Say No To The Fear Of Failure

 Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having had a great day as the sun has set on a beautiful day in my Sweet Home Alabama! 😊

At my church we just finished a sermon series titled “No-vember.” During the series our Pastors talked about things we should say no to. Last Sunday, wrapping up the series, our Executive Pastor, Adam Gooch, preached an awesome sermon about saying no to the fear of failure. It was such a great sermon! I want to start off this Happy Friday by sharing some of the notes I took from his sermon.

• What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
• Have you ever not done something because you were afraid to fail?
• We have a fear of failure problem in the U.S. (He cited some incredible statistics)
• Society sells us the lie that failure is fatal.
• Failure will define you or it will refine you.
• Failure does change you…it never leaves you the same.
• Refine vs. Define
• The perspective…how do you see the failures in your life?
• Far too often our identity is defined by our activity.
• A failure is an event, it is never a person.
• Believing you are a failure will only keep you from your purpose.
• Your failures fuel your future.
• You need to push and challenge yourself.
• If we never experience failure, we never grow and change.
• Just keep working – obstacles are there to help you.
• You are not what you did.
• If you are still here, the story is not done.

Have you ever been there? Have you had a failing moment? We all have… Here is the real key question though; did it define or refine you? Some of us are stuck in failing moments that happened years ago, afraid to live the life we were called and capable of living because we allowed one brief moment in time to define us. Others, in the moments after that failing moment, allowed it to refine them and are walking fully in their purpose, passionately living life every day. I want to be the refined one, not the defined one…how about you?

 

This is 100% a perspective thing and with this, each one of us is going to have to do our own choosing. I simply want to encourage us to live this life fully, relentlessly pursuing all we were created to become. I get that failing moments hurt…bad! I have experienced more than my fair share! I am also here to testify that if you will get up, keep the faith, be willing to be refined, and never quit, great things will happen. It’s a choice…to live. 😊

I am going to share several things here and I am simply going to ask you to think and pray about it.

“What is the point of being alive if you don’t at least try to do something remarkable?” – John Green

“Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” – Robert T. Kiyosaki

“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” – Denis Waitley

“You WILL eventually become what you think. Whether you succeed or fail is determined in your mind long before we say it play out in real-time.” – Mandy Hale

“The reason people fail to reach their goals is because they give up too early. They don’t understand that most successes are built upon foundations of multiple attempts.” – Richelle E. Goodrich

“It’s a new day. Yesterday’s failure is redeemed at the sunrise.” – Todd Stocker

“The one who falls and gets up is stronger than the one who never tried. Do not fear failure but rather fear not trying.” – Roy T. Bennet

“You may believe that you are responsible for what you do, but not for what you think. The truth is that you are responsible for what you think, because it is only at this level that you can exercise choice. What you do comes from what you think.” – Marianne Williamson

“You always have a choice. Don’t ever imagine you don’t. Whatever you do, it’s a decision and you have to accept responsibility for it. That’s when honor becomes more than empty words.” – Lynn Flewelling

I also want to share the lyrics from the song “All In” by Matthew West. I might have shared it in another Happy Friday…so what?! 😊 Great song and I would strongly encourage you all to not only read the lyrics but go listen to the song!

Matthew West

"All In"

My feet are frozen on this middle ground

The water's warm here but the fire's gone out

I played it safe for so long the passion left

Turns out safe is just another word for regret 

So, I step to the edge and I take a deep breath

We're all dying to live but we're all scared to death

And this is the part where my head tells my heart

You should turn back around but there's no turning back now

I'm going all in

Headfirst into the deep end

I hear You calling

And this time the fear won't win

I'm going, I'm going all in

(I'm going, I'm going...) all in

(I'm going, I'm going)

I believe that one day I will see Your kingdom come

And I wanna hear You say, "Welcome home my child, well done"

So, I step to the edge and I take a deep breath

I'm not turning back around 'cause there's no turning back now 

I'm going all in

Headfirst into the deep end

I hear You calling

And this time the fear won't win

I'm going, I'm going all in

(I'm going, I'm going...) all in

(I'm going, I'm going...) all in

(I'm going, I'm going...) all in

(I'm going, I'm going)

 All to you Jesus, I freely give

As long as there's breath in these lungs I will live

With reckless abandon, my heart in Your hands

I surrender it all, I'm going... (I'm going all in)

(I'm going, I'm going all in)

I'm going all in (I'm going all in)

Headfirst into the deep end (I'm going all in)

I hear You calling [?]

And this time the fear won't win

I'm going, I'm going all in

(I'm going, I'm going...) all in

(I'm going, I'm going...) all in

(I'm going, I'm going...) all in

(I'm going, I'm going)

I believe that one day I will see Your kingdom come

And I wanna hear You say, "Welcome home my child, well done"

Finally, I am going to share a quote from Todd Gongwer that I came across this morning.

Every little choice we make…every word, attitude, and behavior, contributes to who we’re becoming.

The heart is always under construction.

We’re either choosing a path of progression or regression.

Selfless or selfish?

Self-discipline or self-indulgence?

Every choice matters!

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great evening, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious families, and please stay well!

Kev