Are you ready to see that if you’d like to reach the next level of success, you must dissolve some of your fears of success?
When I first read that, I was mad. Why on earth would anyone be afraid of success? I’ve yearned anxiously for that ‘break’ that will change it all for me – struggling for years in this pharmacy profession that I consider more of a waiting room than anything. After how I’m treated by both the company AND the public it’s stretching it to call it anything else. So I continue to wait. You would think that for how often I think about success for my writing, it would’ve happened already. But it still eludes me. Why? Why? Why?
So I thought about the above question and briefly researched fears of success. You’d be surprised at how twisted we as thinking individuals actually are. Well, at least those of us that think and attempt to make our future more fulfilling.
1. Fear of Not Coping With Success
Some dude named Hugh MacLeod pointed out that success is more complex than failure. Success takes hard work and disappointment and more hard work. It’s been found that people really don’t want to work that hard. Lazy bastards.
2. Fear of Selling Out
Creative individuals have a complicated relationship with success. The loss of artistic integrity always looms. To me this could be a cope out. I don’t know. If you want it bad enough and they want you bad enough – it will work out.
3. Fear of Becoming Someone Else
Fuck em, all. They’re probably just jealous. For me, I have enough reciprocated, fulfilling relationships to endure anything. My friends want me to succeed as much as I want them to do the same. Besides, the vast majority of people who don’t know me already think I’m an asshole. So I’s got dis category covered.
4. Success will have to be maintained or, even worse, increased.
To me this has more to do with realistic expectations. I am an average writer with a unique voice that knows how to entertain with the written word. My goal is a New York Times number one Best Seller and to be on the cover of Vanity Fair someday. Anything above that is just icng on the proverbial cake. But, I do like cake!
Speaking of Vanity Fair, the recent issue spotlighted Sting. He stated that he just had an eight year ‘drought’ of creative energy. Instead of wallowing, he accepted the ‘block’ for what it was and went back to his roots. Now, he has a play that’s opening up in Chicago, then New York.
5. Doubts about your own worthiness for success
Ding, ding, ding – there it is. This has ME written all over it.
Subconsciously, I’ve realized this for some time, often rationalizing failure with contentment. “Well at least I still have …. ,” I’d counter. Or “Maybe it wasn’t meant to be,” my mother would often say. Remember, I’m Catholic. Self-inflicted guilt is more deeply rooted than these damn weeds in my lawn that appear regardless of my OCD gardening skills. So deserving or even wanting anything above what I have can be a guilt-ridden mess.
Ugh!
So now what? For me, I just need to get over it. I am done with my current existence and need to move on.
I will close with words from Stephanie Manos –
To create and sustain success it is essential to find and release your fears of success.
