By Lila Herrmann

I sat in the church pew, staring at my shoes as the minister spoke, paying about as much attention as a football fan counting the minutes until the game kick-off, wondering if the pastor would wrap it up in time to get to the game. I was not present, but then I heard it. “What if you could not fail?”

The minister said it, but it felt like Spirit had flicked me on the forehead, telling me to sit up and listen. What if I could not fail? What would I do if I knew I could not fail? It was almost too much to comprehend. If failure cannot happen, then the possibilities are endless. No limits. No boundaries. And no excuses.

Just Do It
Oh, boy. The earth shifted under my feet. I know that I partner with God in co-creating my life and that thoughts held in mind produce after their kind, but I still sometimes hear the voice inside say: “That's not practical.” “You don't have enough experience.” “Stop daydreaming.”

If I cannot fail, then my life becomes like a Nike commercial: Just do it! So why am I white-knuckling it, refusing to let go of useless excuses and a pesky inner critic? Because I know them.

The excuses and criticisms are familiar. To “just do it” means to take a leap into the unknown. How scary! Keeping the inner critic around is like lunching with someone you don't particularly like because it is better than eating alone. Sounds ridiculous, yet we often miss out on something wonderful because we fear letting go of the familiar.

I have a “live stream message” in my head that says new is bad. New is scary. New is a dark abyss. Can't go there. But the message is erroneous. New is exciting. New is an adventure, a pathway. As the motivational poster says, “Do something every day that scares you.”

Charles Fillmore said, in his nineties no less, “I fairly sizzle with zeal and enthusiasm!” What a wonderful approach to life. So how do we silence the inner naysayer?

Laura Harvey, editor of Daily Word magazine says, “At times it can feel as though our inner critic is beyond our ability to control, but thankfully that is just an illusion. At any time, we have the power to say, ‘Enough!' to those thoughts of self-doubt.”

She continues, “As soon as we notice that nagging feeling of ‘not good enough,' we need to bring awareness to our harsh inner critic. Sometimes, the awareness of these thoughts is enough to diminish their intensity. It is like turning on the lights in a dark room. When we bring our dark thoughts into the light, they disintegrate. Then we can follow up our awareness with a denial and affirmation. Sometimes, I will just simply deny the truth of my self-doubt. I say, ‘That is a lie.'”

Denials don't have to be elaborate. I just need to be honest. I then follow up with an affirmation of the Truth. One affirmation I love to use, which I learned from reading Eric Butterworth, is: I am God's glorious possibility.”

More denials/affirmations perfectly suited to shushing the voice of criticism and recognizing the limitless self can be found in the book Who Have You Come Here to Be? 101 Possibilities for Contemplation, by Rima Bonario, Jane Simmons and Kelly Isola.

Here are some examples:
 

• Fear and limitations are powerless illusions. I open to my ever-evolving self and embrace the risk of stepping into the unfamiliar.
• I let go any thoughts of inadequacy or defeat. Love overcomes all obstacles.
• Fear has no power over me. My life is an adventure. I soar through life exploring and experiencing all it has to offer.
• I am free of the limits placed on me by myself and others. I open my heart and mind to an ever-expanding sense of self.
• Doubt has no power in my life. Rather I am filled with the power of faith.
• Obstacles and adversity have no power to defeat me. I am free from excuses and regret.

Is it that simple? As Unity folks like to say, we have to put feet under our prayers. Do something! Submit the manuscript. Enroll in the class. Ask for the promotion. Write up the business plan. Introduce yourself. Even if the outcome isn't what you hoped for, it isn't a failure; it is one step closer to the goal. And then you take the next step.

As Patrick Overton says in his poem “Faith,” “When you walk to the edge of all the light you have and take that first step into the darkness of the unknown, you must believe that one of two things will happen: There will be something solid for you to stand upon, or, you will be taught how to fly.”