The Car Crash That Stopped Me for 5 Years

Today I will be talking about another one out of the seven barriers to growth as I shared in my newsletter to you on April 26. This barrier is called Mistake: The Fear of Failure.

What Is The Fear of Failure?

The Fear of Failure happens when we become so scared of making mistakes that we stop trying new things altogether. One bad experience makes us believe we will always fail, so we avoid taking chances that could help us grow.

This barrier is dangerous because it keeps us stuck in our comfort zone. We miss out on amazing opportunities because we are too afraid of what might go wrong.

My Personal Story

Let me tell you about a time when one mistake stopped me from doing something important for five whole years.

My older brother and I decided to learn how to drive at the same time. We both took our driving classes together and were excited to finally get behind the wheel.

After our lessons, my brother got the first chance to drive my dad’s car. He drove for about 10 kilometers and did a fantastic job. No accidents, no scary moments, just smooth driving. My dad was very proud of him.

A few days later, it was my turn. I was nervous but excited. My dad gave me the keys to his car, the same car my brother had driven so well.

But things did not go as smoothly for me. I started showing signs of being nervous right away. The car was swaying as I drove along the road. For some reason, my dad let me continue driving even though I was clearly struggling.

Then I came to a T-junction on a slope. This is where everything went wrong.

I lost control of the car completely. There was another car coming, and I did not want to hit it. So I turned the steering wheel too hard in the other direction.

CRASH! I drove straight into a street light.

The car was badly damaged and had to be towed away. Thankfully, nobody got hurt, but I felt terrible. I had crashed my dad’s only car, the car our whole family depended on.

After that day, I was too scared to try driving again. I was convinced that I would always crash cars. For five years, I avoided getting behind the wheel because I was afraid of failing again.

2. How Did Growth Happen?

Five years passed, and I met the woman who would become my wife. We started dating, and she had her own car. She had been driving for many years and was very good at it.

We would go on dates in her car, and she would always be the one driving. One day, she encouraged me to get back to learning how to drive.

“You should try again,” she said. “You can do this.”

I was still scared, but I finally agreed on one condition: it would have to be my own car. I did not want to risk crashing someone else’s car again.

So I bought my own car. I thought this would make me feel safer about practicing.

Then one day, she did something that changed everything. She asked me to drive my car to come and see her as if I had been driving all along!

This was a big challenge for me. I had to make a choice, was I going to let fear control me, or was I going to find the courage to try again?

I found the courage. I got in my car, started the engine, and drove to see her. My hands were shaking, but I made it there safely.

That day changed my life. I have been driving ever since.

Growth happened when I had someone to motivate me enough to overcome the fear I was facing.

Over the years, I have had a few small accidents while driving. But I have also had countless wonderful experiences. I have driven to beautiful places, taken family trips, and enjoyed the freedom that comes with being able to drive.

If I had let that one mistake define me forever, I would have missed all of these amazing experiences.

What This Means For You

Think about areas in your life where fear of failure might be holding you back:

• Is there something you tried once, failed at, and never tried again?
• Are you avoiding new opportunities because you are scared of making mistakes?
• Do you let one bad experience convince you that you will always fail?
• Are you missing out on growth because you are afraid of looking foolish?

Remember that every successful person has failed many times. The difference is that they did not let failure stop them from trying again.

Failure is not the opposite of success, it is part of success. Every mistake teaches us something valuable that we can use to do better next time.

The people who achieve great things are not those who never fail. They are those who fail, learn, and try again.

Action Point

• Think of one thing you stopped trying because of a past failure or mistake. This week, take one small step toward trying it again. You do not have to jump in completely – just take one small, safe step forward.
  Find someone who believes in you to encourage you along the way, just like my wife encouraged me.

Remember: your past failure does not determine your future success. Every expert was once a beginner who made mistakes.

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Mistakes aren’t the end, they’re the beginning of growth. 

When you learn to reframe your mistakes as lessons, every experience becomes a stepping stone to wisdom and progress.

You don’t have to figure it all out alone, I’m here to help you on this journey of growth and clarity.

 Click the link that best describes you:

The fear of failure is preventing me from moving forward in my career – Click this link
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Business is exciting to me but I’m afraid of making a mistake — that’s why I’ve not started – Click this link
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My group can benefit from hearing how to overcome past failures – Click this link​

Let’s turn fear into fuel and mistakes into momentum.  You don’t have to do it alone.