It's 2017 ... a new year, a new mentality, another chance ... another chance to go out into the world and be anything you want to be. So what is it you want to be? What is it that gets you out of bed in the morning?
I spend weekends traveling the country with an amazing group of people who have the same mindset as I do, speaking about overcoming fears, communicating with average human beings, just like you and me, about what it is that makes them tick ... what it is that gives them purpose ... what it is that drives them. Each week, no matter what state I'm in, how old the people are or where they come from ... we hear the same things ...
"I want to do this because I want to give back."
"I want to do this because I want more time."
"I want to do this because I want to travel."
And nearly 70% of the people we meet and greet and interact with, who have the same dreams, goals and ideas, also have the same fear ... the fear of failure.
Failure can be scary, sure, but what if failure could be controlled? What if you could deliberately create a life that freed you from failure? ... Would you be happier? Live fuller? Do more? Worry less?
I am here to tell you that you CAN create a life free from failure AND free from fear of failure.
Life is meant to be lived with intention, purpose and love. It's given to each and everyone of us the same way, designed uniquely for each of us to grow and thrive in our own way. When you can realize this, that you cannot fail at being yourself, THAT'S when a life free from failure and fear of failure can begin to develop.
A life free from failure and fear of failure starts with loving yourself. It starts with knowing what you deserve, how far you're willing to go to get what you deserve, and how much faith you have in knowing that you will get everything you deserve in the right time.
I can totally relate to being fearful because for a long time, I felt like I was never enough. I felt like no matter what I did or how hard I tried, I'd never be enough or never be worth the risk, ultimately, becoming a failure ... a failure to myself, to my family and to others. I was a victim of self-sabotage on a regular basis, cooking up negative scenarios in my head about how terrible things could possibly become that I would literally create every bad situation in my life. I was the reason for my pain and all my troubles. When I realized that I was the only one to blame for the way my life had played out, I decided to dig deeper to find out how to fix it.
I first separated myself from people who made me feel I was hard to love. I started surrounding myself with people who valued my presence. That boosted my moral a bit, then I started with the personal stuff, like writing down my feelings. Those feelings then led me to make lists of what I'm grateful for. That list turned into positive affirmations, subconscious reprogramming and meditation, until eventually, nearly all of the negative thoughts in my head disappeared once and for all. I was able to completely clear my subconscious mind of all the negative garbage I had no idea existed. I continue to do these practices anytime a negative thought enters my mind because sometimes it does still happen, but the reason I write this post is because so many people go through life feeling inadequate, feeling like they need validation to be fulfilled, but the truth is the only person you need validation from is you.
If we all loved ourselves a little more, and believed in ourselves a little more, I think there would be far more successes than any failure. There would be far more positive things posted on social media, published on websites and broadcasted on TV. If we all knew what we were worth, and knew exactly how to repel everything that wasn't up to our standards and wasn't meant for us, we'd be happier, healthier and probably live longer.
Whatever intentions you have set for yourself this year, I hope you do them as yourself, unapologetically. I hope you get so sure in who you are that you seek all things that make you feel good, that make you feel happy, that make you feel fulfilled. I hope you surround yourself with people who lift you higher, who love you unconditionally and who let you be you without fear.
You are made of all the things the world cannot take from you and that alone should be enough to help you feel confident, free from failure and free from fear of failure. No one is you and that is your power. Embrace it.
