I have preached in the past
that fear can be the greatest limiting factor in a person's success. You might have
heard that entrepreneurs, extreme sports enthusiast, and CEOs alike do not feel
fear; this has to do with how they are wired. I personally live by the
principle that if you feel fear, then you are going to be averse to taking any risks
thereby limiting your success. It reminds me of a joke from the TV series Seinfeld
- in which the airhostess, while closing the curtain to the business class
section, gives an expression that fundamentally says, "If only you had
worked a little harder."
I believe that the true road
to success is not just the desire to succeed, but also the fear of
failure.
As I have entered this next
phase in my life, I have become much more reflective of my personal
philosophies and what made me succeed in some endeavors yet fail at others. I
have been thinking a lot more about what motivates me to succeed. What makes me
wake up every morning and keep pushing myself to go further? Part of what
motivates me is the fear of failure. This makes me wonder, without the fear of
failure would I have done everything I could to succeed? If you let fear
stop you from pursuing a goal, then it is definitely a inhibitor. However, if
it helps you plan and execute better, and motivates you to give 100% in order
to succeed then fear can be a powerful thing.
Let’s say your fear for
failure doesn’t motivate you enough to get you over the top, and you end up
failing. Now what? It is your response to failure, which will eventually define
you. As a leader you are bound to fail eventually no matter how smart you
are. If you have not failed then you have not pushed yourself outside your
comfort zone. That said you then need to fight back. If one approach does not
work, try another. Rather than letting failure stop you, let it prepare you
better for the next battle. This will invariably lead you to greater success.
In my experience failure also
helps you find out who your real friends are. I tend to test people in small
ways. I ask them for help during a small crunch or rough spot even if I can
handle it, just to see their response. You can judge a person's character and their
dependability in this way. If a person is not available to provide a shoulder
when you are down, will they really be there when you are going through a major
crisis? The true strength of a relationship only gets tested in the face of
strong adversity. Failure also teaches you empathy. It teaches you to be
modest. It makes you realize that the most beautiful thing in life is when
someone cares about you unconditionally.
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