The Fear of Success vs. The Fear of Failure
On my recent trip to Tennessee, I spent a long time driving silently, listening to the wind, and being alone with my thoughts (despite a car full of kids amazingly).
During this time, I reflected on a YouTube short I had posted, which received a comment questioning what I was talking about. I realized my point might not have been evident in such a short video, so I’d like to explain it here.
The main idea I was trying to communicate is that the world, including our friends and family, may only partially want us to succeed. They might be happy for us to an extent, but there’s a part of every person that feels threatened by the success of others. It forces them to look at their own lives and possibly feel inadequate. Humans are naturally competitive, and seeing someone else achieve something we desire can be disheartening.
Interestingly, while those around us might fear our success, we often fear failure more. This fear of failure can paralyze us and prevent us from taking action or genuinely investing in our goals. Our mindset can hold us back when, realistically, the world is more focused on what would happen if we succeeded.
Oddly, we focus so much on the negative aspects of pursuing our ambitions rather than embracing the potential for success. We should be thinking less about how we might fail and more about the positive outcomes that can come from our efforts.
So, my message is this: don’t let fear hold you back from chasing your goals. Instead, embrace the possibilities of success and put your energy into making it happen. The world might be scared of your success, but you should be more scared of not trying. Don’t let your thoughts and fears work against you – break free from self-imposed limitations and strive for greatness.