I’ve heard motivational speakers say we’re not really afraid of failure; we’re actually afraid of success. It’s always sounded like a huge lie to me. I mean, come on. How can I be afraid of the one thing I want more than anything?

But after exploring my inner world a little better, I’m starting to see where the motivational speakers might be coming from. Because once in a while, I get glimpses of who I actually am at my core — once you eliminate societal pressure and self-doubt — and it scares me.

I remember that I’m a spiritual being who has limitless strength, potential and talent, and that terrifies me.

I want to step into that power, and yet I’m afraid of how much I would need to stretch myself to do it. It would mean leaving behind all the stories I tell myself to feel better about why I’m not doing what I know I need to do.

It would mean no longer blaming my childhood, my financial situation, or society for making me the black sheep.

It would mean walking away from the ways in which I identify as a victim, and recognizing that I already have everything I need to find peace and contentment.

And while I’ve taken huge steps towards living a more authentic life, I have to admit that I’m still a bit scared to embrace the full power that I know lives inside me. So yes, I guess I am afraid of success after all.

Tarot Talk

The King of Wands in tarot represents the energy of the trailblazer. It’s believing in yourself so deeply that you walk off the well-beaten path to start creating a new road — one that might not make sense to anyone else but you.

It’s powerful, exciting stuff, and that’s why we cheer people on when we see them doing it successfully. We watch the YouTube video in awe, and then go back to our unsatisfactory life, repeating the same old stories about why that could never be us.

But if you quiet the mind and stay still long enough, you can catch a glimpse of who you could be. Who you already are, technically, underneath all the baggage that comes from living in this world.

It’s scary coming face to face with who you are on the inside; the immense power you hold in your tiny human hands. It’s an invitation to step into that King of Wands trailblazer energy — to start to burn away the internal baggage that’s standing in the way of your potential, and to find the courage to walk your own path, regardless of whether you get validation or not.

Because at the end of the day, feeling accomplished shouldn’t be defined by the number of people who are applauding your work. It’s about how well you’re living out your truth, how committed you are to your vision, how confidently you’re able to claim it and make space for it in your life. That’s the energy that the King of Wands invites us to begin to embody within ourselves.