Are You Afraid Of What Success May Cost You?

I’m not a huge fan of change. And, I’ve never been particularly fond of risk. But for some reason I seem to live life on the edge these days. After years of being afraid to fail, I decided that it was time to position myself for success. Shortly there after, the old fears came back with a vengeance. I was inundated with thoughts that I couldn't handle the scrutiny of others, and the more success I achieved the more creative control I would lose. But worst of all was that I would become someone I didn't want to be, and lose friends in the process. 

Because, then what?

What if I spent all this time working towards a dream that left me empty and unfulfilled? What if success came, but all that effort was wasted on something that didn’t make me happy? What if I wasn’t what people (especially those I care about) expected me to be? 

The thought of letting people down was excruciating. 

I was no longer worried I would be a failure, I was worried that I just may be achieve success, and hate it.

Being successful comes with way more risk than failure. It's a complex thing, and one of the biggest reasons we allow self sabotage to derail us from our purpose. 

Even though we pour heart and soul into our dreams, the possibility that it won’t live up to our expectation leads us to downplay our level of ability. It can be an ugly reality, and I’ve been there. For years I was worried of failing; not living up to the expectations of others. But all of the sudden I found myself being afraid of success, and not living up to the expectations I had for myself. Somehow that felt worse and more debilitating.

I knew I couldn’t live like that anymore; I had a choice to make. Either face up to my fear of not being good enough, or be doomed to mediocrity. 

The problem was that I didn't know how to move past my own limitations. The mindset that had kept me bound up for years was now staring me straight in the face, and I was forced to confront my self sabotaging behaviors.

Maybe you can relate?

You are desperate to live out your purpose, and it may seem to everyone else that you know is more capable, and is on track to become a great success. And, yet you fear what it will cost you. 

But let’s turn this around, because the truth is that you were meant to live your life full of purpose and destiny. Don’t let the fear of success hold you back from who God created you to be. 

1) Become comfortable with your choices. Life is all about making choices. And, we have to live with each and every consequence. But nothing is ever set in stone. Things can and will change. Learning to become comfortable making those hard decisions will be the first step to overcoming fear of success.

2) Reconnect to your ‘why’. Your why is your plumb line to everything you do in life. And standing by your values will always land you on the right side of success. Because your success will look like you want it to look, and not like the world says it needs to look.

3) Learn to go easy on yourself. Negative self talk will destroy your confidence in a hot minute. Learn to advocate for yourself, to let yourself off the hook when necessary and to love yourself.

You have something the world needs. And it’s time that moved past your fear of what it may cost you to be successful and be who you were created to be. 

Face Your Fear

What thoughts go through your mind at night that cause you to toss and turn with anxiety and dread? My worst thoughts, most fearful thoughts, come in the middle of the night. They came last night. Unexpected, and unwanted. And, more often than not, they come when I am on the brink of something great. 

I dare say that I am not the only one that deals with fear. What about you? If you are honest with yourself, what would you say are the doubts and fears that come at you like a speeding train? They are the words that echo in your mind, trying to derail you from ever feeling like you will be good enough. Keeping you bound, lost, and isolated from the people who love you. 

Are you in fear of lack, that you will not be able to come up with enough money to pay the bills this month or ever find your way out of the mounds of debt that have piled up on you? Possibly, you are fearful that you may never have the kind of love that you dream of having. We all fear something. Big and small. Sometimes it is the smallest fears that hold us hostage for way too long. 

Let me be real with you right now. Having fear is normal. But, you don’t have to live there. Although your fears may seem so much bigger than you, they do not have control over your life. It is possible to live free from your worst fear. So lets just go right to that place where your fear resides. You may think that is the craziest thing ever. But let me tell you when you are able to confront the fears that keep you bound up, you are really able to experience the freedom you are longing for.

But instead of being on guard all the time, waiting for them to come out of hiding, we have everything we need to confront them and tell them that we are no longer afraid of them. No longer afraid of being in lack, worried that things will not work out, and stuck in hopelessness. 

There are three things I believe will make all the difference for you. They are practical tools that will help you move from that place of fear to a place of freedom. 

1. Get into the light. Bring your fears with you, expose them for what they are. You will soon see that they really don’t have the power over you that you thought they did. 
2. Choose what you think. Make the conscious decision to mediate on things that are positive. Personally, I take scripture and speak it out loud over my life. The word changes everything.
3. Change your conversation. It could be that you talk about your fear with others, start to speak about in past tense, and believe that you have the freedom from your fears. 

My friend, you don’t have to live in fear anymore. It’s time for you to unshackle yourself, and do what God has called you to do. Do it afraid! Fear has no power over your life. 

I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fear. Psalm 34:4

Together we are better,

Move past your fears, reach past those limiting beliefs and discover the God given purpose you were meant to live. Join me and some amazing women for a journey of a life time as we reach beyond our ordinary lives - PURPOSE COACHING ONLINE. Registration is open now!