It
has been a few months since my last blog entry. For those of you who follow me,
I apologize. I have been going through a transformation. I decided to make my
blog posting a part of this change because, after all, it is a journey and writing
is a reflection of who I am and who says I cannot embark on a new journey or bring
my reflection along for company? But my reflection and I digress…
This
post is not about me, my reflection, or my transformation. It is about change
and fear and failure, and to be specific, the fear of failure. It is about you,
me, and uncertainty.
Opportunity
is often passed up because it disguises itself as uncertain abyss. It is
unfamiliar, cold and untested. When it knocks, it appears as a stranger and this
stranger wants something. It wants a decision and ultimately, a commitment.
Wait
a minute! Last I looked; I didn’t go searching for this stranger to come
knocking on my door. I was completely content, wrapped up in my swaddling
comfort when this odder, called opportunity, came knocking. Who are you and
what do you want? My instinct is to slam the door and mutter to myself under my
breath utterings about the sheer audacity of opportunity to show up unannounced.
Because face it, when opportunity knocks, actions must follow. We must shut the
door and miss out on growth and success, or we must step out and face our
biggest fear: failure.
This
got me thinking about the origins of such fear. It also got me thinking about
the absence of such fear. When a toddler learns to walk, it is an endless
process of falling and standing and falling and standing, then stepping and
falling and standing and stepping. A toddler does not fear failure. A toddler
has enough drive, motivation and desire to endure countless missteps before his
or her first wobbly three step stroll. Fear of failure is a learned behavior
that becomes imbedded in our subconscious with every thought of self-doubt.
This
blog post is dedicated to a dear friend who is currently standing at the
threshold between opportunity and fear. So, for her and for anyone else who may
be embarking on a new challenge; an opportunity paired by risk. Do not let fear
of failure steal your destiny. Step boldly into the direction of your fear.
Embrace it and let it empower you to overcome every notion of self-doubt that
remains. You are talented. You are creative. You are formidable. Open the door.
Welcome opportunity. I’ll see you on the other side, in the land of prosperity.
