The Tale of 2 Fears — The fear of Failure and the fear of Success

Two fears sabotage success—fear of failure and its deadlier sibling, fear of success.

Most people know the fear of failure — the belief that one's effort will always fall short.

This is a familiar stumbling block many overcome eventually. But fear of success is more deadly.

It’s beyond mere anxiety—it’s this paralyzing dread that chokes as one approaches or even achieves success.

This fear convinces you that your win is a trap that comes with unbearable responsibilities and unending expectations.

I'm sure you know that success isn’t a free lunch or ride.

Success is heavy — it carries a weight that most people are unwilling—or sometimes unprepared—to bear.

With failure, your critics will dismiss your efforts with, “Look at him; he didn’t succeed.”

However, with success, any subsequent failure or misstep invites accusations of fraud.

"Ahn, we knew that he couldn't be as good as he claimed; he must have cheated to attain his previous success."

And this is the worst-case scenario of success—becoming a one-hit wonder.

A one-hit wonder is unable to replicate their breakthrough. They are forever haunted by the pressure to outperform their last achievement.

Also, success magnetizes attention.

Yes, success increases your demand; you draw the admiration of many.

But it also comes with relentless criticisms, invasive scrutiny, and a loss of privacy. One day, you’re celebrated; the next, you’re under a microscope.

They scream "Hosanna!” today and shout “Crucify him!” tomorrow.

Now, every action is judged. Every mistake is magnified. The constant barrage of expectations — your next project must be a hit; your next performance must be flawless.

Social pressure also compounds the weight as you battle to maintain the balance between being celebrated and being called proud and arrogant.

Yet, in all of this chaos, I have learnt that GROWTH is the best anchor.

Growing into your success prepares you to bear the heavy burden success presents.

As my mentor, Dr. David Oyedepo, said, “We have zero apprehension about tomorrow because we didn’t arrive here today by tricks or chance.”

Avoiding the growth path and cutting corners today means removing the cornerstones that will uphold your success.

The charge is for us to embrace the process—even if it’s long and hard.

It's embracing hardness today that prepares us for hardship tomorrow.

Success may be heavy and challenging in the future, but the one who grows up in hardness will be able to sustain it.

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—DrAzu