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Confronting the Fear of Failure Song: 1. Because he lives, I can face tomorrow Because Christ lives, all fear is gone Because I know, he holds my future My life is worth a living just Because he lives 2. He has given me victory, I will lift him higher Jehovah, I will lift him higher But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." (Matthew 14:27). It is said that the phrase: ‘Do not be afraid’ was repeated 365 times in the bible and little wonder we have 365 days in a year (except for any leap year). So in principle God is telling us daily to fear not. Fear is an emotional response to threats and danger and most times perceived threats and danger. I say perceived because most of the things that make us fear may not be real. Hence FEAR is False Evidence Against Reality or False Expression Appearing Real. Fear of failure is one of the greatest fears people have. Fear of failure is closely related to fear of criticism and fear of rejection. Successful people overcome their fear of failure. Fear incapacitates unsuccessful people. The Myth (falsehood) of Positive Thinking People tend to use the phrase, " Think positive" as not thinking at all about what can go wrong. This kind of attitude usually leads to more failures, because people are lulled into a sense of security and fail to see the pitfalls in front of them. People need to learn how to fail. Everyone does fail at some time, but it is a major problem only if they let one failure defeat them altogether or if it keeps them from attempting new ventures. Failing Well How many people can lose a big business deal and say, "That was great. I learned something from it and am better for it." Unless we can say it - and really mean it - we probably weren't learning that much from the experience. It may come as a surprise to hear that truly successful people not only have failed, but also are good at failing. Studies have found that we may have been lucky if we were forced to fail. One might even say that a key to success is learning to fail well. Many people consider themselves failures when they really have just quit trying. We cannot "cop out" on our problems, because copping out can only leave us feeling inadequate. 7 Ways to Overcome the Fear of Failure The fear of failure is perhaps the strongest force holding people below their potential. In a world full of uncertainty, a delicate economy, and countless misfortunes that could happen to anyone, it’s easy to see why most people are inclined to play it safe. But playing it safe has risk as well. If you never dare to fail your success will have a low ceiling. Most people underestimate their merit and ability to recover from failure, leading them to pass up valuable opportunities. The ability to fail big and fail often has been a mark of the spectacularly successful people throughout history. The following strategies will help you put risk and reward in perspective so you can overcome the fear of failure. 1. Consider the cost of missed opportunities - The biggest risk that people fail to consider is the benefit they lose by avoiding high risk/high reward opportunities. The issue is that without taking risk, you can’t exploit any opportunities. You can live a quiet and reasonably happy life, but you are unlikely to create something new, and you are unlikely to make your mark on the world. You remember the story of Joshua and Caleb in Numbers chapter 13? After the Israelites escaped from Egypt and crossed the desert, they were supposed to enter the Promised Land and settle down. Moses sent 12 spies, one from each tribe, into Canaan to "spy out the land" -- just like Joshua later on sent spies into Jericho. So they went into Canaan, 40 days...from the tribe of Judah, Caleb son of Jephunne...from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea [Joshua] son of Nun...and 10 others. Spy report: It's a great land, flowing with milk and honey. The cities are large and so are the people. Advice from the 10: Forget it. We would be devoured. We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them. Advice from Caleb and Joshua God says we can do it. We can. Let's go! Decision of the people: Let's go back to Egypt. Decision of God: Only Caleb and Joshua get land. Everybody else of that generation dies wandering in the wilderness, 40 years. 2. Research the alternatives - The unknown is a major source of fear. When you don’t know what you’re dealing with, potential consequences seem far worse than they actually are. Take the power out fear by understanding it. Research all the potential outcomes (both good and bad) so you genuinely understand the risk of failure and benefits of success. Analysing these outcomes will help you see through the fear of failure and make a logical decision. Ever heard of plan B? This is very important in combating fair of failure. It is like the old saying: ‘do not put all your egg inside one basket’. It is important to have options, leave all options open and be prepared to diversify. 