Fear of Failure . . .

Unless you allow yourself to fail, you may never attain the success you truly deserve. The fear of failure may prevent many of us from seeking greatness.

There is an old English proverb that tells us, "He who never makes mistakes, never makes anything." Unless we learn to embrace failure (whether it’s led by an unavoidable mishap, a moral lapse, or a risk miscalculated), we never get a chance to learn and grow.

How many of us have stayed at job too long for fearing of finding a new job? After the fact, we wonder why we stayed so long.

Even if those around you tolerant failure, most of us take screw ups to heart instead of to mind. We hesitate to get back on the proverbial horse. We miss opportunities. Our self-esteem takes a nose dive. Paradoxically, the best way to build self-esteem is to take action after falling down, to build a reserve of personal efficacy.

So, go ahead take a risk. Screw up. Learn from your mistakes. Become wiser, stronger and grow. Just think how great the next time will be!

Success is 10% inspiration, 90% last-minute changes. . . .

What do you do when a last-minute snafu -- The printer lost the ad copy... Your partner let loose the virus from hell on the network... You deleted the copy of the big presentation minutes before the client arrives -- explodes your dream of entrepreneurial independence?

1. You make the best of it, of course (if you survive, this becomes excellent experience for future crisis management).
2. You adjust your plans to fit the new circumstances.
3. You go ahead and service your client to the best of your ability. Regardless.

Ah, the joys of small business. "S**&% happens" should be the guiding mantra for anyone launching a new venture. I was running late for a really important client meeting, so I grabbed a coffee for the car and dashed off. Somewhere between reading the directions, answer the cell phone and finishing the presentation, I managed to spill the entire cup of coffee down the front of my suit and tie as I pulled into the client's parking lot.

So, here I am sitting in their parking lot, with 5 minutes to go before the big meeting covered in a double no foam soy latte. My instinct was to pull out of the lot,never to be seen again. But I waited a month for this meeting, I was ready, it was now or never.

I survived the meeting, I joked about my appearance and the client was happy. I came off as a real, caffeinated, but real.

Some days the forces are beyond your control. Rather than fight it, let it happen and learn from it . . . At the very least, your client gets a chance to feel superior, "Remember that time . . ."