Are You Fearless?

Too many career women don’t succeed because fear of failure keeps them from trying. That’s according to Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post and author of On Becoming Fearless… in Love, Work, and Life. In fact, she tells PINK, daring to fail is her own success secret. “My mother taught me that failure is not the opposite of success. It’s a stepping stone to success.”

Asking for a raise, taking on a new position or launching a business comes with risk and puts women, especially, under a microscope.

But women who’ve achieved success agree the trick is to risk failure without letting missteps hold you back. “Failure isn’t fatal, it’s feedback,” says Lisa Borders, who lost a recent bid to become Mayor of Atlanta.

So, how can you take the risk and embrace failure to get more of what you want in your career and your life?

Learn from rejection, be in the moment and don’t punish – encourage yourself. Huffington also suggests replacing fear with excitement, or letting yourself simply be afraid.

Identify the fear, ask for help and practice meditation to clear your mind, suggests Oprah.com.

Ask for what you want, despite the fear. What’s the worst that can happen?

PINK Profile: Arianna Huffington on everything from fear and success to disengaging from technology and the BP oil spill.

By Cynthia Good

“Perseverance is failing 19 times and
succeeding the 20th.” Julie Andrews