The moment you become unafraid of the crowd, you are no longer a sheep, you have become a lion. ~ Osho

Those of us who are in business, thinking about starting a new venture, or just looking to increase our success, often hear something referred to as the “fear of failure.”

Every single success and motivational book you’ll read will talk about the “fear of failure” as one of the, if not the top most debilitating fear, when it comes to stepping outside our comfort zones.

When will we start being honest and start calling it what it really is? Let’s call a spade a spade.

It’s really the “fear that our friends, family, and co-workers will talk about us behind our backs about their opinions of us.” We fear what they will think and say.

The good news is that your friends, family, and co-workers already talk behind your back, but you rarely hear about it. And when they do talk about you, they’re doing so because they are really the ones who are afraid.

They’re afraid because you’ve ventured off the path of easy-street.

They’re afraid because you’ve gone astray and started creating your own map.

They’re afraid because you’ve left the comforts of mediocrity.

They’re more fearful than you will ever be, because they’re scared shitless that you might actually succeed.

And even when you FAIL, and you will, they become even more fearful, and even more resentful, because they see you rise up and try again.

The super-successful understand that failure only makes them stronger.

Once you understand this, what is left for you to really be afraid of?

Venture on.