Jamie123 Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Sounds totally stupid I know, but I sometimes get an almost debilitating fear of trying ideas out in case they don't work, even when there's absolutely nothing to lose. Usually I fight through the fear, but the mental struggle takes all the energy out of me. I suppose it could be the kind of fear Shakespeare expressed in Hamlet, when he couldn't make up his mind to avenge his father. Perhaps an untested plan retains the hope of success, which is lost when it is tested and fails. Not sure how to explain it any better than this. Does anyone else understand what I'm talking about? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susieSA Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Totally Jamie... And then I realise that if I don't then I might just loose out on something or even an adventure... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rampion Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Yeah, fear of failure can be very paralyzing. It makes sense to just try, because when we don't try, we fail for sure. But it isn't so easy. I'm reading a really good book for this. Feel the Fear and Do it Anyway by Susan Jeffers.Susan Jeffers :: HomeAmazon.com: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway: Susan Jeffers: Books Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Misshalfway Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 It is like hanging from the monkey bars and feeling the fear that you will fall. Yet the ground is only a few inches away, but it feels like miles. I suppose the key is getting into our own heads and controlling the irrational fear and let go. I think it gets better each time we fight thru the fear and worse each time we give in and stay safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connie Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 I think a big part of this is coming to the realization that failure is how we learn. We learn more from our mistakes and failures than we do from success. This is one of the reasons i really love the movie Meet the Robinsons. I love the idea of celebrating your failures. But i can definitely say i'm not there yet. I like how Thomas Edison put it when inventing the lightbulb, "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pam Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Since Connie quoted someone I would like to as well. It's one of my favorites quotes:“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” – Abraham LincolnIf you want to see how failure can lead to success; take a look at Abraham Lincoln:*1831 – Failed in business1832 – Defeated for legislature1833 – Again failed in business1834 – Elected to legislature1835 – Sweetheart died1836 – Had a nervous breakdown1838 – Defeated for speaker1840 – Defeated for elector1843 – Defeated for Congress1846 – Elected for Congress1848 – Defeated for Congress1855 – Defeated for Senate1856 – Defeated for Vice-President1858 – Defeated for Senate1860 – ELECTED PRESIDENT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmy- Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Sounds totally stupid I know, but I sometimes get an almost debilitating fear of trying ideas out in case they don't work, even when there's absolutely nothing to lose. Usually I fight through the fear, but the mental struggle takes all the energy out of me.I suppose it could be the kind of fear Shakespeare expressed in Hamlet, when he couldn't make up his mind to avenge his father. Perhaps an untested plan retains the hope of success, which is lost when it is tested and fails.Not sure how to explain it any better than this. Does anyone else understand what I'm talking about?I completely understand.. my girlfriend is the same way sometimes. It helps her to run her ideas by me.. of course I agree with them usually.. but that added confidence helps her tremendously. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemidakota Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Sounds totally stupid I know, but I sometimes get an almost debilitating fear of trying ideas out in case they don't work, even when there's absolutely nothing to lose. Usually I fight through the fear, but the mental struggle takes all the energy out of me.I suppose it could be the kind of fear Shakespeare expressed in Hamlet, when he couldn't make up his mind to avenge his father. Perhaps an untested plan retains the hope of success, which is lost when it is tested and fails.Not sure how to explain it any better than this. Does anyone else understand what I'm talking about?Agh no! Imagine if people thought like this when it comes to the fields of electronics, automobiles, or even the airplane. Where do you think we would be by now if most of have the fear of others without giving forth some effort? Most successes are not done without the trials of errors. Even great billionaires have failed in the beginning but keep pressing forward towards the goal set at the beginning. Switching gears as related to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, even after thirty plus years as a convert, I thought I had enough knowledge of what was, what is, and what shall be, only to be enlighten further with new truths. Experimenting or seeking for further light is the same as seeking success at anything we do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemidakota Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 I completely understand.. my girlfriend is the same way sometimes. It helps her to run her ideas by me.. of course I agree with them usually.. but that added confidence helps her tremendously.Then you get married and what was is now thrown out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemidakota Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Since Connie quoted someone I would like to as well. It's one of my favorites quotes:“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” – Abraham LincolnIf you want to see how failure can lead to success; take a look at Abraham Lincoln:*1831 – Failed in business1832 – Defeated for legislature1833 – Again failed in business1834 – Elected to legislature1835 – Sweetheart died1836 – Had a nervous breakdown1838 – Defeated for speaker1840 – Defeated for elector1843 – Defeated for Congress1846 – Elected for Congress1848 – Defeated for Congress1855 – Defeated for Senate1856 – Defeated for Vice-President1858 – Defeated for Senate1860 – ELECTED PRESIDENTPerfect....I would add Joseph Smith down as financial failures. We have our weakness but at least both men kept trying for the same goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemidakota Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 Sounds totally stupid I know, but I sometimes get an almost debilitating fear of trying ideas out in case they don't work, even when there's absolutely nothing to lose. Usually I fight through the fear, but the mental struggle takes all the energy out of me.I suppose it could be the kind of fear Shakespeare expressed in Hamlet, when he couldn't make up his mind to avenge his father. Perhaps an untested plan retains the hope of success, which is lost when it is tested and fails.Not sure how to explain it any better than this. Does anyone else understand what I'm talking about?Sorry to take up so much of your post but this had me thinking about many things. What I failed to add here is something that add some light for others...a person can have his/her