The fear of failure can be paralyzing.
Paralyzing Fear of Failure: Atychiphobia is an extreme fear of failure. Someone with this condition may procrastinate or avoid situations where they don’t feel they’ll be ultimately successful.
This week, March 20th, I turned 57.
In January, my husband turned 61.
In February, my youngest son turned 19.
My oldest son is 26
We sat watching the travel channel like always, dreaming of the places we wanted to see and waiting for the “right time” to have the “right amount in the checking account,” waiting for this or that.
Ten days, six cities we have always talked about visiting. I googled the cost of a cruise line (I said I would never do a cruise) they had just shown on TV. The price raised my eyebrow. I looked for their suites, not the rooms stuck at the ship’s bottom.
Being in the network marketing industry, I have many connections to many businesses and reached out to a travel agent. We want this trip for 2024! I want a first-class experience.
We both got excited immediately. Life is not waiting for me to be ready. It is clicking the minutes.
The following day I had a wave of panic wash over me. The last time I was in two cities was in 1983; I was so broke I could barely enjoy the sights. We stayed in a villa with a local family for $100. It had a bed and one bathroom for the house. (gross).
Scheduling this trip brought back a flood of memories. Memories I had not thought of in many years—the lack of food and my hunger—the lack of money to go inside some of the more excellent places. We walked the streets and observed from the outside, only going inside accessible areas.
The fear of repeating those emotions was paralyzing for about 30 minutes. Then I had to get out my journal and remember how far I have come.
I have the skill, knowledge, the business. I am in a better place and have experienced many things while building this business. Those memories motivated me to keep moving forward to generate new experiences.
It didn’t come all at once – it came in small waves; it took over a decade of working every day to make me a better person and build a business one customer at a time.
This message was triggered by a brief conversation I had this morning following up with someone who had agreed to fill out a short quiz. She responded, “Oh, I have been busy and didn’t have enough time.”
Time is not waiting.
We are all busy.
Life doesn’t wait.
There will never be the right or perfect time.
Sometimes my memories want better for someone than they want for themselves. I don’t want anyone to be as hungry as I was for food – but I want them hungry for a new experience.
* New Podcast coming on Fear – check back
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