Sometime ago I responded to a quiz in O (Oprah) magazine which asked the question, ‘What’s holding you back?’ The majority of my responses revealed what I already knew. A fear of failure.
Whether I’ve been procrastinating a long time or I’m just a late bloomer, the moniker is not as important as what it suggests. Fear of what might happen had the ability to dictate how I approached, or in some instances, completely avoided potential opportunities.
As a teenager, I used to swim at a park pool in the summer. Once I impulsively decided to try the high dive. But when I climbed the stairs and walked to the edge, I looked down and froze. Instead of jumping into the cool blue water, my feet did an about-face and led me back down the stairs. Mortified and embarrassed, I fled to the bathroom to hide until my heart stopped pounding. That’s kind of how I felt when I started working as an independent consultant. Companies were laying of. I had bills to pay and a burning question beating me on the back of my head: can I really do this on my own?
For most of my professional career, I had the safety net of a company and a steady paycheck to sustain me. That ended in 2008 when I faced a difficult challenge and survived. I have been reinventing myself ever since. (hence the Twitter moniker my3rdact). To make positive things happen, I needed to get out of my own way, made better choices – in the people I surround myself with and the battles I believe are worth fighting. It hasn’t always been easy to do; I’m a work in progress and each day gets better.
With each new venture, I gain confidence to do what I encourage in others: be true to who I am, my talents and abilities to accomplish my professional goal, plan a dream trip and learn to take risks even when I’m not certain of the outcome. It’s all part of a plan designed long ago, and not by me.
I don’t know what the next act holds for me, but there will be less hesitation when I’m faced with what I perceive is a difficult challenge. The key is to keep moving and look at each situation as an opportunity. So move to the side, doubt and worry! I have God and courage walking with me on in my journey.
This is my time. I’m ready.
“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” –
— Henry David Thoreau
I love it! Imagine life without fear of failure!!! We all owe it to ourselves.