3. Put the worst-case scenario in perspective - One of the most powerful questions I would like you to ask yourself is: If you chase your dreams and fall flat on your face, worst-case scenario, how long will it take you to recover? The answer is probably less than you expect. How hard would it really be to find another job? Or learn another trade? Chances are you could recover completely in a few months. Is the fear of a few rough months strong enough to keep you in a mediocre situation indefinitely? That is being afraid of changing trade or job. You remember the story of the four lepers in 2 Kings 7: 3 – 11? Let me give you brief background information on leprosy so that you can understand the plight of these four men. Leprosy was at one time incurable and lepers were segregated into colonies; Because of ancient references going back to at least 1350 BCE in Egypt, leprosy is sometimes referred to as the “oldest recorded disease” or the “oldest known disease.” In one form or another, leprosy appears to have stalked human beings for millennia, always causing those who suffer from it to be ostracized from their communities and encouraging the belief that sufferers are being punished by the gods. Key to understanding leprosy in the Old Testament is that it’s seen as a form of physical and spiritual pollution which requires one to be excluded from the community. You got the point? So these four men with leprosy lived at the entrance gate of Samaria during severe famine and they now heard that God had abundantly provided plenty of food in Samaria. But as lepers they dare not mix up with other people; they stood being killed. They said to each other: “Why stay here until we die? If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’ – the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.” 2 Kings 7: 3 – 4. To cut the long story short, read 2 Kings 7: 5 – 11 , they did not die, they were not killed instead they ate and had surplus. 4. Understand the benefits of failure - life is a series of experiments, the more you make the better. Each failure is a trial in an experiment and an opportunity for growth. Even if a failure costs you financially, the educational benefits (that is lesson learnt) can far outweigh the loss. 5. Make a contingency plan - Another way to overcome the fear of failure is to reduce the downside. Hedge your risk by creating a contingency plan. Even if your first option fails, you can maintain the status quo with a solid backup plan. Daring to fail doesn’t mean you have to risk losing it all. If you manage risk intelligently, you can capture the benefits of high risk opportunities while leaving yourself a safety net. 6. Take action - The best way to reduce fear and build confidence is taking action . As soon as you do, you’ll begin accumulating experience and knowledge. Everything is hardest the first time. It’s like jumping off a cliff into a lake — after you do it once, you see that the water is safe and each time afterwards is easy. Start off with small steps and build up your confidence until the fear of failure is manageable. Remember the words of St. Paul in Philippians 4:13: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” The story of Joshua is how God wants all of His people to live! The two keys to Joshua's success was his strong faith and belief in God and the fact that he had always "wholeheartedly followed God." I always tell everyone to stay with their leadings from the Holy Spirit. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth and teach us all things. He is our personal Guide and Teacher in this life. If God puts a call on your life, but you don't follow His specific instructions and leadings on how to get there, you will never succeed. 7. Burn the boats - When ancient Greek armies travelled across the sea to do battle, the first thing they would do after landing was to burn the boats, leaving them stranded. With no way to make it home besides victory, the resolve of the soldiers was strengthened. When success and failure are the only options, you have no choice but to follow through. If you have a goal, but are afraid to commit, force yourself into action by burning the boats. Register for an exam in advance if you want to go back to school. Set a deadline to move to a new city or location to start your business without signing a lease. Fear of failure disappears when you realise it can’t save you. You have two choices. You can either let fear and panic set in just like the Israelites did and lose your one and only chance to enter into your Promised Land - or you can have the same strong faith and belief in God that Joshua had - and go in there with a kick-butt attitude that you will be completely victorious and that you will accomplish everything that God wants you to accomplish for Him. In summary, remember the word of God in Jeremiah 29:11 – “ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” The boat you’re travelling in will not capsize if Jesus is in it with you. But now, this is what the LORD says— he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. Isaiah 43: 1 – 2. Fear of failure quotes: It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed. There is no impossibility to him who stands prepared to conquer every hazard. We learn wisdom from failure much more than success. We often discover what we will do, by finding out what we will not do. One who fears failure limits his activities. The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually be afraid you will make one. Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. What would life be if we had no courage to attempt anything? A man's life is interesting primarily when he has failed--I well know. He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat. There is no failure except in no longer trying. There is no impossibility to him who stands prepared to conquer every hazard. Failure teaches success. God Bless You. Evang. Oseh J. B |