outcome just the possibility of one. Think about it this way, you are actually fearing something that may never come to pass, something that may not even be apart of that journey. You are holding yourself back by a "maybe" or a "what if". If we think of it in that way it almost sounds ridiculous and we are imprisoning ourselves!
Failure can benefit us in so many ways, YES I said benefit.
It can give us discernment, helping us to really decide if we desire a specific goal.
Its refines and strengthens us.
It can help us conquer shame and self doubt.
It can help us buckle down, work harder and accomplish the goal with even more tenacity than before.
Failure isn't the end to our success but only a stepping stone on the path to our success.
One thing for sure is that we will all fail at some point, If we haven't already, It can happen over and over at times. What matters is, how we respond to that failure. Do we dust off our feet, hold our head high and begin again or do we accept defeat?
What would you do if you knew that you could not fail?
Are you willing to do it afraid?
Why do we truly fear failure and is it worth the risk?
Failure - Lack of success or non-success...
Yes, that's the definition and I get that but I have to call a little bull on that statement. I believe it should read...
Failure - Lack of success in that moment or non-success at that time..
Its not a permanent statement but a conditional statement. Yes you may fail or you may have failed but what if we viewed that more as a stepping stone and less as a final statement and the end to the story.
Failure isn't permanent, we ALWAYS have the option to begin again and again. We can easily see failure as rejection instead of refinement.
Is your definition of failure based on someone else's story or achievements? Is it a fear of pass/fail or comparison that is holding you back?
**I have a whole other blog post about how comparison is our greatest thief if you'd like to check that out but here were talking about failure.
Back to our main topic, why do we fear failure so much? I asked a few of my friends that exact question and here are some of the responses, see if any resonate with you.
1. Fearing that after failure I will be worse off than I am now.
2. Fearing the judgment of others after failing, The behind the back conversations from those around me.
3. Fearing letting myself or others down that believe in me or depend on me.
4. Fearing what the outcome may actually be.
5. Fearing that I will be labeled as a failure.
Elbert Hubbard said:
" The greatest mistake that you can make in life, is to be in continual fear that you will make one"
PREACH!! I Love that statement, The only way we can truly fail, in that permanent failure kind of way is to let fear of failure control our lives and never step out in the first place.
What would you do in life if you knew that you could NOT fail?
What does the bible say about failure..
Well one verses that hits it pretty hard is
**Matthew 19:26 " With God ALL things are possible"
Does that speak loud enough for you, Why do we limit Gods capabilities when He tells us up front that with HIM all things are possible.
**Philippians 4:13 " I can do ALL things through HIM who gives me strength"
Its perfectly ok to fail at times or fail at things, but it is in no way ok to be a failure. That is to live in defeat! We are not called to be defeated, We are called to live in victory because our battle has already been won!
As Christians we are not immune to failure, God doesn't promise us a life without sorrow. He does tell us however to "shake the dust from our feet".
God says to be like the lilies in a field of sparrows. He feeds them, gives them what they need and they don't even consider not having it.
WOW!! to live in a mindset of failure not even being a thought, maybe a little unrealistic but what about not being in fear of failure and not letting it control us. That's a definite possibility.
Once again, Failure is in no way the same as being defeated. Being defeated is when you are unwilling or unable to stand up and try again.
Fearing failure should never be an excuse to not try. You are literally cutting your possibilities short and cutting yourself short all because of an emotional response.
And honestly think about what is the worst possible outcome, is it really that bad? Can you overcome that? Then why let failure hold you back.
We are in every way possible molded by our failures, We can learn from them and refine our lives by the moments success was not achieved.
Also look within yourself, We can easily set ourselves up for failure with self-doubt. We can fail before we even try. We are called to be bold, We are called to be warriors. If a warrior goes in to battle full of self doubt then there is a much higher chance that he will be defeated. But if he is confident not only in who he is but who his God is, he enters that battlefield with his shoulders back, head held high, sword drawn and is unstoppable. Be confident in not only who you are but who you are in Christ, in who He has called you to be.
Failure does not define us, it is our reaction to failure that determines what comes next, sometimes we cannot get rid of the fear and just have to do it afraid. Failure is an opportunity to grow and should be treated that way, I have even heard successful people say that we should welcome failure because without it we can take things for granted, failure has a bad reputation. Don't take failure personally, it is part of life don't become victimized by it.
I want to encourage you with this, don't let the fear of a possibility stop you from achieving anything. When we fear failure we are actually just fearing a possibility, it is not a definite outcome just the possibility of one. Think about it this way, you are actually fearing something that may never come to pass, something that may not even be apart of that journey. You are holding yourself back by a "maybe" or a "what if". If we think of it in that way it almost sounds ridiculous and we are imprisoning ourselves!
Failure can benefit us in so many ways, YES I said benefit.
It can give us discernment, helping us to really decide if we desire a specific goal.
Its refines and strengthens us.
It can help us conquer shame and self doubt.
It can help us buckle down, work harder and accomplish the goal with even more tenacity than before.
Failure isn't the end to our success but only a stepping stone on the path to our success.
One thing for sure is that we will all fail at some point, If we haven't already, It can happen over and over at times. What matters is, how we respond to that failure. Do we dust off our feet, hold our head high and begin again or do we accept defeat?
What would you do if you knew that you could not fail?
Are you willing to do it afraid?
Why do we truly fear failure and is it worth the risk?
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