“It will be a sweet revelation to discover that your creative efforts are their own reward, and that always, you have nothing to fear but fear itself…” — Pamela Phillips Oland
U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said at his 1933 inauguration, “There is nothing we have to fear but fear itself.” This rousing speech to the American people was, “to dissipate the fear and panic which had laid a paralyzing hand upon…the Nation.”
He wanted to stir people to rise above their lethargy and self-doubt that began with the spectacular stock market crash of 1929. Americans, unable to see their way past their perceived obstacles, were inspired by FDR to understand that they could be their own worst enemies if they succumbed to fears of the unknown and the uncertain.
Aren’t we all afraid of “the unknown and the uncertain?” Aren’t we able to think of endless scenarios that reflect our worst fears? And if those fears materialize, and come true, don’t we say, “See, I told you so.” I have heard it said that, “what you fear, you attract.” If you fear being a failure, if you fear being overlooked, if you fear the inability to fulfill your dreams, then that’s the reality you will create.
I am reminded of a philosophical debate I heard about God. The premise was, “If God is omnipotent and can do anything, he can build an indestructible wall.”
The argument in response was, “If God is omnipotent and can do anything, he can also destroy that wall.”
The moral: Anything is possible.
If you fear the competition, the criticism, the sheer overwhelming enormity of the goals you have set for yourself, then they will become an insurmountable wall. But tell me, are you going to let a li’l ole insurmountable wall stop you?
I say you can build your insurmountable wall in your mind, and you can also climb over it, walk around it, or knock it down.
You have to recognize that you are a unique being with your own talents and abilities. You have the force of your own will and the strength of your own personality to work with. You have as much right to be successful in your chosen pursuits as anybody else has.
Success or failure is not about what you do, it’s about how you think.
If you do what you love, with your whole heart in it, then every moment you spend experiencing your life will be worthwhile.
Every worthwhile moment you spend experiencing your life will lead to another, and it to another, and so on without end.
Sooner or later, you will realize that your greatest accomplishment is the joy of living your life and experiencing your process.
Don’t get sidetracked by fear, don’t doubt yourself or feel left behind when you see others achieve their goals around you.
Stay with what you’re doing. Each of us has our own path, our own timetable. Don’t fear failure or you will fail. Believe in what you are doing, immerse yourself in your creative passions and joys.
It will be a sweet revelation to discover that your creative efforts are their own reward, and that always, you have nothing to fear but fear itself.
© Pamela Phillips Oland
This article is reprinted with the kind permission of its author, Pamela Phillips Oland. Visit her website at: PamOland.com
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