the only way to fail is to never start or quit
FAILURE.
We are all afraid of it.
We all FEAR failure more than anything else in the world.
In fact, our FEAR of FAILURE keeps us from doing the things that we were destined and created to do!
Psychology Today wrote an article on how the Top 10 Signs That You Might Have a Fear of Failure and can you guess what the #1 reason is? YUP - worrying about what other people think of you! Isn’t that just INSANE?! Insane but so TRUE! Put another way - the #1 thing that holds us back from pursuing our dreams and living the life we desire is that we care too much what Karen thinks.
Good Lord! It sounds so silly when we put it that way, doesn’t it?
Karen doesn’t know FLIP about my life! Karen should be busy living her own damn life and I should be SO focused on mine that I don’t even know, see or CARE what Karen thinks!!
This concept really struck me the other day when I was out for my morning walk/run. Now, if you know me and my story, you know that I have been a long distance runner for the last 13+ years. I ran on and off growing up as my Dad was a runner. He faithfully ran 5 miles every single day, until his knees just gave out on him. As a kid, I’d run with him to spend time with him and also to ‘train’ for our annual trek up Mount Washington, the highest peak in New England (over 6k feet in elevation). Then enter marriage, kids, a house, FT corporate career and all the things - and this momma lost sight of taking care of herself. I refound my love for running after baby #3 was born and the weight just wasn’t coming off like it did with the first two! So - I restarted my running journey and fell in LOVE. Initially I just loved the discipline of running and frankly the time out of the house to clear my head, and then later running became my way to connect with and hear from God.
Anywho - the past 13 years have been full of fits nd starts with running. Run a half marathon and then take time off to deal with a digestive issue. Start over again, build mileage and then train for a full marathon. Get sick of running and take 6 months off. Start again and train for a Ragnar. You get the picture.
Then more recently with my diagnosis, running had taken a hiatus for a bit and then here I am at the same place where I am beginning AGAIN after chemo. And then AGAIN after surgery. I hope you are seeing a pattern here.
This has constantly been my relationship with running and so many other things in my life. My career. My weight. My side businesses. So many different twists and turns. Ups and downs. Stops and starts. Nothing — absolutely NO THING - has been linear or on an upwards slope that hasn’t in some way, shape or form, come back down again.
Here was my realization with all of this…
The ONLY way to fail is to either QUIT or NOT START at all
There have been SO many times in my life where I could have gotten discouraged and just QUIT. Maybe you are in the same place. Maybe you’ve gotten away from something you used to love to do. Or perhaps you’ve started to let your health slip and you are feeling BLAH because of it.
Or maybe you’ve been wanting to DO something NEW but have let FEAR get in your way. You have allowed yourself to dream a bit, yet when it comes to taking action on that dream - you hesitate. You feel inadequate and so you just don’t.
Friend - listen here. If a dream is in your heart - if you are feeling the pull to try something new or perhaps to hit the restart button yet again - do it NOW. The biggest antidote to fear is ACTION. The longer you wait - the more you are feeding your fears. Take messy action.
My walk/runs today are HARD. I can’t do what I used to do. I can’t run as long. I can’t run as fast. BUT I’m choosing not to dwell on what I USED to be able to do and am choosing to be grateful for the simple fact that I AM RUNNING and within that - it feels good! I LOVE how my body feels when I finish. I LOVE how God talks to me out on the road. I LOVE being outside in nature and moving my body. I am choosing to focus on the JOY that comes from taking the ACTION vs. the result.
Let’s say that again.
Choose to focus on the JOY that comes from taking the action and not the result
I am praying and rooting for you!
xoxo