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Failure can stir up feelings of disappointment, anger, sadness, regret, frustration, disappointment, and confusion. Underneath this fear is a deeper fear of shame. People who have a fear of failure are motivated to avoid failing, not because they cannot manage the underlying emotions of disappointment, anger, and frustration that accompany such experiences, but because failing makes them feel a profound sense of shame. Indicators for Fear of Failure 1. You worry about your ability to go after your dreams. 2. You worry about what others think of you. 3. You feel if people knew you […]

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Self-observation can be a great use of your time if it leads to positive things and not into self-flagellation. I’ve spent a significant portion of my working life guiding people through self-observation. In that time, I have discovered far too many people on the edge of a breakthrough in their personal life, their relationships, or their business but who squander the opportunity by over-focusing on self-doubt and fear. The thing that surprises me to this day is that many times they are completely unaware of how their self-talk defeats them. Here is how it usually […]

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  “Many of our fears are tissue-paper-thin, and a single courageous step would carry us clear through them,” Brendan Francis. Here are some steps I adapted from The Art of Manliness: 29 Days to a Better Man: Conquer Fear. Change Your Perspective On Fear Fear is only negative if you think it is. Fear is a natural process that if left unchecked will cause us to live timid, restricted lives. Truthfully, in life, there is zero growth without risk. Instead of pushing back fear as an all-consuming, nerve-racking experience, see it as an adventure, a […]

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  Too many of us are not living our dreams because we are living our fears.  Les Brown.   Fear serves one—and only one—purpose: to keep you alive. In its most basic, primal form, it is nothing more than a survival response. Fear can be a good thing. It is a profound biological instinct that can prevent us from doing crazy things that could kill us. For example, if you are working in your backyard and see a snake slithering into hedges next to your house—well, let’s put it this way—I doubt you are feeling peaceful […]

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(c) 2015 John Thurman  Shepherd, Old Nazareth The fear of criticism robs a person of their initiative, destroys imagination, limits initiative, destroys dreams, steals self-reliance, and does, Lord only knows how much more damage. -Napoleon Hill Have you ever given a speech, lead a breakout, or shared your art and had it evaluated? If you are like me, you are very gracious when the results of the evaluations are given to you. And I bet you are like me, you want to show how cool you are and not even take a peek at them […]

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During his presidency, Abraham Lincoln was greatly respected and greatly reviled. Blamed for plunging this nation into a civil war, he was the president people loved to hate. Those who opposed his views regarding the war and slavery, as well as his efforts to keep them united, were vocal and uninhibited in denouncing him. One day during one of the darkest periods of his presidency, Lincoln was walking down a street near the Capitol in Washington when an acquaintance caught up with him. As they walked, the man brought up the subject of the growing […]

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“Plus estem voius.” Latin for, There is more in you than you know. Ever wondered what you could do to increase your odds of winning the race of life, overcoming personal trauma, or pushing through obstacles that could be holding you back? I believe the key is tapping into the strength that lies within you. That key is resilience. One definition of resilience is the ability to withstand, adapt to, or rebound from, extreme challenges or adversity. I have spent a good part of my life working with clients who have had to deal with […]

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In a recent survey published in my new book, The No Fear Entrepreneur, I found that of those who completed the project, 64.4% stated that fear of public speaking was one of their primary fears. Why on earth would an individual feel such a deep, gut-wrenching, and sometimes almost incomprehensible fear of public speaking? Before we trivialize this fear, that individual who fears public speaking may fear the loss of identity that attaches to performing poorly, and that is very deeply rooted in our core survival needs. In trying to understand the roots to this […]

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  One foot in front of the other All that we have is each other One foot in front of the other Walk the Moon Have you ever felt stuck? You started off the year with new goals and refreshed dreams somewhere along the way you became distracted, bogged down, and may be disengaged. I have experienced seasons like that in my life. It wasn’t like I intended to get stuck or drift off course, but it happened. If this sounds familiar you have only three choices: Live in denial and pretend like everything is […]

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To me, this image is the most powerful photo from the high school shootings in Florida, a mom, most likely a Roman Catholic who received her ashes earlier in the day is shown both terrified and comforting as she and others attempt to grasp what is unfolding. How many of you asked yourself something like, “What would I do in a situation like that?” Here are some tips that I have learned over the years in my work as an International Crisis Response Specialist. Crisis leadership is more about who you are than what you […]

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