“I must not fear.
Fear is the mind-killer.
Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration.
I will face my fear.
I will permit it to pass over me and through me.
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path.
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.”
Frank Herbert
Do you embrace your success? Do you envision yourself as being healthier, wealthier, and whatever abundance means to you? Do your successes all feel small and transient, but the greater things you desire always seem just beyond your grasp? You may be a victim of a fear of success.
This fear may be lurking in our subconscious and hard to uncover without serious probing. Yet, this fear can cause us to sabotage our efforts in pursuing our most cherished dreams.
Is the Fear of Success Sabotaging You?
Exercise:
- Think of a goal that you want to achieve.
- Then, take 20-30 minutes and answer the following question: “What would be different if I succeeded?” Make a list of everything you can think of – both the good and bad consequences of achieving your goal.
- It’s important to take at least 20 minutes to answer the question. The first few answers that come to mind will be superficial. Simply keep writing for at least 20 minutes. Put down everything that comes to mind. Nothing is too ridiculous or too small. If, after 20 minutes, you’re still getting good questions, then keep on going.
As an example, let’s imagine the goal is to save $250,000 this year. Some of the things you might include on your list:
- Be able to pay all my bills.
- Buy a newer car.
- Go away on a vacation.
- Pay more taxes.
- A family member will want a loan.
- People will treat me differently.
- Maybe a new house? But where?
- My partner will want to try to spend it all.
In your excitement, you will quickly write down some of the things you have wanted to buy, and, once you have the money, you can do that. But then, as you dig deeper into your feelings, some of the not-so-positive consequences will begin to appear on your list.
Some of these consequences will reveal things you fear.
Goals, especially new ones, are never completely free of fear. Achievement always involves change, and change frequently comes with a bit of apprehension. You may truly want to be successful, but if the feelings of fear outweigh the positive feelings in your mind, progress will be slow and challenging.
The only reason I can’t jump in and engage life is that I’ve told myself I can’t.
Yet I can’t helping wondering would happen if I told myself I could?
Craig D. Lounsbrough
Eliminating Your Fear: “What if…”
If you can find and face these apprehensions, you have the opportunity to root them out or at least minimize their impact so you can make progress better progress.
Looking directly at our fears is very powerful. The fears we refuse to acknowledge will grow stronger. Fears that are examined can be minimized, which will help us take more aggressive actions toward the completion of our heartfelt goals.
Ultimately, if we look closely at our fears, we can see that the perceived side effects are what seems scariest when pursuing goals.
So before you ditch your plans, ask yourself what would happen if you were ultimately successful.
Tackle your fears head-on and you can start achieving your dreams today!
Want to read more about success? What do successful people know and do that you don’t?
Fear can be a useful tool. But do not let it rule your life!!
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