When I feel worried or nervous about a situation, I use this little Fierce Faith mantra to keep me on track.
Show up.
Be real.
Love others.
Don’t quit.
I developed this mantra because when I feel fear getting the best of me, I tend to want to run and hide, put on my mask, bite the heads off of the people I love, and sometimes just flat-out quit.
Let me explain.
1. Show up
Don’t let the fear of failure keep you from showing up.
When we struggle with the fear of failure, the idea of hiding at home under the covers can sound really good. Sometimes half the battle is simply showing up.
2. Be real
Don’t let your fear of failure keep you from being who you are.
My defense mechanism when I feel nervous around others has always been to look around, see what everyone else is doing, and make like a chameleon to fit in. If I feel certain I am going to fail as my true self, my logic has always been, why not be someone else, or worse yet, everyone else.
3. Love others
Don’t let the fear of failure cause you to treat others badly.
For me this is a reminder not to let my own fear or worry cause me to be short-tempered with others. My goal is to love others well, even when I’m a mess inside. I don’t want fear to control me and turn me into a big ball of nastiness to others.
4. Don’t quit
Don’t let the fear of failure, or anything else for that matter, cause you to quit. We can only truly fail when we quit trying.
I find the temptation to quit occurs most often when I am in the middle of a project or job, fearing I will fail, and I decide that quitting (and being labeled a quitter) is so much better than failing (and being labeled a failure).
Like I said, fear is not rational and does not cause us to think clearly.
When we remember to show up, be real, love others, and not quit, we don’t have to control anyone else or the outcome of what we do. We get to bring our best to any situation with courage and love.
The results are up to God; he just asks us to be who he called us to be, love others, and do our best. That is the real secret to confidence!
Ronne B
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