Success Can Be Scary Too: Overcoming the Fear of Letting Go

Success can be scary
A friend of mine just accepted an acquisition offer from one of the big players in his industry. He spent the last 20 years building his software business with relentless dedication. Despite viewing it as a stepping stone to bigger and better opportunities, he now realizes that success can be scary. The moment he worked so hard for is here, yet it brings unexpected emotions—uncertainty, hesitation, and even fear.

The offer is very good and will let him pursue whatever he wants without any financial worries. However, he fears letting go of his business, which he has always viewed as a source of stability. Would you like any further adjustments?

He has some brilliant ideas as to how to put his time to better use and truly for the greater good and knowing him, I’m sure he will do amazing things. But he’s ‘stuck’ now after having worked so hard towards this very moment.

Embracing change requires courage, even when success is within reach.

The situation he’s in made me reflect on the challenge of letting go and embracing life’s natural rhythm of change. We all feel that it’s something both natural and incredibly difficult. It also reminded me of Maya Angelou’s quote: ‘Courage is the most important of all the virtues,’ because, without it, no one can consistently practice any other virtue.

What do you think? ​

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