The Courage to Try Anyway (Even When You Might Fail)
“Courage isn’t about being fearless—
it’s about choosing yourself, even when failure is a real possibility.”
Courage is the willingness to take action despite fear, self-doubt, or uncertainty. Many people struggle to move forward not because they lack ability, but because they fear failure, judgment, or getting it wrong. Learning to try anyway builds confidence, resilience, and self-trust—regardless of the outcome.
But if I’m being honest… courage hasn’t always looked the way people think it does.
One might say I’m pretty courageous.
I mean… I’ve done some things.
Joined the military.
Was the only female interrogator on my team in a foreign land.
Gone to dinner by myself like a whole main character.
Started a business.
Written a book.
Started this blog.
But let’s be real for a second…
Most of those things didn’t feel courageous at the time.
Enlisting in the Army? That was on a dare. Not some brave, life-altering decision.
Honestly, the most courageous thing I’ve ever done?
Becoming a mom.
And the second?
The courage no one talks about… choosing what’s right for your life, even when it doesn’t match the picture you once had.
Deciding to stop at one.
That one right there… whew.
Because my dream was never just one.
I wanted a house full of kids.
But courage looked like telling myself the truth:
We couldn’t afford more.
We didn’t have the support.
And no one else was going to step in and carry that weight for us.
It’s real easy for people to say,
“You should have more kids.”
Or,
“You’re depriving your child of a sibling.”
Pretty bold… pretty audacious… considering they’re not the ones raising them.
Most of the time, if I’m being honest?
I live in fear of failure.
And boy… have I failed.
Beyond the Horizon Consulting?
This is actually my fifth attempt at building something of my own.
Fifth.
And every time before this, it felt like I was doing it alone.
No support.
No encouragement.
Just a whole lot of trying… and quietly failing.
At some point, you start to wonder:
Do they think I’m stupid?
Naïve?
Delusional?
No one says it to your face…
But they don’t have to.
You can feel it.
And here’s the plot twist…
With Beyond the Horizon?
This is the first time I’ve felt something different.
Here, I have passion.
And here… I actually have support.
Just not from where I thought it would come from.
Fear of Failure
Fear of failure?
Yeah… she’s loud.
I remember reading somewhere that Steve Jobs failed more times than most people even try.
And not just once.
Over and over again—before Apple became what it is today.
And it’s not just him.
Actors don’t hear “yes” at every audition.
Entrepreneurs don’t hit success on their first idea.
Most people you admire?
They’ve failed more times than they talk about.
But we don’t think about that part, do we?
We go straight to the “what ifs.”
What if this doesn’t work?
What if no one supports me?
What if my idea is stupid?
What if I fall flat on my face?
And that last one?
That one will keep you stuck.
Because falling isn’t the problem…
It’s what you make it mean about you.
Every step that didn’t work… still moved you forward.
There’s a saying I love—fail forward.
(And if I made that sound snazzy just now, I’ll take it 😏)
But it’s true.
Every time something doesn’t work, it’s not a dead end—it’s direction.
Even Nike keeps it simple:
Just do it.
Not:
👉 “Do it when you feel ready”
👉 “Do it when it’s guaranteed to work”
Just… do it.
Even with fear.
Even with doubt.
Even with the bubble guts.
Because here’s what people don’t always say out loud:
The difference between the people who eventually succeed…
and the ones who stay stuck…
isn’t talent.
It’s not luck either.
It’s the willingness to take the chance anyway.
The people you look up to?
They didn’t eliminate fear.
They just stopped letting it make their decisions.
Most people aren’t afraid of failing…
they’re afraid of what failing might say about them.
Taking Chances
At some point…
you have to take the chance on you.
I think about my PhD bestie all the time when it comes to this.
She once told me she was thinking about applying for an overseas writing cohort through her program.
And when I say she asked everyone…
I mean everyone.
Friends. Family. Probably the group chat. Maybe even strangers at this point 😅
But it wasn’t just self-doubt anymore.
It was deeper than that.
Because what she was really asking was:
What if I get accepted?
How am I going to pay for it?
Am I really about to go overseas… by myself?
That kind of fear?
That’s a different level.
That’s not “what if I fail” fear…
That’s “what if this actually works” fear.
And here’s the part I love most—
She applied anyway.
She stopped asking for permission.
Stopped waiting for someone to validate her decision.
Stopped needing everyone else to agree.
And now?
