What if i fail? Tends to be the cry of many who choose not to make an effort. Or to quote Homer Simpson, ”But Marge, trying the first step towards failure.” Many of us possess a bastion reservoir of doubt in our subconscious that has been residing there since infancy. Over the years, these thought have been reinforced by elders around us as well as by self-fulfilling prophecies that by our own attempts were doomed to failure the start . One of the consistent objection i hear when my possibility is proffered is ‘but’. And that my friends, is personal sabotage.
In my current role as a teacher i am witness to the many anxieties and doubt of young (and not-so-young) students as they prepare to go out into the world. This is in no way different to what ones sees in professional life and, to be perfectly honest, what one has gone through oneself. This led me to wonder as to what cause this situation: past failures or simply a way to avoid effort in the first place?
Be as it may, we now need to correct the situation. To start with, let me quote my friends Anthony Robbins: ”There is no such thing as success or failure; only outcomes.” This effectively means it is the label we choose to use which determines success or failure. The same applies decision making; people always ask (with trepidation): ”Did I make the right decision?” A decision is a decision – only the outcomes will determine the label.
My theory is that most of us are either afraid of succeeding or we are using negative frames to try to achieve positive results (a bit like doing the right thing for the wrong reason). Why should we not succeed to beyond our wildest dreams? Why do we put a limit on our capabilities ? Our conditioning tells us that ‘money is the root of the all evil’ and that most successfull people have done something illegal or immoral to get to where they are; so why should we even try? This is nonsense and a cop-out?.
My other friend Henry Ford said it well: ”If you think you can , or you think you can’t – either way you are right.” Let me end either a lesson I learned in yoga: put in your best effort and leave the result to a higher power. I would add: ”Let positivity be your driver; intention are everything.”
By Leon Menezes. The writer is a professor-of-practice at the IBA – Karachi, a senior HR particitionar and an executive coach.