Overcoming the Fear of Failure
Rapper 50 Cent released his book Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter in 2020, and I am finally reading it in 2022.
Hate him or love him- you've got to admit that 50 is impressive. His life story could have turned out a completely different way. After all, he had a very hard life as a young man, going through a lot of things that many other people wouldn’t have had the strength to endure, such as losing his mom at 8, getting shot 9 times, fear of being shot again by his assailant, and more! Yet still, he managed to become a respected rapper and is now a Hollywood mogul- producing hit series like one of my favorite shows- Power!
To be honest, I have had a thing for 50 since my teenage years, but after reading his book, Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter, I am impressed.
Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter covers a series of subjects- from tips on optimal living and keeping ahead of the competition to entitlement, diversity, and interesting behind-the-scenes revelations. But one of the things I loved most about the book was the overarching theme of being fearless.
Being fearless is not an easy task, especially for those that prefer to avoid failure at all costs.
“Don’t look at failure as something you need to distance yourself from. Try to embrace it instead. Wrap your hands around it and examine it. Believe that you can use it to rebuild your idea and take it to an even higher level than you’d originally conceived. That’s the approach all true winners take. “
— Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter
This had me thinking about myself. I do have a fear of failure, of looking ridiculous -sometimes to the point that if I am not 100% confident that I am right, I will stay silent. I fear speaking out of turn, being corrected, and the embarrassment that ensues. I would rather avoid the whole thing.
And my tendency to operate in fear does not stop there. I have been afraid of failing to dance well- so I opt to watch and…
