Chose Your Everest
In the theater of success, fear of failure is not just a barrier; it’s the electrified, barbed-wire fence that surrounds the fortress. It zaps you the moment you touch it, sending you scurrying back to the comfort of your mediocrity. But here’s the kicker: the greatest entrepreneurs, the Titans of Industry, didn’t see that fence as a deterrent. They saw it as a challenge. They understood something that most don’t — that on the other side of that fear is not just success, but greatness.
Let’s break it down. Fear is essentially the anticipation of pain, isn’t it? Physical, emotional, financial — it’s the brain’s way of saying, “Hey, this might hurt.” And it’s not wrong. Failure does hurt. But what the brain doesn’t calculate well is the resilience factor. It doesn’t understand that pain is not just an endpoint but a waypoint on the journey to success. You see, the greats like Jobs, Musk, and Bezos didn’t fear failure; they expected it. They knew that each failure was simply a lesson wrapped in a not-so-pretty package. It’s not masochism; it’s mathematics. The more attempts you make, the higher your chances of succeeding.
Now, let’s get real. This isn’t some Pollyanna, “feel-good” advice to “embrace failure.” No. That’s what losers tell themselves. This is about acknowledging fear, looking it in the eye, and then making a calculated decision to move forward. It’s about understanding the ROI of failure. Yes, you heard that right — the return on investment of failure. Every setback, every faceplant in the mud, has a potential return if — and this is a big if — you’re willing to learn from it, adapt, and try again.
The fear of failure is not just a psychological barrier; it’s a cultural one. We’re taught from a young age to play it safe. “Get good grades, go to a good college, get a good job,” and so on. It’s a recipe for a comfortable life, sure, but it’s not the recipe for an exceptional one. The people who change the world, the disruptors and innovators, are the ones who looked at that formula and said, “Thanks, but no thanks.” They’re the ones who were willing to risk being uncomfortable, to be ridiculed, to fail publicly.
So, what’s the greatest barrier to success? It’s not just the fear of failure; it’s the unwillingness to go through the process of failure. It’s the refusal to pay the tuition fees of the school of hard knocks. Success, true success, is on the other side of that fear. The price of admission? Your comfort zone.
In conclusion, fear of failure is not the enemy; complacency is. The road to success is paved with failures, heartbreaks, and setbacks. But it’s also the only road worth traveling. So, strap in, look fear in the eye, and remember: on the other side of your greatest fears, lies your greatest life. It’s not just about failing forward; it’s about understanding that in the economy of success, failure is the currency. Spend it wisely, and the dividends could be beyond your wildest dreams.
Brian Fink is the author of Talk Tech To Me. He takes on the stress and strain of complex technology concepts and simplifies them for the modern recruiter. Fink’s impassioned wit and humor tackle the highs and lows of technical recruiting with a unique perspective — a perspective intended to help you find, engage, and partner with professionals.