election made sure and still fail in life. What is the best part about trying, the Savior knows there weakness and failures. He also know they will seek repentance immediately and try again until they are successful in the end. Foreknowledge of each soul? Perhaps but at least He knows the person individually and knows the desire and intent on seeking perfection in mortality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ViolinGirl Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 (edited) Fear, I think, is one of Satan's ways of controlling us. It is good to be naturally fearful in some situations...fear helps us run away from danger, for example, if we come across a bear in the woods. But it can also be an illogical emotion or feeling. I'll use myself as an example. I have a terrible time with stage fright. I've felt some promptings lately, though, to play my violin at church and to even speak in church. Just the mere thought of standing up in front of a bunch of people makes my legs shake. I had to make a conscious effort to move past that fear and do as I was asked by God. My obedience to Him has been a blessing for me, though...each time I am in church now, I get more and more comfortable there. If you are obeying God and doing what HE asks of you, then you have nothing to fear. Tell yourself "I can do all things through Christ Jesus who gives me strength." Edited July 21, 2009 by ViolinGirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hemidakota Posted July 21, 2009 Report Share Posted July 21, 2009 As those who FEAR and TREMBLE over our own salvation before GOD....:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie123 Posted July 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 (edited) Agh no! Imagine if people thought like this when it comes to the fields of electronics, automobiles, or even the airplane. Where do you think we would be by now if most of have the fear of others without giving forth some effort?I think you oversimplify things Hemi. I often find your sentences rather difficult to untangle, but I get the impression you're condemning the fearful on the grounds that fear creates problems. This is quite true of course, but not tremendously helpful: You might as well ask an agoraphobic where we would all be if everyone was afraid of going outside. The answer of course is "nowhere", but coming from a person who is not agoraphobic this would be both arrogant and hypocritical.Many people have fears which we don't understand. Sometimes it stems from childhood abuse, and if we have not suffered in the same way, then there is no way we will understand it. But we have no right to brush it aside simply because we have never felt that way ourselves. We all have our own individual demons to fight.My own fears of failure are (in the grand scheme of things) a fairly minor matter. Like I say, I usually fight through them, but I often feel they hold me back from achieving what I'm capable of. I was just interested to know if other people felt the same way.On the subject of courage, I've always liked what the North Wind said to Diamond:"To try to be brave is to be brave. The coward who tries to be brave is before the man who is brave because he is made so, and never had to try."George MacDonald At the Back of the North Wind Edited July 22, 2009 by Jamie123 So OK, I can't spell agoraphobic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ploomf Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 We'll since everyone else is quoting their favorites I'll say I've always like this quote from The Alchemist. "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night. "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mahone Posted July 22, 2009 Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Since Connie quoted someone I would like to as well. It's one of my favorites quotes:“My great concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure.” – Abraham LincolnIf you want to see how failure can lead to success; take a look at Abraham Lincoln:*1831 – Failed in business1832 – Defeated for legislature1833 – Again failed in business1834 – Elected to legislature1835 – Sweetheart died1836 – Had a nervous breakdown1838 – Defeated for speaker1840 – Defeated for elector1843 – Defeated for Congress1846 – Elected for Congress1848 – Defeated for Congress1855 – Defeated for Senate1856 – Defeated for Vice-President1858 – Defeated for Senate1860 – ELECTED PRESIDENTBeing a bit pedantic I know, but a lot of those statements are exaggerated and/or assumptions. We have a similar common belief in the UK that Winston Churchhill left school with no qualifications but ended up being the prime minister. This isn't actually true at all - he was very qualified. Had to point that out. sorry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie123 Posted July 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 Being a bit pedantic I know, but a lot of those statements are exaggerated and/or assumptions. We have a similar common belief in the UK that Winston Churchhill left school with no qualifications but ended up being the prime minister. This isn't actually true at all - he was very qualified. Had to point that out. sorry It's also often said that Einstein was an academic failure, which is also not really true. He did get his degree (though admittedly he wasn't top of his class) and held down a graduate-level job as a patents examiner. This is not very impressive compared to what he later did, but it hardly qualifies him as a failure either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jamie123 Posted July 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2009 We'll since everyone else is quoting their favorites I'll say I've always like this quote from The Alchemist. "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night. "Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself," the alchemist replies. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."Here's another great classic quotation on courage: "Courage isn't just a matter of not being frightened, you know. It's being afraid and doing what you have to do anyway."Doctor Who in Planet of the Daleks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzorient Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 On Discovery Channel, ever watched Mega Construction where those people build those 70 story high towers?? That would really freak me out!! But for the man on the job, it's like second nature.Fear is in the eye of the beholder. I know what my strengths and weaknesses are. If something threatens my weaknesses I tend to shrink from it. Something in my mind tells me that "I can't do it" --- But I need to learn to follow that through with "But nothing is impossible".Fear can also be a way of our subconscious mind alerting us of danger, ie getting robbed in at gun point. Fear is not always a bad thing.Another example I see are life guards that go out of their way to save surfer's that need rescuing or firemen that run into a burning building... If you interview them, they will most likely say they were scared - but why did they still do it? In their shoes, the more time they spend thinking about it, the opportunity for survival is over.You've probably heard sayings like "Mind over Matter" "Just Do It" "It's worth the Risk"...The fact about fear is that... it can be controlled.Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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