Failure isn’t worth your fear

Philosophically understanding both fear and failure can be useful when stepping back from an event and looking at our method of decision making objectively once removed from the situation, but learned behavior often leads to reflex. I fear a great many things in life without thinking over much about them, but when I consider if fear is useful to me, often I find it was a waste of my energy and a self-imposed limitation based upon flawed perception. We’re resilient and capable, adaptable and multifaceted, so why don’t we get out of our own way?

Fear of loss, because loss is painful, may be one of many reasons. So we learn to avoid pain, eschew hardship, and embrace comfort. Few great moments in life occurred from the comfortable and familiar space we each create. Most of the memories we aspire to create need us to wander far afield into strange lands and pry ourselves from our routines.

Failure is inevitable, whether complete and utter, or marginal. In either case we’re given an opportunity to review our objective, our method of acquisition, and what went wrong. There are many paths to success, but guessing at which one is optimal and then charging down it may result in a battered ego, some scrapes, or possibly something more traumatic. I wouldn’t advise throwing caution to the wind, as I’d rather every one of us survive the perils hidden along the paths ahead of us.

Instead what I’m suggesting is that when you falter and stumble, take a second to look at the ground and the world around you from the new perspective. A failure may be a new vantage point you hadn’t considered before, and if it doesn’t help immediately, at least you’ve taken a moment before backtracking.

Think about the way you define success by your desires, adjust them accordingly, and embrace the low points on the trail. They’re part of your journey as well, and the hardships have something to teach us. There may be an easier way, or a safer one. Perhaps your goal needs something you don’t have at the moment, a skill or support network for example. We’re all walking our own paths, but we’re not isolated and alone. That said, you could probably learn from the wisdom of others, and allow their hard earned insight to inform your adventure. Good luck out there.