In episode #1197, George & Mary-Lynn share a simple idea: the fear of not trying can push you toward your goals. Click the player to listen now, or read the summary below.
Fear. It’s that heavy feeling that makes us want to pull back and stay where it’s safe. You know the kind we’re talking about – fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of looking foolish, and the fear of success (which we talked about last time in Episode 1196.)
Let’s flip the script. Fear isn’t always the enemy. It’s because there’s another kind of fear. A stronger kind. It’s the fear of getting to the end of your life and asking: “What if I had tried?”
https://biggsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Fear-of-Not-Trying-Your-Unexpected-Superpower.png430448George Krueger & Mary-Lynn Fosterhttps://biggsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/BIGG-Success-Nurturing-Your-Inner-Entreprener.jpgGeorge Krueger & Mary-Lynn Foster2026-03-10 08:49:402026-03-12 16:42:58Why the Fear of Not Trying Might Be Your Superpower
https://biggsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/What-makes-life-meaningful-blog-post-image.png430448George Krueger & Mary-Lynn Fosterhttps://biggsuccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/BIGG-Success-Nurturing-Your-Inner-Entreprener.jpgGeorge Krueger & Mary-Lynn Foster2024-04-09 10:32:522024-04-09 10:34:325 Quotes on What Makes Life Meaningful
One cause of this is what we call If – Only Syndrome.
If only I had finished college. If only I got a different degree. If only I had taken that job. If only I hadn’t quit that job. If I had only done this instead of that, my life would be so different. If only. If only. If only.
It’s easy to do. We start to beat ourselves up. We may even feel sorry for ourselves and mope a little.
As with many things, the right thing to do isn’t the easy thing to do.
Fighting these urges is hard. Getting past the past is hard. Lifting ourselves up is hard. Fighting our natural urges is hard.
Focus matters
We get trapped on what might have been. What might have been doesn’t matter at all.
What does matter is what is and what can be.
You can be a bigg success. You can live your life on your own terms starting today.
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I struggled with this when I was younger. I dropped out of college. I went on to start three businesses. But every time things got a little rough, I would beat myself up for not getting a degree. I thought that if I just had that degree, I wouldn’t have these problems. But I was wrong!
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The prescription for If – Only Syndrome comes in two parts. The first part of the cure is a healthy dose of …
So what?
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To continue with George’s example, say you didn’t get a college degree. So what? How many people have succeeded bigg without a college degree?
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We don’t mean to diminish the importance of a good education. It does open up opportunities that may not be open otherwise. But it’s just one factor.
What about your experiences? They are irreplaceable.
Now along with a healthy dose of “So what”, drink a little …
What can be?
Sticking with the college degree example, why don’t you get one now if it’s that important to you?
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That’s what I did; I went back to school. It’s not a path I would recommend. It was hard! I still had my three businesses, but I did go back and get a degree. It’s interesting … I then went on to get an advanced degree because I didn’t think I would ever go back to school again. Had I gone the traditional path, I doubt I would have ever gotten that advanced degree.
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What can be for you?
How can you make it happen? How will you find the time? How will you pay for it?
When you begin to focus on the actions necessary to move to where you want to be, you’ll feel energized. You’ll feel hope instead of discouragement.
What do you do when you feel discouraged?
You can share that with us by leaving a comment below, calling us at 877.988.BIGG or sending us an e-mail at bigginfo@biggsuccess.com.
Thanks for checking in on us today. It means so much to us!
Please join us next time as we discuss one of the largest mistakes many people make when it comes to building their brand.
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What do you do when things don’t go your way? You may feel discouraged. The events of life may just sap your strength of spirit. You lose your mojo! 
I struggled with this when I was younger. I dropped out of college. I went on to start three businesses. But every time things got a little rough, I would beat myself up for not getting a degree. I thought that if I just had that degree, I wouldn’t have these problems. But I was wrong! 
To continue with George’s example, say you didn’t get a college degree. So what? How many people have succeeded bigg without a college degree?