FAILURE is actually preferable to SAFETY

As many of you know, I am a big David Neagle Fan. I am awed by his insights, honestly and commitment to help you get past your fears and make room for HUGE success in all aspects of your life.  I wanted to share this quote from him as I was so moved by it as it relates to my life in so many ways.  I have played it safe many times when I knew risk was the better way to go.   I know many of you are on the edge of deciding if you should take the plunge into entrepreneurship, or wondering how to take your business to the next level. Love to know your feelings about this quote from David Neagle:

“My feeling is that FAILURE is actually preferable to SAFETY.  I would much rather go all out for success, and lose everything, than continue to play it safe and never change or grow. When you play it safe, the only thing you learn is how to live within the limit of your own fear. And the more you do so, the more fearful you become, and the more constrained and limited your existence.  But when you finally get into that space where you’re willing to risk it all ~ to lose it all ~ that’s when you realize that you can’t actually lose anything that is truly worthy of you.”

Clearly I have been thinking a lot about fear and how that has played a role in my life. I am sure you too have experienced fear many times as well.  When I speak to groups, someone always asks me how I got over the fear of starting my first handbag line.  Honestly – I don’t know if I ever have!   I love the unexpectedness of being an Entreprenette.

But I did know, deep down inside my secret heart of hearts that we often don’t want to share with anyone……. that if I didn’t take that first step and explore my  “big idea”, that I was going to feel like my life was short-sheeted, cheated, not fulfilled……whatever you want to call it.  I knew I was on the brink of something awesome in my life because I felt scared – but when I really sat with it, I realized it was more excitement.  I didn’t even know what to be afraid of yet.

As I grew that company through it’s first year I was afraid all the time.  I made fear driven mistake after mistake (that usually involved several thousands of dollars down the drain) but I was so sure of my idea that I kept on going.   I was so sure of my success that nothing could get in my way.

I risked all my personal money in this venture (and believe me a lot was wasted or just lost) because I knew, that not taking the risk on myself, was going to be worse than loosing it all.

Mine is just one of a million other stories about entrepreneurs taking the plunge, their success and failures and what they learned from it all.  Do we all feel silly in the end feeling scared about doing something we love? And if we are so passionate about it, how can we fail right?

We all have our “Come to Jesus” moment at different times in our lives, but for me, deciding to close my business 5 years later and walk away from a company with my name on the door, was my biggest and deepest heart to heart with Jesus…..until that point at least.  I have had many more since then believe me!!!

My point is that in the face of loosing my first company, I had to face my fears yet again, but this time they were of failure.  What saved me was exactly what David’s quote says above  “I would much rather go all out for success, and lose everything, than continue to play it safe and never change or grow..”

The funny part, is that I had to reverse my thinking and “play it safe” by closing the company; I had to say good-by.  Failing taught me that I wanted to grow as a person instead of just as a brand. And I knew in the end, that I was going to be a better designer, a better business woman and stronger CEO.

I know now, that was one of my biggest success moments.

I hope you decide to take the risks in your life to achieve your successes and that playing it safe is only something you do at the park with your children.

Written by Sarah Shaw