We all have fears. Some big, some small, but either way it is utterly impossible to traverse through life without a handful of them. I, myself, am scared of water. Oceans, lakes, rivers…not my thing. I don’t swim very well and the fear of the unknown freaks me out. You may see me in a pool and I don’t want to stink so showers are a must, but water sports and swimming are far fetched in my world. Fears are part of life and that has to be accepted but it is how we handle our fears that make us the people we are.There is one fear I have noticed recently that is more frustrating than others. It’s a fear that boggles my mind and a fear I don’t know how to combat. That fear is success.

Too many times people are scared of bettering themselves. Whether it is the work they have to put in, the time, or the changes in life that causes this fear I don’t know, but fear of success can and will hold anyone back from their true goals. We set goals, we make sacrifices, and we envision ourselves in a different place in life. A better place where our desires are reached and our world is improved. Yet, too many times people see these changes being made and make the decision to ruin that progress out of fear. Whether it be sabotaging diet, missing training sessions, or just mentally blocking one’s self from improvement and acceptance of recent success, there is too much pressure to keep up a better self. There are too many “friends” that will be jealous of one’s success that will try to bring the successor down. There is more and more effort needed to continually improve. The pressure to succeed is just too much for some people to handle. However, it is this pressure that we must feed off of to strive forward and continually change.

For those who fear this success I want to challenge you. I challenge you to evaluate your life right now. Evaluate the people in your life. Evaluate your goals and the means to these goals. Evaluate what you truly want and what you are willing to do. If there are people in your life holding you back then cut them out. They don’t deserve you. If your goals are being reached then continue to make new ones. Refocus each week. Truly understand when you are breaking yourself down and holding yourself back. Instead, build yourself up and make steps in the positive. Accept bad days and use them to move forward. Learn from your mistakes because we all have them. If you are scared of success take the time to evaluate that fear and break it down. Don’t let it consume you but instead attack it and continue to succeed. You have succeeded thus far so why stop now?

For me, my biggest fear is failure. I am scared of not being better each day, each week, each year. I want so badly to succeed in every aspect of my life. This fear of failure holds me back just as much as a fear of success but just as I have challenged you, I continually work to break through that fear. Instead of being scared of failing I must work towards success in every aspect of my life business, lifting, and nutrition accepting failure along the way as a teaching point for improvement.