Fear & Failure

"Fear can hold you back from so many wonderful things in life, so I make myself go for things I'm afraid of. Worry afterward!" ~LeAnn Rimes~


This quote has always stuck with me after reading it in Seventeen Magazine a few years back. Whenever I'd start to freak myself out or try to come up with excuses as to why I shouldn't do something I'd always wanted to, every once in awhile this would come back to mind, and it would help me put things into perspective. 


I don't want to live a life full of regrets. 30-40 years from now, I don't want to look back on my life and think about all the things I wish I had done. I think you're better off to learn from your mistakes, when you aren't sure of something than to sit there and wonder what could have been. Regret turns to bitterness, and sucks you out of just living in the moment. You play those defining moments over and over again in your mind; but no matter how many times you do, it doesn't change the outcome. It will haunt you everyday until you change something. So, you wallow and feel sorry for yourself for the way things have become. 


One of my biggest fears is failure. I don't know many people that like it, but at times I get to the point where I'm really afraid of it. Back in Jr. Hi and even high school, I would let the fear in my mind build up so much that I'd talk myself out of something. I was so afraid of striking out, so to speak, that I wouldn't even bother at all. I hate disappointing others around me and I don't like not living up to the expectations I've had for myself. As I'm getting older, though, I'm learning you just have to go for it. We're human, we make mistakes, and the things we do aren't always going to be smooth sailing. However, we have so much to gain and so much to lose if we don't just jump. I know that would have been the case many times over the past couple years if I hadn't just gone for something. I would've missed out on growth in myself and meeting new people that have forever changed my life.


Don't live a life of regrets. This speech is still for me as well, because it's something I deal with everyday. Take that leap of faith, jump into whatever it is God is calling you to, and live in the moment...because you never know when that's going to be taken away from you. 

I'll leave you with this, "What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?" It's a great reminder when you're thinking about going for a goal or a dream you've always wanted.