She’s going overseas. Living the experience she almost talked herself out of.
(She did invite me, and listen… I wanted to go 😂
But adulting said “absolutely not.”)
But watching her?
That was the reminder.
No one is going to take that chance on you the way you can.
People can support you… sure.
But they can’t decide for you.
They can’t believe for you.
And they definitely can’t move for you.
And let’s be real—
Sometimes people don’t support you…
because they’re waiting to see if you’re serious first.
There’s a different energy when someone decides:
“I’m doing this.”
No over-explaining.
No convincing.
No constant checking in for approval.
Just movement.
And when people see that?
That’s when the tone shifts.
That’s when it becomes:
“Okay… she’s serious.”
“Good for her.”
“Let me see how I can support.”
But it starts with you.
Always.
Why Trying Matters More Than Winning
Here’s something I’ve learned about myself…
I’ll try almost anything at least once.
Food, experiences, ideas—whatever it is.
Because how can you decide you don’t like something…
if you’ve never even given it a chance?
We cruise a lot as a family, and if you’ve ever been on one, you already know—
from the buffet to the plated dinners, there are options.
And every time, I tell my son:
“Try it once before you decide you hate it.”
Not a bite with attitude either 😏
A real try.
Because sometimes?
You surprise yourself.
Like the time we tried escargot.
Yes… snails 🐌😂
And listen—I went into that very skeptical.
But it ended up being so good…
we got seconds.
And that’s how trying works.
You don’t always know what you’re capable of liking, doing, or becoming…
until you actually give yourself the chance to experience it.
And it’s not just about food.
I recently opened my store.
Hit publish.
Shared it.
And within two days…
I had my first order.
Two days.
That doesn’t happen if I stay in my head overthinking it.
That doesn’t happen if I sit there questioning,
“Is this ready?”
“What if no one buys?”
“What if this doesn’t work?”
Because the truth is…
If I never tried?
I’d still be sitting there with my thoughts…
and $0.00.
And let’s be real—
Whether I sell 1 or 500…
I’m already ahead.
Because trying gave me something.
Action gave me something.
Movement gave me something.
And that, to me?
Matters more than winning.
Because winning feels good…
but trying?
Trying changes you.
It builds confidence.
It builds evidence.
It builds trust in yourself.
And once you have that?
You stop needing everything to work…
just to prove that you can.
Most people are waiting to win before they start…
but the people who actually get somewhere?
They start before they’re sure.
Courage Looks Like This
So what does courage actually look like?
Because it’s not always loud.
It’s not always obvious.
And it definitely doesn’t always feel good.
Courage looks like hitting publish… even when you’re not sure anyone will read it.
It looks like applying… even when you’re not sure you’ll get accepted.
It looks like starting… even when you’ve failed before.
Courage looks like trying again…
with the same fear…
the same doubts…
and still choosing to move anyway.
Because the truth is—
fear doesn’t go away.
You just get stronger at moving with it.
And here’s the part most people don’t realize…
This doesn’t fix itself.
And doing nothing?
That’s still a decision.
If you keep waiting to feel ready, confident, or certain…
you’ll stay stuck in the same cycle:
Overthinking
Second-guessing
Talking yourself out of things that could actually change your life
Even when you’re fully capable.
Before You Go… Read This
If this hit you, don’t stop here:
Feeling Behind Blog
→ If you’ve been feeling behind and can’t figure out why, start here → Link
Comparison Blog
→ If comparison has been messing with your confidence, read this → Link
Purpose / Direction Blog
→ If you’re trying to figure out your next step without overthinking everything, go here → Link
And If You’re Ready to Actually Do Something About It…
If you’re in this space right now—overthinking, second-guessing, feeling stuck—this is exactly why I created this.
Not because you need more information…
but because you need space to think clearly again.
The Reset Kit is designed to help you:
get out of your head
reconnect with yourself
and actually take action
👉 Browse the Reset Kit + Journals here
(And I’m only releasing a limited number right now… so once they’re gone, they’re gone.)
Before you go—
What’s one thing you’ve been overthinking…
that you already know you need to try anyway?
📌 Quick Note (Because We Keep It Real Here)
I’m not a therapist, psychologist, or doctor — and I don’t pretend to be. Everything I share is rooted in my lived experience. Please consult a licensed professional for personalized support.
If you're in crisis, call 911 or contact the 988 Lifeline. You're not alone. Real help exists, and you deserve it.
