Our Fear of SuccessBy Hector Bonilla

Table of Content▪ What is Success?

▪ Types of fears

▪ 1. Fear of Success

▪ 2. Fear of Failure

▪ 3. Fear of Unknown

▪ 4. Fear of Isolation

▪ How to Overcome fears

The Purpose of this Power Point▪ To explore the topic : What holds us from reaching success?

▪ To create an opportunity for self-reflection

▪ To be aware of your accomplishments

▪ To educate readers on various aspects of Success

▪ To be the turning point in your life

What is Success?▪ The following is the definition of success from Merriam-Webster

Dictionary:

▪ : the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame

▪ : the correct or desired result of an attempt

▪ : someone or something that is successful : a person or thing that succeeds

▪ The truth is that social-economic status, personal experiences, and our culture all effect our outlook on success.

What is Success? (Continued)

▪ For instance, the definition of success for upper class individuals may be in establishing their own identities or maintaining an acceptable image of their current lifestyle.

▪ From a middle class perspective, success can take a different form. For example, success for working class people can be material things such as money, a big house, a new car or new clothes.

▪ In addition to these social ideals, success can also be non-tangible things such as an emotion, education, family relationships, friendships and security.

▪ Therefore, don’t compare yourself to other people’s accomplishments because their idea of success may be different than yours.

The Fear of Success▪ The influx of responsibility that

comes from accomplishing your goals can lead to stress because you may feel like your not accustomed to this new environment.

▪ This happens to people are hard working, dedicated and that by society standards should be successful.

▪ Take a moment to reflect on a time when you were well qualified for a position or job but you still felt stressed or even failed to do a task. Then try to understand why you were afraid and try to come up with an alternative response to future situations.

The Fear of the Unknown▪ Have you ever been forced to adapt to a

new environment been force to undergo a dramatic change in your career or personal life?

▪ These changes in our lives can become huge sources of stress and failure because change is inherently risky.

▪ Take a moment to reflect and try to recall events when you were pushed away from your comfort zone. How did it feel? Why were you afraid? How can you overcome this fear? Will you react the same in the future?

▪ Try to find the courage in side you and change your perspective on life to get past this psychological barrier.

The Fear of Failure ▪ The accountability that comes with new

accomplishments or positions can be tough and demanding your mental state. This in turn creates a stressful environment that makes the possibility of failure a harsh reality.

▪ Have you ever been afraid of doing an activity or taking a promotion because you thought you couldn’t handle it? All you thought of was all the people you would be letting down with your failure. Well If you have, you’ve just experienced the Fear of Failure.

▪ Reflect on situations where the fear of failure has been an issue and try to understand why you were afraid and see if your reasons are rational. Usually, people let emotions affect their thinking process.

The Fear of Isolation ▪ This fear illustrates your fear of

abandoning your ideals and values for higher education or success. The feeling of abandoning what you believe in can deter people from achieving their goals because they don’t want to leave their past lives. To them success comes with a price which include isolation from their family and culture.

▪ The fear of isolation is an illusion that is fabricated in a person’s mind. This illusion serves as an excuse not to pursue their dreams and possibly face failure.

▪ Think of a time when you felt that you would have to change your values or personality to become successful. Then see if this is a rational thought.

How to Overcome Fears▪ There are countless success stories that show how much people have

suffered and sacrificed to reach their goals. Find your passion and don’t afraid to follow it. Risk is stressful in nature but sometimes you must follow you instincts.

▪ It a persons character that helped provides them with the strength to persevere, no matter how hard things got. Work on developing you values and live by them. Don’t be afraid of being yourself.

▪ Resources such as Stephen Covey’s book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People offer priceless advice on what motivates people to succeed. It contains great steps and quotes such as:

▪ “ No matter the situation, we as humans have the ability of choosing our actions and by choosing, we shape our future.”

Resources▪ Burton, Larry D. "Fear." Journal of Research on Christian Education May 2011:

113+. Academic Search Complete.Web.28 Oct. 2013

▪ Covey, Stephen. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. New York, New York : Free Press, 2004.Print.

▪ Ivers, Jo-Hanna, and P. Downes. "A Phenomenological Reinterpretation Of Horner's Fear Of Success In Terms Of Social Class." European Journal Of Psychology Of 27.3 (2012): 369-388. Academic Search Complete.Web.29 Oct. 2013

▪ Kruglanski, Belanger, Lafreniere and Vallerand. "Driven By Fear: The Effect Of Success And Failure Information On Passionate Individuals' Performance." Journal Of PersonalityAnd Social Psychology 104.1 (2013): 180-195. Academic Search Complete.Web.29 Oct. 2013

▪ Lipman, Joanne. "Is Music the Key to Success?." New York Times 13 Oct. 2013: 9. Academic Search Complete. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.

Picture Sites▪ http://finchsells.com/2012/12/11/the-2-crippling-fears-that-sabotage-y

our-affiliate-business/

▪ http://www.theemotionmachine.com/how-to-overcome-your-fear-of-success

▪ http://www.actioncoach.com/Fear-of-Failure?pressid=1062

▪ http://auroille.deviantart.com/art/fear-of-the-unknown-191937219