When we think of a hero, we often think of someone who has done a heroic act. Something that we perceive as greatness. Yet to the person you hold the door open for when they have their hands full, or the individual with three items that you let in the checkout line ahead of you. These small acts of kindness are heroic to the individual you serve. Being our hero is having the courage to take risks and believe in ourselves that we will succeed.
No matter what we face, work stress, personal stress, rising costs, natural disasters, and uncertainty in the world. With all the pressures that we face daily, the familiar feeling that people feel is fear, which can be immobilizing.
Being our hero is having the courage to take risks and believe in ourselves that we will succeed. So instead of taking a risk, we focus on short-term demands because we fear confronting the future. As a result, many people pass the buck and play the victim.
The biggest fears we face are fears of the unknown and fear of change. Jim Carrey said, “Fear will always be a player in your life. You can fail at what you don’t love, so you might as well take a chance at doing what you love.” How will you serve the world? What talent do you have that can help your job, neighbor, or volunteer organization? “The effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is.” You get to choose your path.
In the book “Bet on You,” authors Morgan & Lynch remind us that no one is coming to rescue you. Instead, you have the power inside of you to make things happen for yourself. When we ‘save’ ourselves, we become sharper, better, and more robust. It is normal to be fearful of change, and successful people learn how to embrace change and roll with it.
Choices today may lead to opportunities that won’t surface until later. Taking risks is a conscious choice that moves us forward in life. There is risk in most parts of our lives. You risk a new job or relationship, or you might move to a new city or state. Attending or returning to school. Risk is all around us, and the question is, do you believe in the risk and in yourself enough to take the chance?
Failure is not a failure unless we stop growing. Michael Hyter tells readers in the Power of Choice that success is not achieved single-handedly. We all need a network that we can go to for advice and support. Everyone can develop in whatever areas are essential to their success. “Choose to believe in your potential for greatness.” Each experience teaches us some things about how to engage more effectively.
Do you use failures to your advantage?
- Find the benefits of past failures.
All experiences have benefits. Practicing finding the blessings in failure will enhance your ability to see the benefits next time. For example, if you missed a deadline, you learned to prioritize better next time or say no to more projects. What changes will you make to prevent failure in the future?
- View each stress as a challenge.
Changing our mindset from I could fail to a challenge to something you want to conquer will help us handle the challenges better.
- Treat yourself kindly when you experience failure.
There will never be enough hours in the day or week. Everyone is feeling cramped for time, and mistakes happen. Our natural tendency is to be cruel to ourselves during moments of mistakes and disappointments. We give ourselves the worst self-talk. If it were a friend that made a mistake and confided in you, you would support them and give them encouraging words. Put yourself in the same spot, and instead of giving yourself negative self-talk, you need to choose to be kind and find ways to build yourself up and push forward.
Fear will kill more dreams than failure ever will. When you believe in yourself, you will be UNSTOPPABLE.
By Cheryl Viola, Executive Director & CEO, MBA