On Thursday, I was talking to a client who’s starting her own business.
During our call, she said “I’m afraid of success…I’ve made decisions in the past that disappointed a lot of people. I’m afraid that will happen again.”
I instantly felt comradery with the “fear of success” statement but it wasn’t until the next day when I was in the car driving home from the grocery. I was listening to music and I got hit HARD.
Not by another car, but by a train of EMOTION.
The Trigger
Sugarland’s “Baby Girl” son was playing. (I’ve always liked this song since college) Now, I never ran off to Hollywood, but I was the only of my siblings and family to leave our smalltown in Kentucky, so I could relate to leaving and knowing that my family worried about me because I wasn’t there anymore.
When the lyrics “Dear Mom and Dad, I’ll send money. I’m so rich that it ain’t funny” were sang, the tears started flowing & my voice started shaking. Of course, I kept singing — imagine the scene in Tommy Boy with David Spade and Chris Farley singing. (Isn’t it funny how music can trigger us with a flood of emotions?)
Then my client’s words: “I’ve made a lot of decisions that disappointed people” invaded my mind. And it hit me, so did I. I’ve done a lot of work to forgive past Laura and to be grateful for her journey, but I had hidden away the pain of disappointment that I think I placed on my loved ones.
Of course, I know now (and understand) that I can’t truly speak for anyone else but myself. I can’t say how I made them feel with my actions because those are their feelings and experiences but I can accept responsibility for my actions and refuse to let that fear keep me from my big dreams.
So often we allow the fear of judgment to keep us stagnant, but that doesn’t serve us or the ones that we were put on this Earth to serve.
I Wanna Know…
So, I want to know, do you fear success? Or do you believe that you used to disappoint others with the decisions you made in the past? Do you allow that fear of disappointing to keep you from thriving today?
I want you to journal on all of this, just like I did and just as my clients do.
What is holding you back from doing the things you want to do? What are those fears? Why are they REALLY there? (This may mean asking yourself WHY a lot!)
Imagine what could happen if you actually forgave yourself? What if you switched your thinking, gave yourself GRACE & COMPASSION, and believed, instead, that you did the best you knew how or that those decisions do not define you, but instead led you to where you are today with the PURPOSE & PASSION in your heart.
Or, what if you asked HIM for forgiveness and also forgave yourself so you can serve HIM by fulfilling the plan He placed on your heart.
Instead of fearing success, what would happen if you got EXCITED for it because it would allow you to do so much good in this world? What would that good service look like specifically?
Final Thoughts
Today, I encourage you to dig deep into what’s in your heart and mind. Are there hidden fears or thoughts that are crippling you?
Discover them. Write them down. Write down what you want to feel and believe instead. Then, do the work to make all of it your new reality.
Decide right now, that your WHY and your DESIRES are bigger than your FEARS. Then go for it!
(If this spoke to you, please SHARE on your social media accounts to encourage someone else. Imagine how incredible this world could be if we all did the work.)
