Why Fear and Success Go Hand in Hand

The other day I was reflecting upon my accomplishments from the past six months, two of which stood out. First, the completion and submission of my first book to McGraw Hill entitled Operational Empowerment (due out December 2015), and then a month ago I was accepted as a speaker for T.E.C. (The Executive Committee – a division of Vistage) after nearly six months of vetting.

I tell you this not to gloat, but to share something I realized only a few short years ago.  

All of the successful people that I know are always pursuing big audacious goals, the majority of which if others knew details of, would seem ludicrous. From extending themselves financially to pursuing opportunities that they really have no idea of how they will ever deliver on if they actually succeed.

Successful people are always pursuing things that put a little fear into their heart and constant concerning thoughts on their mind.  

Why do they do this?  

From the CEOs and business owners I’ve known and interviewed for my e-book Journey to Success, it seems to be because they’ve realized that fear is something they should be constantly in pursuit of if they are going to achieve their goals. The only way to be successful ultimately is to put themselves out there in often the most fearful way. 

Upon reflection there is virtually nothing that I can think of that others have achieved in life that didn’t involve facing fear. Do you think Thomas Edison was concerned that he might never amount to anything when he was trying to create the light bulb? Do you think Donald Trump was ever concerned that his investments might fail?  

The answer of course is a resounding yes. But in both instances they faced the fear and continued to pursued their objectives anyway.

What are you not doing today that you should be doing?

 What could you pursue that would bring you closer to your objectives, but you’ve been avoiding due to fear?

Think about it in this way: When it comes to achieving success, you are your only barrier.

If you want to achieve success in any area of your life, consider that success comes to those who take risks, ignore naysayers and pursue their goals with passion and vigor. If you’re not scared, you simply might not be trying hard enough.

© Shawn Casemore 2015. All rights reserved.