Let Your Desires Conquer Your Fears: (Audio)
I just listened to a snapshot of a message from Bruce Kasanoff on LinkedIn and he shared a tidbit that just spoke to my core…
In searching for a growth opportunity he stated, “My desires to do this exceeded my fears.”
What are these fears? We have fear of failure, and sometimes fear of success. Both often dictate to how we approach the future. I know it does for me. There are things I may never deal with because fear pulls me back and sets me on a different path. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of commitment. Fear. Just plain old gut wrenching fear.
I’ve done a lot of somewhat scary things: Piloted a plane by myself! Launched into the sky via a hot air balloon several times! Pulled behind a single engine plane in a sail plane and glided back to the earth – 8 times! Spoken in front of thousands, and asked my bride to marry me! I’ve Hired and I’ve fired.
Typical things we think nothing about are down right frightful for others!
Think about something you are really fearful of, and think what you do to back off from accomplishing the task! Public speaking is a notable fear, but not for me – just don’t ask me to sing solo! Taking on the challenge of debt to accomplish a result, well, if the debt is over a monthly income that I’m comfortable with, then I think long and hard about my commitment!
Now, think about something you need to redo because you failed the first time. What steps do you take to make the results more successful?
Vacation. Kentucky. About 11 or 12 years old. Getting ready to head come from the relatives huge farm and we sure wanted to ride the horse one time before we left. So, my cousin saddled and prepared Dolly for the transition to a burden! You know, the saddle, bridle and a pre-teen. I’m the oldest, so I get to ride first. Just outside of the barnyard, suddenly, Dolly bucks a little, kicks up her hindquarters and heads for the hills! I’m screaming, crying and just egging her on with my caterwauling. She took the bit, jumped a ditch, ran over a downed fence and bounced like a kangaroo up the mountain, leaping over rocks! There’s nothing to stop her but the tree line above. She decides it’s time to reverse the trip and now I’m headed down the hill toward that ditch!
Suddenly, she stops. I’m quaking and gladly leap off her back, and lead her back further down. My cousin comes running up and we inspect Dolly and find a whopping bee sting on her rump… What did I do? Climbed right back on (Thanks for that lesson, Robert!) and took her back to the barn.
No one else got to ride. But I learned, rather cemented, a valuable lesson.
Failures are so named because you never get back up and face the challenge again. That bike ride without training wheels had some bumps and bruises, but at 62 I wouldn’t think twice about climbing on and riding off into the sunset. It’s a conquered task and I do not lose my muscle memory to be successful on the bike. And just a few moments ago, I mentally went through the checklist to take another solo flight into the sky. Now, I would much rather have some refreshing time with an instructor, but if the need were there I would probably hesitate just a moment or two. “Clear Prop!”
It makes me wonder about young David of Bible fame. Facing Goliath. He had already killed a lion and a bear, so he felt invincible. Of course, he was young and we know that the brain does not quit developing until a quarter of a century has passed. Still… He was ready to stand up to the giant. With a simple sling and 5 stones. (1 Samuel 17:40) Why? He had proven himself in smaller battles, and it was now time to test his mettle against the giant.
What’s your process to overcome your fears and face that potential failure?
It was later in an anxious moment, that this same David was facing the ire of his people who wanted to stone him. What did he do?
And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God. (1 Samuel 30:6 KJV)
Sometimes you have no one else to challenge you to the occasion, you simply do it yourself. You become your own best supporter. Just get up and do it! There’s no little angel on your shoulder, just like there’s no little devil on the opposite shoulder. Despite what you may think, you are your own best encouragement! Deep inside you know you can do it.
Prove the naysayers wrong. Just do it.
Now, before you go off half-cocked and pull some hair-brained idea out of the mix and declare you can do anything you want, keep your focus on your spiritual man and make sure you are doing it for the right reason. It’s the same David who uttered these words in the psalms.
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. (Psalms 37:3-5 KJV)
Trust. Delight. Commit. Three big ideas. His son, Solomon carries it to the next generation with a slightly different application. But it fits!
And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12 KJV)
Come on now, get up and get back in the game of life! Don’t let your fear keep you back. Let those desires of success keep you facing those giants! And winning, one after the other!