163. Riding the Waves: What If I Fail? Part 2

Hello! Thank you for joining Juanita Molano Parra and me as we pick up from our last discussion and dive deeper into the question, "what if I fail?" This is the third question in our series, “Riding the Waves,” where we examine what comes up, what opens up, and what becomes available when we hold big ideas, big feelings, and big problems a little more lightly. 

Several interesting ideas became clear during the first part of our discussion on fear and failure. Now, we consider why the mere possibility of failure can be so difficult to manage and discuss how we often get in the way of our own progress. In addition to sharing real-world examples, we also offer a helpful exercise for loosening that tight grip on the big things in life. 

Here are some of the discussion points from this episode:  

We have to learn to navigate “what if I fail?” so that we keep moving toward our goals and dreams.

Failure and judgment are closely related. 

When we ruminate and let negative thoughts run free, our bodies react as though we’re actually under threat, which can reinforce the negativity.

Because fear of failure can include other fears, such as fear of rejection, we experience an increased sense of risk.

Failure to acknowledge a fear makes it difficult to manage the risks. 

Fear can tell us a lot about ourselves.

The “Three Column Exercise” is a great resource because it gives your fears a voice. 

Take an inventory of your resources. Most likely, they will be more plentiful than you think and can help ease some of the fear you may be feeling. 

Fear can shrink your focus and your view of what’s real, but lightening your grip on the fear allows clarity to come into view. 

Once we’re clear on what we fear, we can ask: What is to be addressed? What is to be healed? What is to be tackled? These questions naturally lead to “What’s at stake?” And that is the question we examine next time in our series, “Riding the Waves.”

Thank you for listening!  

JUANITA MOLANO PARRA, MBA, PCC

Juanita is an engineer and MBA turned certified life and leadership coach. Originally from Colombia, she worked in multinational corporate finance and later started her own coaching business—training new coaches and partnering with organizations to transform culture and leadership from within. Her business, Jump Coaching, helps leaders live authentically, lead with purpose, and turn their dreams into reality. Juanita lives in Indianapolis with her husband, their daughter, and two cats.  

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Email - juanita@jumpcoaching.co

DANIELLE IRELAND, LCSW

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