fear of success

[Birgitt Bolton]

Birgitt Bolton wrote:
>
> And I don't try to convince. When an
> individual or organization is ready for transformation, or has transformed
> and is waiting for itself to catch up with itself, he/she/it will know and
> be ready

Yes! Very well described. As the shrinks say, the client has got
to want to get better.

> As in the life of the individual, so in the life of the organization--we
> often struggle against our transformation not so much because we are
afraid
> of failure as that we are so afraid of our success, success beyond our
> wildest expectations. We are afraid of our light as individuals. We are
> afraid of the success that we can be as organizations.

I think it is important to explain why the thought of success can
be frightening. Does everyone know this?

I see think the thought of success can be frightening to people
because it throws light on all the small thinking that went before -
the excuses, conceits, complaining, and general stick-in-the-mud
behavior that produces failure.  The horror is in realising that one
has been responsible for all that misery, and that the solutions were
so simple, and were sitting in plain view all along.

What do you think?

Also, success is not a "state" so much as a continuing process of
growth and expression.

:o)
Rhodes Hileman
mailto:rhodes at smsys.com      land: 206-328-8364
http://www.smsys.com/        cell: 206-595-9174

We must always seek to ally ourselves with
that part of the enemy that knows what is right.
                                M.K.Gandhi

Hi Rhodes,
I think success is a process too. And I think the deepest inner core of
people is beautiful. Why we put all the baggage in the way so that others
can't see our beauty is part of the human journey. The unpacking to the
treasure is wonderous when it happens. I've watched many people through the
journey of this phase. And am in tears every time. Quite why fear is such a
big phenomenon, I don't know. I do know that it is. And fear of success---is
this because of our conditioning by our families, our institutions, our
religious institutions over the last millenium. I think so. A state of our
collective consciousness. When individuals awaken out of that state one by
one, it is magical. I believe that now is a time of organizations waking out
of that state so that more and more people have the chance of moving into a
different collective consciousness. One that is inspired. Open Space is
certainly a means of enabling this awakening to our success, to overcoming
the deep inbred fear that collectively we have bought into.

Anyhow, those are my thoughts on the subject.

Warmest regards,
Birgitt