Mistakes are the portals of discovery…. ~ James Joyce
It’s alright – I’m not talking about THAT F-word. I’m talking about the other ones…fear and failure. These two words, individually or when combined into a single emotional belief, limit us from reaching for our ultimate potential.
For me, failure has a big charge thanks to childhood programming that equated even one mistake with punishment and horror. All I have to do is think about failing and a big ball of terror erupts in my belly, prodding me to wonder if I should even try.
Society programs us that failure is proof of our personally being bad, unworthy and more. Many of us will not do something we really want to do thanks to the fear of failing. We won’t try that new sport, dance in public, step up to ask for that promotion or step out of our status quo safety zone. Such is the power of the potential of failure.
When we do fail, it can overwhelm us for hours, days, weeks and ever years. Just look at the impact of the most recent economic upheaval on our businesses. I wish I had a dollar for every time I hear the phrase, “We can’t do that because of the economy.”
The imprint of failure lingers with us far longer than the imprints of our successes. We can thank our unconscious mind’s programming to focus on problems for that truth. Failure of any sort hangs with us, nags at us, sticking in our guts as we sink a little, contract a little more…and take less risk the next time. With enough failure, we totally stop moving forward and settle back into our fears… of more failure.
There is No Failure, Only Feedback
One of my favorite presuppositions of Natural Language Programming (NLP) is that there is only feedback. Failure is feedback. That’s a great way to think about business and life if you ask me.
The reality is that failure is a gift. We can learn from it, grow from it, test new ideas and expand even as we fail.
What would a world devoid of the fear of failure feel like? Check back Wednesday for some tips on how to shift from Failure to Feedback…. and free yourself from the F Words forever!
