If I were to ask you what’s holding you back in a one-on-one conversation, what would you say? I believe for many of you, your answer would be fear. If we let it, fear has the ability to paralyze us, making us immobile and seemingly helpless when we think about moving forward. It doesn’t have to be that way, though, because fear is largely just information for us. It indicates that something needs to be altered. And many times, it’s the thought patterns and limiting beliefs we hold concerning our situation.
This month, our focus will be getting rid of the fear holding us back from realizing our dreams and goals and moving forward in faith. There is most likely an infinite number of factors related to fear that hold many people back. Still, I’ve identified four predominant hindrances that I repeatedly observe in my conversations with people.
Number one is the fear of failure. If this is you, your thought may be, What if it doesn’t work, and I am disappointed?
Number two is confusion. If this is you, perhaps you think, I don’t even know what to do.
Number three is the failure to consider past successes. If this is you, maybe you don’t consider your past successes as a springboard to your future success.
And finally, number four is counterintuitive, the fear of success. If this is your hidden concern, perhaps secretly you fear that everything may work as you planned, and it’s just too scary.
The fear of failure. What might be indications, and what can you do about them?
I can’t tell you how many excuses I’ve heard from others and some of them I’ve used for myself. What if I don’t know enough? What if I don’t have what it takes? What if God really didn’t tell me to do this, and I’m just doing it on my own? What if it’s just too hard? There are just too many pieces and too many layers—and I am just stuck.
First, I’d like to invite you to remember your WHY. Without consistently focusing on why you want the desired outcome, it’s going to be very difficult to combat the on-and-off-again discouraging moments. Think about what you want to accomplish and keep front and center in your thoughts what about it is important for you. When you consider routinely why it’s important, you can build the motivation that may lead to the momentum to help you move forward.
Secondly, share your thoughts and concerns with someone you trust and someone who has your best interest at heart. Oftentimes, others can not only empathize with us, but they can also remind us of our worth, our values, and our strengths. This is often difficult for us to muster for ourselves when we are overly fearful.
Next, be resolute in God’s guidance as you pursue the purpose for which He has created you. The worst-case scenario: you learn, stretch and grow as you move forward, sometimes awkwardly. The best-case scenario: it works just as God showed you it would. The outcome is just as He affirmed it would be. There is simply no failure pursuing any goal or outcome God has predetermined for you in the way He has instructed you to do it. You will learn along the way and experience new opportunities for growth and development, but you cannot fail.
What opportunities would open up for you if you trusted Him enough to be courageous? What benefit would it afford those around you? What are the necessary resources you can access now to prepare you to move forward with greater resolve?
Lastly, what would you be giving up if stopped short of your goals now? Is your purpose not bigger than your fears?
Decide that you will no longer neglect what is possible in life right now because you’ve been living with the fear of failure.
You simply cannot fail.
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