Fear of Failure / Fear of Success – 

 Last week I sent the manuscript for my new book FEAR to my editor. Since then I’ve been in a sort of purgatory. I’ve been vascillating between fear of failure and fear of success. What if no one reads it? What if it’s a huge success? I’ve run through countless gloom and doom scenarios over the last three days. I’ve had a hard time staying in my body and remaining in present time. I’ve written a book about fear and I’m scared shitless of it!

Both ends of the FEAR spectrum are the same. It’s like flipping a coin. On a good day we struggle with fear of success. On the dark days, we battle the fear of failure demon. Either way, fear is onmipresent. I’ve learned though, that fear doesn’t have to hold us down. Fear is trying to tell us that we’re in the right place. It’s completely natural to be afraid of the unknown. No one is fearless. That’s just a lie we tell ourselves – the hero is fearless and super-human. The hero is an illusion we hold to keep us small.

It’s time to acknowledge FEAR, ask for her input, thank her and then, tell her to shut up!  There’s only one authority in your life and it isn’t FEAR. It’s you. Write your story the way you want. Fear is there, merely to tell you which direction is the right one to go. The way to a magnificent life is down the scariest road you can find. Everything you’ve ever dreamed of is on the other side of fear. Let FEAR lead you to that road and then be wowed by life.  As Franklin Delano Roosevelt said, “There is nothing to fear, but fear itself.” It’s time to hit the road.