This year I’ve had the joy of attending several different conferences that were very interactive and learning was encouraged by the act of doing.

The first time I went I quietly observed and didn’t participate much. In a new group of people learning new things, it was not my comfort zone to participate and risk making mistakes and I left with a lot of unanswered questions.

The next conference, Jesus helped me to get out of my comfort zone and be very hands-on, and because of my participation, I left with a very different learning experience.

It can be extremely uncomfortable making mistakes, but when you are in a safe place where mistakes are part of the learning process that everyone benefits from as you learn, it accelerates your growth in a way that quietly refusing to participate never will.

If you are experiencing fear of failure and it’s keeping you from your own learning process, be assured that your mistakes will not keep you from your Father or His approval of you.

Divorce yourself from the idea that you will look foolish or that you will be unaccepted if you make a mistake, and if you are in a community where that is currently true, trust God to change that for you and bring you to the right people who will give grace and be willing to step out of their comfort zones with you.

Life is full of constant learning cycles, and maximizing your potential to learn by having the right mindset will not just benefit you, it’ll benefit everyone around you.

As you learn and grow in whatever new thing the Lord has you focusing on, you don’t have to step out full of confidence and without fear of failure, it’s okay to be super uncomfortable as you start. But start. And know that as you go you will not only gain confidence and insight for yourself, but your ability to brave uncomfortable situations will encourage others to do the same, and as you are propelled forward, you will move others forward with you as you lose your fear of failure.

 

–Briana Lassiter is a wife, mother, blogger, and contributor to Ambo TV. This article originally appeared on the website www.icameforthesoup.com.