Have you ever been held back by fear?

Has fear ever prevented you from accomplishing something you hoped to accomplish?

Has fear stopped you from becoming the person you hoped to become?

We all experience fear.  But what is it you are actually afraid of?  We often tell ourselves we are afraid of failure.  That’s what I used to believe until a mentor of mine told me differently.

He told me that what we’re actually afraid of is success.  At the time it sounded ridiculous.  I wanted nothing more than to be successful.  Success sounded wonderful, like an escape from all my troubles.  But I began to observe myself and others and the choices we actually made and gradually, reluctantly, over the years I’ve come to realize he was right.  You aren’t afraid of failure.  You are afraid of succeeding.

Failure is safe.  It doesn’t require you to change in any way.  Failure doesn’t challenge you to learn or grow but allows you to reside in the comfort zone of being who you always have been.  Failure is safe and familiar.

But success is another matter.  Success is terrifying.  Success requires you to change.  It requires you to change your understanding of who you are.  It requires you to level up your game.

Success is so frightening that we will come up with endless excuses for why we cannot succeed: genetics, work schedule, lack of family support, injuries, financial constraints and on and on.  Any excuse to keep living life in our comfort zone.  Even if it’s not that comfortable.  At least it’s a familiar discomfort.  It’s the discomfort we’re accustomed to.  Success is a new and terrifying discomfort that will force us to change in unpredictable ways and you and I fear nothing more than we fear the unknown!

At my second CanWest Games in 2018 I narrowly missed the finals.  Yes, I was disappointed but I must admit I was also relieved.  Failure meant I was off the hook.  I wouldn’t have to go head-to-head against the best athletes in front of the stadium crowd.  I wouldn’t have to face the challenging final event.  I wouldn’t have to push my exhausted body any further.  My weekend was done.  I could rest, relax and know that I was almost good enough to make the finals.

It’s an embarrassing admission but more embarrassing to admit that it’s shown up in other aspects of my life as well.  I wouldn’t dare admit this to you if I wasn’t so certain you’ve experienced the very same fear of success somewhere and sometime in your life.  Maybe even now.  Maybe it’s holding you back this very moment from being who you want to be and doing what you want to do.

So here’s the deal, let’s you and I make a pact to look success dead in the eyes.  Take a hard look at everything success entails.  What will it mean to succeed?  Who will you have to become?  How will your life have to change?

Feel those butterflies of anxiety flapping in your belly as you visualize success but this time refuse to turn away from fear.  It’s okay to be afraid.  I am too.  But we’re going to get through this together.  You face your fear, I’ll face mine and together we’re going to charge ahead at that uncertain future success holds in store for us!

Friday WOD
There’s not much to fear with this WOD.  It’s one we’ve done before.  Recently in fact, during the COVID shut down.  Last time I did it on a park bench with improvised weights.  It doesn’t require much space or much equipment so we can safely accommodate 11 people in the gym (more if we have couples).

Equipment:  Box, pair of dumbbells

Warm Up
1 min Belly Breathing
I min Head Nods/Rotations
1 min Dead Bugs
1 min DB Pull Overs
1 min Windshield Wipers
1 min Scap Rock
1 min Bird Dogs
1 min Scap Rotations
1 min Scap Retractions
1 min Hamstring Rock
1 min Get Ups
1 min Reverse Samson Lunges
1 min Single DB Press
1 min Box Step Ups
1 min DB Overhead Reverse Lunges

Tech
Movement Review & Scaling

WOD
5x 2-min Rounds:
20 Alt DB Box Step Ups
Max Rep DB Push Press

Cool Down
Shoulder Series
Pigeon on Box
Quad Box Stretch
Box Stretch