The Fear of Success
kim smith 2008


Have you ever gotten out of bed and rushed toward your computer, or where you spend time writing, only to be stopped before getting there by every excuse in the book?

I have this problem more times than I want to admit.

It is not always procrastination although many would call it that. I find that on some days, I am just not convinced that I can handle the success or failure when it lands.

What is a fear of success, you ask? It is the same thing as a fear of failure, only worse. The questions become more pressing. What if I have to talk to people face to face? What if I have to travel and leave my family? What if I have to sit endless hours to sign my book and no one comes?

The fear of success can be as intimidating as the fear of failure. So much so that I sometimes do not know which is calling me to run like a Muppet, screaming from my writing nook.

I do believe in fighting such mindless action and have a bit of advice to those who suffer these crushing blows from our self-induced paranoia.

One, do yoga before you rush into that chair. Something about yoga or gentle exercise, releases endorphins into your system and soothes away those ragged worries.

Second, meditate or pray. I find that remembering that the joy of the Lord is my strength makes a great mantra. If the Lord wants me to be joyful, and it is making me strong, I can fight against the fears that plague me. If you are not of the religious faithful, but more on the track of self-realization, then according to aryasys, an online Taoist, “Meditation is a state of bare attention, highly alert and skillful state of mind. This is state of natural knowing, commonly known as intuition. It allows to overcome the internal chatters. It gets rid of anxiety, gives a higher level self acceptance and insight about oneself. We have to let go of the fact of fixing things rather than accept the things the way they are.

Thirdly, have some faith in your own abilities. You are in control of what you write, or don’t write. Sometimes we should just allow ourselves to write for fun. The main thrust of NanoWriMo, a month long writing exercise, is to write words until you get them out. A fifty-thousand word jumble that is accepted by all in the effort of the exercise. The works produced do not have to make good sense, they just have to exist.

Finally, a great quote to remember is :

“Believing in yourself is half the battle of any success story. This is the force that gives the power to persevere and try new things. - Spanos

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