Failure. Why are we so afraid of it? What does it even mean to fail?
It means we don’t meet our own expectations for ourselves.
Because of fear, we may lower our expectations and try to live a life that feels safer or more comfortable.
But a life of low expectations is boring and not the only option.
What if we celebrated our failures?
Not the failure to try, but the failure that comes from trying, falling short, and then learning and growing from it.
When babies first try to walk, they always fail. They haven’t built up the strength to support their bodies yet. It’s only by getting up again and again that they build the muscles they need to walk.
If you always reach your goals, it might be an indicator that they’re too small. If your goals don’t scare you or feel impossible, they’re probably just to-do list items. Goals are made to stretch you.
Are you good at failing? I’m getting better at it. I had at least 5 big fails this last month…. If I can keep that up, I’ll sure learn a lot!
So really, the fear of failure is only the fear of a negative emotion that we might feel like disappointment or inadequacy.
It’s an irrational fear because you can decide how to feel about your failures or what you make them mean about you.
Do you realize, you can just decide now to feel proud of yourself for trying, either way?
Who knows, maybe it’ll turn out so much better than you expected! In the long run it certainly will if you don’t give up.
Interestingly enough, my favorite definition of confidence is “being willing to fail in front of other people.” It takes practice. Happy failing!