Atychiphobia = fear of failure.Kakorrhaphiophobia = fear of failure or defeat.
I learned two new words today while preparing this blog. Yay me! (Don't ask me to pronounce them.)
It is often the fear of failure that prevents many people from initiating any change, whether in their own lives or the lives of others. There is a part of me that still whispers fears, doubts, and insecurities. 99% of the time, I can ignore them. My problem is the 1% of times when I listen.
What if I failed this project?
Well, I suppose my sense of failure would have to depend on the criteria with which I assess my success. Would I have failed if I did not receive a rank promotion? Would I have failed if I did not complete all of the UBBT criteria? How about if my students do not complete the challenge - would I take that as a failure?
Time for an attitude check.
Everything that I am doing, and everything that I inspire others to do, represents progress. It's a step in the right direction, and it's something beyond what any of us would have done alone. The longer we can maintain this, the more success we have attained.
If I view the "Live" project, my participation in it, and my students' participation in it as a collection of successes, celebrating each as they happen, then I need not fear the end point. I just need to appreciate the journey, and participate with nothing less than legendary effort.
No comments:
Post a Comment