You Deserve to Succeed – Part of Chapter IV of the upcoming book “Find Your Passion”

You Deserve to Succeed – Part of Chapter IV of the upcoming book “Find Your Passion” 

The fear of success is also one of the biggest fears that can stop you from discovering and following your passion in 2021. Yes, it sounds weird, maybe stupid, but it’s real. “Can I handle my success?” “What will happen if I don’t?” These are just a few thoughts that come from the fear of success. Now, remember that every fear is a thought and that the majority of our thoughts come from our beliefs. These are statements that we have learned at a very early age, stored in our long-term memory and our subconscious mind. 

No, you are not doomed because of what you learned in the past. You just need to change these negative beliefs. How? First, you identify them, and then you replace them for your empowering beliefs, your “truths”. That’s how you’ll release yourself from fear. We have classified your limiting beliefs into seven main categories, based on their impact on our results. There are, of course, many more, but they originate primarily from the top seven presented below:

1. “I am not enough to…”
2. “Pain is suffering.”
3. “Approval is love.” 
4. “It has to be either…or…”
5. Stereotypes/Overgeneralizations 
6. “Natural death is bad.” 
7. Ego beliefs 

One version of the first category is the following: “I’m not enough to succeed/be happy.”

This belief gives birth to the fear of success and happiness. “What, Jim? How can someone be afraid of their own success and happiness? Aren’t these the things that everyone wants?”, you might wonder. Think about it for a second. How comfortable would you feel when you reach your true potential, financially, emotionally, and spiritually? How would you feel if, along your journey to success and happiness, you discover aspects of yourself that you didn’t know? Parts of you that were well hidden in your “dark room”? How comfortable are you with raising your level of self-awareness? How comfortable would others feel about your growth and success? How comfortable would you be with others if you knew that you shine and stand out? 

Well, many people wouldn’t feel that comfortable. So, they avoid this discomfort by trying to fit themselves into other people’s limiting beliefs. How? They deliberately undervalue themselves, to make others feel valued. They shrink themselves for others to feel better and look bigger, or at least less small. They discount their inner greatness for others’ mediocrity, ending up being mediocre themselves. Worst thing? They call the discount of their greatness “modesty” whereas the truth is that it’s mediocrity. Mediocrity disguised in “modesty” leads to a lack of self-confidence. Remember: Modesty is not mediocrity. Modesty is self-confidence without arrogance.

“Modesty is not mediocrity. Modesty is self-confidence without arrogance.”

Does any of the above sound familiar? Listen: you were born to be great! You were born to stand out. And the best way to do that is to be yourself. Because when you are yourself, you are more than enough to succeed and be happy.

“When you are yourself, you are more than enough to succeed and be happy.”

Author Marianne Williamson in her poem “Our Deepest Fear” articulates the fear of success beautifully and elegantly:

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

 Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness 

that most frightens us.

We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?” 

Actually, who are you not to be? 

You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world. 

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking

 so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, 

as children do. 

We were born to make manifest 

the glory of God that is within us.

It’s not just in some of us;

 it’s in everyone.

And as we let our own light shine,

we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,

our presence automatically liberates others.”

How big can you become? How far can your greatness go? How bright is your light? 

Reframe:

• You have greatness in you.
• You are more than enough to succeed and be happy.

Feel free to pre-order the “Find Your Passion” book to transform your career and life by visiting my personal site here.