To Drown in the Fear of Failure
by Stella Whalen
Mental health is now credibly recognized to be just as or more important than physical health. There are two words I repeatedly hear spoken over my generation: anxiety and depression. As I recognize the severity of both of these mood disorders, I do not invest in the belief that Gen Z is crippling in fear and sadness. Instead, I believe that society has backed this standard of impossible means only accepting perfection and disposing of any right to failure. There is a beauty seen in failure that is not visible under the light of easy success, and athletics has the stage for both.
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Drawing of a hand saving another hand from drowning in water. |
In the history of sports, no athlete has had a major success story without chapters of public and private failure. Public failure is nearly paralyzing to athletes as we continuously dedicate our lives and time to this pursuit of perfect performance. We willingly endure private failures in practice behind closed doors, with no audience in the stands, free of judgment from spectators and competitors. But when competition day comes and the fear of public failure blocks all rational, your courage is suffocated. One fatal flaw in your mindset and suddenly you are drowning in a sea of doubts, convincing yourself that you are incapable, unworthy, and undeserving of the rewards of your hard work.
I have found one mindset to save me from my fears: the belief that I have nothing to fear when God is in control of my life. If I am performing for the one audience member of my heart, then my singular goal is to glorify Him, be it through my failures or my success stories. If athletes can redefine the terms of perfection and success, to the glorification of God through our failures, we are no longer drowning in fear but walking in courage.
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