“In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take.” ~ Lewis Carroll, author and poet
Have you ever hesitated to go for something you wanted, whether it was a new job, a creative project, or even a personal goal, because you were afraid you might fail?
Fear of failure is deeply human. It’s tied to our desire to belong, succeed, and avoid discomfort. But there’s another, quieter fear that often creeps in when we play it safe for too long: the fear of regret.
Fear of failure says, “What if I make a fool of myself?”
Fear of regret asks, “What if you never try?”
Here’s the truth: failure might sting for a time, but regret tends to linger. It echoes. It festers. And often, what we fear most about failing isn’t the failure itself, but the story we tell ourselves about what that failure means—that we’re not good enough, that we’ll be judged, that we’ll never recover.
But growth rarely comes without risk or discomfort.
Resilience is born not from perfection, but from showing up again and again, even after things don’t go as planned.
This week, I invite you to ask yourself:
Is it more important to avoid failing… or to avoid missing out on growth?
Take one small step toward something that matters to you—something that maybe scares you because it matters. Write that email. Make the phone call you have been putting off.
Fast forward 5 years and look back. Let your fear of regret in not acting be your compass, gently nudging you toward action, not avoidance. Take action. Just. Do. It.
And remember: whether you succeed or stumble, you are choosing courage. That, in itself, is a success.
Stretching alongside you,
Amy
