Fear and Failure (Chapter 2 - Act Like a Success, Think Like a Success)

Fear and failure are both a part of success.  Even the most successful people feel fear.  They fear that even at their best, they may not be successful or they may not be accepted. 

Most people allow fear to paralyze them, but you have to make a decision:  “Am I going to face my fears and go see what my life can really be?”  or “Am I going to succumb to my fears and do exactly what I’ve always done?”

You have to go for it; at least try and attempt to win.  Don’t allow yourself to avoid getting things done simply because you fear what the outcome might be.

You have to teach yourself to go try something if there is even a remote possibility of something great happening for your life or your career.  You have to learn to convince yourself that the possibility of success is greater than the possibility of failure, and that the possibility of failure is always greater than doing nothing.  When you fail, at least you have tried to do something and at least now you know where you need to grow and how you can do better.

Warren Buffet said that he would not invest in any business where the owner hasn't failed at least twice.  Truly wealthy and successful people understand that failure is part of the process on the road to success.

Steve Jobs, during a commencement speech at a Stanford graduation, talked about how our lives are a series of dots that are constantly connecting and that all of our experiences and actions are intertwined and prepare us for moments to come.  We don't know when, where, or how our next big moment is going to show up, and its possible that God plans it that way because he knows that if we saw our big picture, it would be to much for us to grasp or handle.  Instead, we need to live with courage and faith that there is a great plan for us full of success and prosperity if we are willing to face our fears, learn from our failures, and grow into the people that we are designed to be.

We have to take the lids off our jars.

Steve Jobs - Connecting the Dots