A couple of months ago, I asked my 80-year-old mother to join me for a short walk inside our condo complex. Just a few steps outside. She refused.
She said, “What if I fall? What if it leads to complex health issues?”
She stays indoors, not because she can’t step out, but because she fears what might happen if she falls.
Years ago, I turned down opportunities to conduct workshops with senior leaders. My reasons sounded rational. But the truth? I was scared the sessions would flop.
A cousin of mine wanted to be a doctor. She was bright and scored straight A’s. But her two older sisters didn’t clear the entrance exam. So, she didn’t even appear for the entrance test. Just the thought of failing was enough to kill the dream.
See the pattern? Failure doesn’t usually stop us. What stops us is the fear of it.
We cover up fear with logic. But underneath it all, it’s the same old story:
What if I fail?
Here’s a better question: What if I don’t? 💡
✅ What if the workshop goes well? What if I ace the exam? What if the walk becomes a daily habit?
✅ What’s the worst that can happen? I stumble or mess up. And then? I get up, and I learn & grow.
Here’s what helps:
↪️ Do your bit — and let go of the result. You can’t control outcomes, only effort.
↪️ Stack the upsides. Even if you fail, you gain experience, confidence, resilience, maybe even a new friend or guide.
↪️ Think of the times when you expected horrible things to happen. But none of it actually materialized, they existed only in your mind.
Have you experienced fear of failure? How did you handle it? Would love to hear your experiencing of overcoming fear.
Perspectives 