Fear of Failure, or Success?

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." - Marianne Williamson

We are all afraid of failing at some point in our lives. Whether it is the fear of letting our loved ones down, or failing at getting a cake to rise, it comes up a lot. But what about the fear of success? Recently I was speaking with a friend about my personal fears around failure, and how it holds me back, sometimes, from trying. Now, don't get me wrong. I've done a lot, succeeded at a lot, and I am no shrinking violet. But once in a while, something is so important to me, a dream so big, that I am afraid that if I don't live up to the dream, it will be ruined forever.

My friend advised me that I am probably more afraid of success than failure. To which I heartily disagreed. Success would be lovely. But it did get me thinking - is success just as terrifying as failure? Do we really want to succeed, with all that success entails? Maybe meeting your dream partner means that you will lose your freedom and have to settle down. Maybe becoming a published author means that your thoughts and dreams will be open to criticism by others.

When have you ever been afraid of success?