Overcoming the Fear of Success (Part 4)

Ephesians 4:28 says: "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."

Our quote for today is from Ambrose Bierce. He said: "A person who doubts himself is like a man who would enlist in the ranks of his enemies and bear arms against himself. He makes his failure certain by himself being the first person to be convinced of it."

Today, in the Get Things Done podcast we are continuing with part 4 of our series titled, "Overcoming the Fear of Success".

How do you distinguish between genuine inadequacy and low self-esteem?

I wish there were some kind of litmus test that could be used to determine the difference, because it's the central question every person faces in deciding whether to try for any ambitious goal: "Do I have what it takes, or don't I?" No one can answer that question for you. Sometimes you can't answer it for yourself, either, until you've attempted the task and risked the possibility of getting in over your head, making up your mind that you'll give it your best effort anyway.

Let me just say this: chances are, your fear stems from a faulty self-image rather than from incompetence. If you have a set goal for yourself, it is probably something that you could achieve and could handle after achieving it if you would only make your move. Instead we all tend to sell ourselves short, underestimating our abilities. I referred earlier to the belief of distinguished psychologists that most humans use only a small portion of their potential, a belief shared, I think, by all thoughtful observers of the human condition. This means that you have a vast reservoir of unused talent and capability available to you. but if procrastination and timidity keep you from ever opening the floodgates, the reservoir might as well be empty.

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