There is a quote from Sunday's sermon that keeps bouncing around in my mind.
"Failure is an event, not a person."
This idea has put totally new thoughts in my head. Thoughts that are trying to take over old thoughts that have been so ingrained in my little grey cells that they think they are facts. How can it be that I am not a failure? How can all the mistakes I make not equal me being a failure?
I fear failure. And yet, it controls me at times. Fear of failure has held me back from making many choices. It has convinced me that I am not capable of accomplishing the things I want to do. It has paralyzed me and has completely taken over my thought processes. It started when I was a little girl and followed me through adolescence, high school, college, marriage, and motherhood. In fact, it has been with me for so long that it would feel strange to let it go. It has wrapped itself around me like a second skin.
It's going to take me awhile to fully think about and sort out what I think and feel about this quote. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with the quote? Do you have the same relationship with the fear of failure as I do? Have you taken that step to conquer your fear? How did you do it?
Thank you in advance for commenting on this topic. I am really interested in how other people deal with failure. I have always branded myself as a failure at so many things and in so many ways.
I know how it feels to struggle against feeling like a failure, and also being afraid to fail. However, I KNOW that you are NOT a failure, and I believe that I am not, either. Here's some evidence:
ReplyDelete"The Lord is merciful and gracious; He is slow to get angry and full of unfailing love. He will not constantly accuse us, nor remain angry forever. He has not punished us for all our sins, nor does He deal with us as we deserve." Psalm 103:8-10
If I believe in God, then I have to believe in what He says, or we are both liars. This passage (and others) does not speak of a God who creates failures, but a God who is 'full of unfailing love' for us in spite of our failures.