I recently wrote a spiritual awakening blog that was quite near and dear to me. It was the culmination of my profound healing journey and innumerable lessons learned and imparted. Though I’ve been helping guide others on their journey for a short while now, it seems writing and posting this particular blog literally helped mark a turning point for me.
9 years ago, a gifted coworker whom I rarely spoke to told me he had a prophetic dream about me. He shared with me his healing and psychic abilities. I had no reason to doubt him. All I recall now was that it was about me being up high and leading many others. He seemed very excited to share this great news with me. He’d seen countless prophetic dreams of his become realities.
A year later, a friend of mine took me to see a healer. The healer activated a couple chakras and told me that she saw me becoming a spiritual teacher in my early 40s. That’s the extent of what I recall. But I have believed that both of these would come to fruition and sensed them to be true. Yesterday, I recounted both of these insights that were shared about me. I turned to my husband and told him, I think it’s coming – my time to really lead and teach others.
Today, that same friend who took me to the healer 8 years ago commented on the recent spiritual awakening blog post. He was very supportive and complimentary of what I had written. Most notably, for the first time ever, he referred to me as a teacher. He didn’t know that I had been feeling myself step into that teacher role the previous day. I felt surprised and moved that he would share such positive feedback and reiterate that he witnessed me to really have found my calling.
Immediately after feeling accomplished and pleased with my friend’s response, I felt a weird twinge. I couldn’t put my finger on it at first. But it quickly became clear. It was the fear of success! I almost couldn’t believe it. I knew it had been there before, but I thought I had moved through and past that. Nope. Here was the fear of success surfacing again to show me I had more work to do.
What is Fear of Success?
Fear of success almost sounds like an oxymoron. How could anyone be afraid to be successful? Isn’t that what we all want? Sure, in theory, we all want it. Yet, all parts of the self don’t always align. And sometimes, the Self and the lower case self don’t align. There are various things that can stand in the way of us taking the next step.
Fear of success ultimately boils down to conflicting beliefs and most likely some trapped emotions. Beliefs are at the core of what we experience and allow ourselves to be on a daily basis. Anything that’s coming from within us that does not support our goals and desires can really hinder us being successful. Below are some examples of how this can play out.
Imposter Syndrome
The biggest one for me in the recent past was imposter syndrome. I felt like people would find out something about me that proved that I was somehow not qualified to be a healer. It’s such a strange thing to sit back and observe in myself. I have known deep down for a long time that I went through my spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical healing crisis so that I could get intimate enough with the process of healing holistically. Thus, I’d be able to fully be of service to others. Yet, when the time arrived to help others, I didn’t believe I was ready or good enough. Thankfully, I was able to use The Work to help unravel the trail of limiting beliefs underneath it.
Criticism from Others
Before my spiritual awakening 5 years ago, I had a much harder time handling criticism. Years prior, I tried to pretend it didn’t bother me. I was that girl in high school who dressed a little differently, didn’t want to be part of the crowd, and didn’t smile while walking down the halls. I did my best to pretend I didn’t care what anyone thought of me. In truth, I still cared quite a bit. Thankfully, my awakening helped that concern fall away as it put things into perspective like nothing else could. I am even more thankful now that this isn’t something that contributes to my fear of success these days. Though, I can see how it could easily be for many. What others think about us can easily hold us back from reaching our true potential.
Avoiding Attention
One of the strangest things I’ve seen as part of my fear of success is my fear of attention. I mean, my sun AND my moon are both in Leo. And, I’m an Aries rising! That’s a lot of spotlight energy that I wasn’t living up to. Honestly, at the risk of sounding too “Leo”, I know I have tremendous gifts and wisdom to share. I held myself back for quite a while because I wasn’t sure if the flood gates would open or how it would all unfold.
Unsure about Change
Which leads me to the notion of change. Ultimately, it all boils down to change and not knowing what will come as a result. When we experience change, the familiar falls away. We realize we don’t have much control, if any, and that we must surrender. Asking for grace is literally included in my prayers on a regular basis, especially when I am feeling apprehension or concern about the day ahead. But, simultaneously, I realize that everything is in tremendous flux at this time here on earth. So, I am now embracing it and am legitimately excited about what the future may bring.
How to Overcome Fear of Success
In my case, I have some work to do around beliefs and trapped emotions. I have confidence that a little focus using healing modalities I’ve come to trust will definitely smooth this out for me. After all, I’ve already come so far in taking huge strides to build my business and take on clients. So what does that look like for me? It looks like revisiting The Work, a powerful modality that helps to collapse stressful beliefs.
It also looks like continuing to release trapped emotions using The Emotion Code. This is perhaps one of the most exciting healing tools to me at this time. Emotions from the past can become lodged in our body and literally cause us to be thwarted in countless ways. From injuries and illness to mental and emotional blocks. I have found this technique to be quite effective and simple.
Stop Waiting for Perfection
Part of my goal in helping others has been to be relatable and genuine. No one has it all figured out nor has it all together. Pretending you do, can contribute to others doubting themselves. Perhaps that is what contributed to my imposter syndrome that I suffered from. Seeing posts from these polished healers or coaches, thinking, I should be further along before I am qualified to guide others. What a funny trick the mind can play.
The truth is, no matter where we are at, we are all teachers and all students. So whether you’re still struggling with something that’s held you back for years or you’re waiting until you’re perfect to take the next step, I suggest you loosen up on yourself and allow yourself to be seen. Now is the time to take risks and live in your full power like never before. Open yourself up to live your true potential so you can experience success and the path to it. And, if you’re finding you are truly blocked, check out The Work or The Emotion Code to find a way through. Blessings!