Success is a deeply personal concept. It isn’t about measuring up to someone else’s standards or keeping pace with societal expectations. Instead, it’s about whether you feel fulfilled in your own life—whether in your career, relationships, health, or happiness.
If you’re not where you want to be, what’s holding you back? The answer is simple: fear.
How Fear Manifests
Your subconscious is tricky. You won’t always be able to observe fear as “fear” but it is the biggest roadblock to success. It’s the reason so many people hesitate to chase their dreams, take risks, or make meaningful changes in their lives.
Instead of moving forward, they remain trapped in self-doubt, procrastination, indecision or over analysis. It may seem like you are just being cautious and doing your due diligence. But in reality, your subconscious is throwing “what-ifs” at you to keep you thinking about something you’re considering rather than taking action.
Or you may be compelled to rationalize. It seems like an awful lot of work, or perhaps it can be considered risky and so you tell yourself you’ll do it later because you just don’t have time right now. Or you will rationalize how you may not really want it, or that the timing isn’t right. You rationalize that you will do it later or “someday”. But of course, that someday will never come until you recognize these stall tactics and move past them. You subconscious mind is simply trying to keep you right where you are rather than moving in a new direction of onto a new project or opportunity. I wants to keep you “safe” where you are comfortable, even when not moving forward is against your best interest..
It’s A Choice
The truth is, fear – or the outward nuances that are keeping you “stuck” such as indecision – is a choice. It may not always feel like it because fear is an emotion deeply rooted in our biology. Our brains, specifically the amygdala, are wired to protect us from danger. While this response was crucial for survival in ancient times, today’s fears are often more psychological than physical. We fear failure, rejection, or embarrassment—but none of these are actual threats to our well-being.
The good news? You can control fear by controlling your thoughts. When you recognize fear for what it truly is—a mental roadblock rather than an actual danger—you gain the power to push past it. Success requires stepping out of your comfort zone, challenging those fearful thoughts, and taking action despite them.
If you feel stuck in life, ask yourself: Is fear dictating my decisions? If the answer is yes, remember that you have the power to change it.
You can choose to take action. Move past the self imposed obstacles. Once you begin to take small actions, the bigger ones become easier as well.
Success leads to more actions and more success and through taking action, you become the identity of the person who can create the success you envisioned.
