Not everyone is afraid of failure. Many people find themselves at the other end of the spectrum ... terrified of success.
It's not that they don't crave a positive and rewarding experience - it's just that they've become more familiar with the emotions associated with failing.
It's easier for them to cope with disappointment than it is to face the prospect of attainment.
Those who fear success are less likely to move outside their comfort zone.
They are risk averse, limiting their own potential.
The reality is that on the pathway to success we will experience failure.
We all know the feelings associated with wanting and working for something and falling short.
Fewer people, however, are suitably prepared and equipped for success. Their way of coming to terms with that perceived and accepted lack of depth is simply not to try.
But failure is not defeat. Disappointment builds resolve. But only if we allow it.
We have the capacity and the responsibility to make choices in our lives. We also have the potential to right the wrongs of our own making ... to bounce back from failure and try again.
Every day brings the promise of a fresh chance ... another opportunity.
To disregard that promise is to accept the mediocrity of ignored potential ... and there's no bliss in that kind of ignorance.
- Gary Bentley is a Rural Aid counsellor
