First Attempt In Learning

Fear of failure can motivate us to perform far beyond our preconceived limitations. Here are suggestions on how to overcome the fear of failure in order to achieve success.

Failure is a part of the learning process. People in general fail to see setbacks or temporary failures as a part of the learning curve we must learn if we are to achieve success. The inability to get things right the first time we try them out is almost natural, very few people do get things right the first time they try. This doesn’t mean they cannot accomplish any significant thing in life; failing sometimes indicate that there is a learning curve we must master before we’re assured of success. For every failure we encounter, there is a lesson to be learned. Strive to apply the lessons learned on your next attempt. As we learn from our failures, the steeper the learning curve becomes and the more accelerated we move towards achieving success in our endeavors.

Failure is just a phase. Failure is not a single cataclysmic event. A failure carries no degree of permanence. So whenever you experience setbacks in any area of life, think of it as just a phase that will soon pave way for better conditions. See failure as an inclement weather condition, so cheer up, sunny days are just ahead.

Be passionate at what you do. It is often said that motivation is what you need to get any process started, while passion is the energy that fuels you to keep going, and to be persistent despite all odds such as experiencing failures. Whatever you are passionate about, you have a strong drive to make it a success. For example, most inventions were borne out of the desire to make an inventors’ dream a reality. These inventors did not allow the failures they experienced along the way to dissuade them from working towards the actualization of their objectives. Motivation and passion helped them overcome their failures, they can help you too.

Failure does not define you. As long as we are humans we are bound to fail sometimes. This does not mean that we are intrinsically flawed nor does this mean a vicious cycle of failure has begun in our lives. We do not become failures as a person; in fact very successful people often have to deal with certain failures in their lives too. It is how you respond to these little setbacks that will determine how well you overcome failures. Why become depressed due to little failures when you have a chance to revel in the feeling that comes with achieving success?

Focus on the present.  It does a lot good to focus on the reality of the present and be optimistic about the future as well. This helps to prevent our mind from developing negative thoughts about the future. Our minds will be focused on the realities of our present circumstances and will be confident of the future too. If things are well at the moment, we are optimistic that they will be in the future too.T

Think of fear in a positive light. Fear of failure is what prevents us from moving out of our comfort zone and comfort zones are where all dreams go to die. The truth about life is that we feel uncomfortable whenever doing something for the very first time – we become scared of failing. This uncomfortable feeling is a good sign; it is a sign that we are actually making deliberate efforts to change our lives positively. It is in this moment of becoming that success often come our way.

Do not let fear stop you. Research has suggested that we were born with just two fears as a child, fear of falling and fear of loud noises. All other forms of fear were acquired and developed as we grow up to control our behaviors and to keep us safe from dangers. Any negative fear can be eliminated. You can unlearn them and teach yourself that fear of failure does not affect your behavior.

Look in to the future.  Picture yourself without the limiting effects of the fear of failure. If you are assured of success in any endeavor you start out, what is the most important thing you would like to accomplish? Whatever it is, begin today by going to work on it confident that in few years from now when you look back on the processes you started today, you’ll experience a sense of accomplishment.

The reality of life is that we are all susceptible to fear but  fear of failure can motivate us to perform far beyond our preconceived limitations, achieve more of our goals, and strive toward greatness.

Jus' do so...

Instead of letting things slip and continue to weigh you down, get them done and let your actions energize you. The avoidance of effort is just as difficult as effort itself yet avoidance accomplishes nothing positive. Success is not always easy, yet it is for the most part simple. The way to accomplishment is not hidden. It is in plain view. You can see what must be done. Stop fretting. Quit worrying. Don't complain. You know what you need to do. So do it.

A Zensational Morning Prayer

 

We can turn to the sages and wisdom-keepers of our ancestral past to help jog our individual and collective memory on how to to give ourselves the space (and permission) to simply  be alive and attentive to the cosmic dance that is unfolding around us. I trust this prayer is helpful for you  too. 

All we need is the morning. 
As long as there is sunrise, 
then there is the possibility 
that we can face all of our misfortunes, 
celebrate all our blessings, 
and live all our endeavors as human beings. 

Spirituality is something that has become 
necessary in these troubled times. 
Yet it is inherently superfluous. 
We need it to remind ourselves, 
to bolster ourselves, 
to integrate ourselves, 
to fulfill ourselves.

If we could simply acknowledge 
the mystery of night 
and the glory of morning, 
we would need neither civilization nor spirituality. 
At its simplest, life begins with dawn. 
That is blessing enough. 
All else becomes fullness immeasurable. 

At dawn, kneel down and give thanks 
for this wonderful event. 
We may think mornings are so common 
they are unworthy of veneration, 
but do you realize most places in the cosmos 
do not have mornings?
This daily event is our supreme goodness. 

Greet the dawn.
That is your miracle to witness. 
That is the ultimate beauty. 
That is sacredness. 
That is your gift from heaven. 
That is your omen of prophesy. 
That is knowledge that life is not futile. 
That is enlightenment. 
That is your meaning in life.
That is your directive. 
That is your comfort. 
That is the solemnity of duty. 
That is inspiration for compassion. 
That is the light of the ultimate.”

-Deng Ming-Dao

When was the last time you rose early to watch the sun come up? 

Greeting the day with a quiet mind and clear intention is a powerful way to start your day and receive new perspective on any challenge you face.

Your thoughts are real things, create them wisely

If you find yourself in a situation where you want new results in your life (i.e. something other than what you’re currently experiencing), then the first step is to examine your dominant thoughts to see if they’re the right seeds to grow the results you want. The odds are probably better than 95% that if you’re not making progress, then you’re probably thinking the wrong thoughts and need to replace them with new ones. For example, you won’t become a nonsmoker by thinking thoughts like, “Quitting smoking is hard.”

A key concept to understand here is that shifting your thoughts is a conscious and deliberate activity. You don’t just say to yourself, “Ok, I’ll think about my new results. Sounds good, next….” You have to be a lot more proactive than that. You have to set aside an hour or so to be totally alone, sit down with pen and paper, figure out the correct thoughts/seeds you need to be thinking, and then consciously recite those new thoughts with feeling over and over again until they become dominant over the old thoughts. If you’re going to make a big shift in your results, then this is something you’ll need to do every single day.

You might find doing the above exercise hard at first. When you start thinking new thoughts, the most common initial reaction is that you’ll feel a great deal of doubt about them. So if you start thinking about running your own business, your initial images probably won’t seem too attractive. Then you find yourself thinking about quitting your job, the negative reaction you’ll get from coworkers, the office politics you have to deal with on a daily basis, and you suddenly realize you’re back to thinking the wrong thoughts again. That’s normal. But use your imagination to push past the doubt and keep working on it. See that new reality working out beautifully, even if you have no idea how it could possibly work in the real world. In fact don't even dwell on how to bring it about.

It’s going to be sloppy in the beginning, but it will get easier over time. After about 2-3 weeks of this, you’ll start to actually believe in those new thoughts. And that’s when you’ll feel the urge to start taking action. But in the beginning, you’ll still be too full of doubt to act. That’s fine — it’s important to reach the point of belief first. So just be patient with yourself, and let your imagination guide you. Einstein wrote  “Imagination is more important than knowledge."