What does it mean to live fearlessly? Can you ever get to a point where you feel empowered and bold to stand in and, on your truth, regardless of how other people may feel about it?
At 29 years old, I smile, reflecting on my journey because of how far I have come. From a timid teen, who could barely get two sentences out between shaky breaths and clammy palms when faced with an audience to becoming a teacher, oozing confidence and control in the face of my students. The classroom has become a home, a predictable space that I feel safe in and which I have an understanding of.
Yet, when thrown into foreign spaces, I feel the distant yet familiar galloping of my heart and the ticking in my head. I understand this feeling to be FEAR, specifically -FEAR OF FAILING.
What if I say the wrong thing? What if I stumble over my words? What is the most intelligent way of framing my thoughts? Is my body posture going to reveal my insecurities?
According to Psychology Today Writers, 60% of all adults admit to having at least one unreasonable fear. To some, the fear of failing may seem irrational and even small, yet for those experiencing it, its effects can be debilitating and may influence the entire trajectory of a person's life.
The symptoms of this fear may manifest in different ways, such as, experiencing anxiety, avoidance, feeling a loss of control, helplessness, powerlessness among other things. Regardless of how it presents, it provides us with only two possible pathways. We either choose to let the fear stifle us and the unfulfilled dreams that lay dormant on the other side of the FEAR, or we conquer the fear and reap the successes that are succinct to the mental, physical, spiritual and even financial growth that we will experience as a result of facing the fear.
I recall coming across Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts reflection of the preparation period leading up to Women Evolve 2024. This was her sixth year of hosting the conference, yet she felt the jitters, and anxiety of wanting the event to be a success.
The fear of failure has no respect for financial status, race or experience. It comes to us all. But it is in no way, a determining factor for the level of success that can be achieved. Nothing beats a failure but a try!
Here are a few tips to guide you in your journey of overcoming your fear of failure:
1) Reflection - Identify the fear and redefine your understanding of success. Failure to achieve an intended goal can be success if we learnt the lessons that accompanied it.
Through failing to achieve a target, you learn one way that does not work but opens you up to a world of other possibilities.
2) Positive Self Talk - If you can conceive it, you can achieve it. Success starts in your mind. If you believe in yourself, you have already won.
3) Meditation - Be intentional about the information that you allow to enter your mind whether consciously or subconsciously. Feed your mind with positive, uplifting information.
4) Find Support Groups -We thrive when we are surrounded by progressive and like-minded people.
5) Seek Professional Help - Find a mentor or someone who has done it successfully before or has in depth knowledge on how to conquer your fear. With intentionality, the fear of failure can be successfully mastered, and you can live a life of fearlessness and experience unbounded success.
