Fear: Success or Failure

[Channel37]

Everyday I think about what my future holds. Im 25 and completely lost. Money wasn't the solution, never thought it would be but THEY said it would make things easier. About the only thing it made easier was paying the bills. It didn't make relationship easier, it didn't make mental stability easier, it didn't make life choices easier. I think that i fear failure, letting my parents down, letting myself down. The problem lies in the question, Success? What is it, its not money, im a fortunate person in are age group in terms of income. I know we all suspect that money isn't happiness but in the end most of us think that it will help, Im here to say, it doesn't. I fear failure yet i have succeeded so far in business so exactly what failure is it? or is it the fear of Success? F!#$ Im lost.

"Only when we are no longer afraid, do we begin to live"

[wordsmith]

Success for me is doing something to improve the world and leaving some kind of legacy of value.

Why is it you think you're letting yourself down? I feel that way, sometimes, because I have VERY high standards for myself, which can be impossible to meet sometimes. But my family has very reasonable expectations, so I've never once had to worry about letting my parents down, etc. All the pressure on me came from me.

[Channel37]

I agree with you that the pressure comes from within, as like yours my parents are very reasonable people but I fear letting them down no matter how much I know that they will never think that of me

"legacy of value". I like that. That's what im looking for but in my line of business that is hard to come by. Real Estate. I need value in what im doing as well as Morals and Ethics. The drive in this business is money as in most businesses but that is by far not what drives me.. I hate that about the industry that im in. Yes i have thought of leaving it but to where and when, that is the problem. I guess i not sure about leaving it because of the money, which goes against some of what i just said. I hate that about me, it shouldn't matter. If im not fulfilled with what im doing i should just create change. Change doesn't scare me, failure does, what if i quit and flop. But im the type of person that has crawled out of that ditch again and again. So why should I be scared of failure. I have no idea. So in the end maybe im not sure even if im scared, but completely lost in the transition.
At a lost for what to do next? Money is essential but happiness is the foremost concern. Why is Money such a concern? I HATE IT.

[Channel37]

sorry my thought's develop as im writing. If you can't tell not really sure what to do. I think at our age weighing option and opportunities is the true underlying issue. Im scared of making a wrong decision and how do you get over that. Travel or Work? And how is it going to affect my future? I know no one has that answer but that what i ask myself. Then get stuck making no decision at all.

[wordsmith]

Yeah...the leaving a legacy concept for me is sort of built into my fields of choice. I was trained as an educator, which is obviously leaving a legacy and improving your world...I worked in social services, so more of the same...and am now a journalist which is REALLY leaving a concrete legacy...the papers I put out are a part of my community forever. So it's just built in with the things that appeal to me to pursue, and it's a tremendous sense of satisfaction...I feel like what I do is so worthwhile, and that's important in long-term happiness and satisfaction.

Money is a concern for me only in the sense that I want to not have to stress about things. Enough to pay bills and get by modestly and comfortably is fine. I've never aspired to wealth.

[wordsmith]

Don't worry about making the wrong decision. There's very little you can do that you can't fix. Get into the wrong line of work for you? You'll know sooner rather than later. You can get out. Sometimes making wrong decisions is the only way to find what's right. I thought I'd be a teacher. Found out I didn't like it. Could have looked at it as a wrong decision I made, and moan that I'd wasted my time and what do I do now. But why? I just found another, better path for myself. You don't know until you try, and trial and error is part of the game and nothing to fear.

[Channel37]

Thanks for the words of advice! I guess now is the time for change.

[kevin0tech]

Money wasn't the solution, never thought it would be but THEY said it would make things easier.

Money isn't everything, but it is quite a lot. Measuring success is only established by accomplishing goals. If your goal is to bring ethical concern to the real estate market, then you contol your success in that regard.

"Is this a good neighborhood for little kathy to go to school?"

" NO, but this other neighborhood has a great school system."

Mission accomplished. You successfully brought a small measure of ethics to the real estate market.


Success and failure are not polar opposites, sometimes you can completely fail at your intended goal, but succeed in other ways. No one alive today is a complete success, and even a complete failure can turn around and make something out of nothing.