“Fear of failure is the biggest destroyer of great ideas!”
The trusted road in nowhere Texas when I knew I had to ride!! It is one of my favorite experiences and stories!!
I have been back from my drive and bike journey for two weeks. I still am amazed at all I experienced and discovered. The time in my car, the unique bike rides in different parts of the countries, and the incredible conversations with others and with myself (yes, I could be a little crazy) made this an incredible journey.
It was a journey I almost didn’t make. I almost didn’t take it because I spent so much time focusing the adverse possibilities of the trip — time away from work, money, not knowing if I would really enjoy it — that I almost talked myself out of it. Fortunately, I didn’t!
Everything we accomplish in our lives is connected to our ability to trust our heart; or, in leaving our head out of the conversation. I posted the featured quote on Facebook in July. It reflects the raw reality of what thinking does to our dreams. Though our mind is the source of knowledge and experience, it is also so incredibly practical that it embraces fear in a very powerful, almost negative, manner. As a result, your mind is the intentional destroyer of our biggest ideas and dreams.
Why we give it so much power is inexplicable. Our emotional side — our heart and soul — is where our ideas and our dreams and the emotional pain of our failings resonate. Our intellectual side — our head — is where we our ideas are evaluated, challenged, and destroyed. When let our fear of failure remind us of our past failings and the pain associated with it, we are giving power to our mind to destroy our dreams.
Falling down is part of the process. Not one of us learned to walk or ride a bike without falling down. Our skinned knees and our bruised egos had no power over our determination to walk or bike. Plus, our parents encouraged us through our failings to keep going — we had to fail to succeed and everyone knew it. Though we didn’t know it at the time, we were pushing through because we were emotionally determined to do so.
What has changed? Nothing. Except the fears in our head have more control and influence over our passions and desires to succeed.
Changing this pattern can be a challenge for many of us. It is going to take a focused commitment in trusting what you know, believe, and desire and the willingness to take action in that direction without sending the dream upstairs into your head for evaluation or approval.
Several weeks ago I posted an article “It All Starts With TRUST.” In that article, I shared the idea that…
“The key to getting started and staying on your path to accomplishment is to TRUST yourself. Trust that very first message your internal voice gives you. When you seek an answer listen to that very first, honest voice. It is your inner voice – the good one – offering you the best advice and clearest direction you will ever receive. The solution, the action, and the next steps are right there in your heart. Respond to that voice by taking immediate action in that direction.”
This is the answer. Respond to whatever the very first answer you receive from any question you ask yourself by taking the action identified by the response. It is your heart, your instincts, your dream at work sharing with you what you KNOW you need to do. Before your mind can corrupt the answer, put it to work and trust yourself.
My most recent journey and many of the successes others are experiencing in their 100Day Challenge are the result of staying focused on the simple actions that move us forward. Success is not found in overthinking things — it is realized by taking the little necessary steps in the direction of your vision.
Next time you find yourself wondering what to do or where to go next in your life, listen to the very first answer and follow the advice. It is your heart giving you a perfect answer — trust it!
