Fear of failure or rejection is a common roadblock that holds us back from going after what we really want. But, we need to make lots of mistakes and slip-ups in order to learn, grow, change and get better.
Simply put, we cannot succeed without failing multiple times.
Failing is a part of the dream-chasing journey. If you never try, you can never fail or succeed. If fear of failure is holding you back, take a look at these famous failures:
Oprah Winfrey – was fired from her television news anchor job because she was told she was “unfit for tv.”
Theodor Seuss Giesel – Almost every American kid knows The Cat in the Hat or Green Eggs and Ham, yet 27 different publishers rejected Dr. Seuss’s first book To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.
Michael Jordan – The most famous name in basketball was actually cut from his high school basketball team.
Steven Spielberg – dropped out of high school and applied to attend film school three times. He was unsuccessful due to his C grade average.
Stephanie Meyer – The author and creator of the multi-million dollar Twilight empire had her book proposal rejected by nine literary agents.
Louis Pasteur was told by his chemistry professor that his theory on germs was “a ridiculous bit of nonfiction.”
If you look at failure as moving you one step closer to success, or a learning tool, you cannot “fail.” True failure is never trying, or giving up after a setback.
What could you achieve if you accepted “failures” or mistakes would be a part of the journey?
For two great exercises on dealing with fear go here.
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