Giants release some "Dead Money" - Rowand, Tejada DFA

This won't cure all that ails the Giants right now. But it's a start. And long overdue. And so unlike the Giants and GM Brian Sabean.

Uneasy lies the heads of Zito ($46M due over next 3 yrs. -- too much to expect) and De(DL)Rosa. Maybe Sanchez (Freddie) and Pat Burrell as well.

The only FA's' we should pursue are Cody Ross and Javier Lopez. Lock up Timmy and Cain to long-term deals and move forward.

Giants ownership must have finally grown weary of visiting their money in the trainers room and watching it perform more rehab drills than AB's or IP'd.

Hopefully, this shows the organization that the way to go -- post PED's and amphetamines -- is with younger talent.

Pick a home-grown SS -- any one of them -- and stick with them instead of hiring over-priced retreads.



San Francisco Giants' Miguel Tejada, Aaron Rowand designated - ESPN:

"We're at a spot in the season where we have to do some damage control with the roster. A couple things played into it. In both cases, there was diminished playing time, diminished roles," Sabean said. "If this stays ugly, we've got to turn the page, look at some other people and get ready for next year, and try to win and develop at the same time."


Sabean said he was working to try to move both players to other clubs within the day so they could "continue their careers." The Giants have 10 days to trade or release each player, but would have to trade them to a contender before Thursday for them to be eligible for another team's postseason roster. Still, San Francisco is absorbing more than $15 million in the combined contracts of Rowand and Tejada."

"Ownership was apprised throughout the process. That wasn't a problem," Sabean said. "He was given an opportunity. ... Did it turn out the way we wanted to in the end? Obviously not. But it's time for both parties to move on."

The 34-year-old Rowand was batting .233 with four home runs and 21 RBIs in 108 games. He was hitless in seven at-bats during the current homestand and was mired in a 1-for-24 (.042) slump dating to Aug. 13. He hasn't drawn a walk since July 5.

Giants in like a lion, out like a lamb

The Giants treated the month of August in much the same way that Mother Nature treats the month of March -- In like a lion and out like a lamb.

They entered August with a 61-47 record. In first place. Up by two games.

Fortified (allegedly) by the acquisitions of Jeff Keppinger, Carlos Beltran and Orlando Cabrera.

They enter the last day of August with a 71-66 record. In second place. Down six games.

In like a defending World Series Champion. Out like a borderline .500 team with no spark, no life, no fight, perhaps no heart. At the very least, no discernible pulse.

This team can't even beat the AAA-Astros and now have lost a series to the Cubs. Both teams that have NOTHING left to play for this season.

But we are told. Don't panic.

I suppose the cheap shot would be to say, "I want whatever it is they're smoking" so I don't panic.

C'MON MAN, THAT'S TOO EASY!!!

Stuff is funny when you're winning, I guess. It's just a sad commentary if you're not. Sorry Chief, just calling 'em as I see 'em.

I for one believe, that a little panic might be in order. It might be just what the doctor ordered.

Maybe I shouldn't mention the doctor around a team that is shedding players to the DL faster than a farmer caught in a combine.

Maybe someone needs to step up in the clubhouse and flip over the team spread.

NOT FUNNY!! PABLO IS PULLING HIS WEIGHT. D'OH!!!

Or charge the mound after one of our hitters gets brushed back. My bad, you're right, why on earth would anyone brush back one of our hitters? They're not hurting a fly with any of their swings lately.

When would be a good time for this team to start to panic?

If the standard rule of thumb is...

# of games out of first place > # of weeks left in season = Team is pretty much screwed

...then why not start about NOW?!?

Giants release LHP Clayton Tanner - San Francisco Giants Rumors!

WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, JOE PATERSON? OH YEAH, I REMEMBER!!

According to San Francisco Giants Rumors! the Giants have released LHP Clayton Tanner.

(Confirmed by MLB Trade Rumors) http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/08/giants-release-clayton-tanner.html

Crazy, but somebody will pick up Tanner, He's still young and left-handed. Seems like he will be blocked on the Giants by Runzler and / or Surkamp. A bit of a waste of resources, a minor organizational setback.

As I mentioned in December, we protected Tanner, and in so doing lost Joe Paterson to the D-Backs in the Rule 5 Draft.

http://slavieboy.blogspot.com/2010/12/did-giants-make-rule-5-error.html

So now the D-Backs have a serviceable, LHP. Maybe a bit of a LOOGY, but useful. And the Giants now have zip. Tanner has struggled this year (6-10, 4.29 ERA in AA recently) but this still hurts a bit.

Not nearly as much as this.



Cubs blank slumping Giants 7-0 - MLB - Yahoo! Sports:

“At this time last year we were in a similar spot but we were gaining ground, not going backward,” said Lincecum, who gave up three home runs and allowed five runs in a 7-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs on Monday night. “Right now it’s obviously frustrating for everybody. It’s one of those situations where it’s hard to keep your head up when things aren’t really going our way.”

Or this,



POSTGAME NOTES: Bruce Bochy directs questions to the hitters, Lincecum goes back to the windup, etc. | Extra Baggs:

"The Giants are now 0-12 in series openers since winning their last one, on July 18. Bochy wanted to be sure the players knew about that stat, as embarrassing as it was. So he made sure to tell them before Monday’s game, and challenged them to do something about it.

But his audience is a lot like his offense: Nobody home."

San Francisco Giants - Team Report - MLB - Yahoo! Sports

This would be an upgrade to the catcher position as well as the batting order. Eli Whiteside was doing an adequate job, but this would push him back to a less than every day role.

Heath Bell would likely have cost two prospects, so this was likely more of a blocking move.

If B.J. Upton can be had -- and word has it he was claimed -- I would like to see him added. Coast is always a factor, but for less than one of the top two hitting or pitching prospects in the organization, I think he might be worth a shot. The Rays are loaded with prospects but it seems like they always add more whenever they can. They could hold onto Upton as well and gain picks if they lose him as a free-agent.

Word has it that Surkamp will be promoted to fill a start this weekend. He may have to fill Sanchez / Zito spot as the second LHP behind Bumgarner. Time to see what we have in Surkamp anyway.

Three games back with thirty games left. Time to light a fire Sparky.

San Francisco Giants - Team Report - MLB - Yahoo! Sports:

"RHP Heath Bell is still a Padre. Claimed off waivers by the Giants, Bell could have been dealt to San Francisco if the teams could have struck a deal before Friday's deadline. But nothing was completed. It's believed the Giants claimed Bell to block him from being traded to another contender. Meantime, the Dayton Daily News reported that Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez was claimed off waivers and that Reds manager Dusty Baker guessed the team that claimed him was the Giants."

Why Austrian Economics matters and when do we get a new map?

Austrian Economics: Why It Matters



In twenty short minutes, this guys explains why sometimes doing nothing is the right thing to do.

Differentiates between Austrian economics and Keynesian economics.

Explains why we are in the economic difficulty we are in and how to get out of it.

Compares and contrasts the lessons learned from the Great Depression of 1920-21 -- and why you've never heard about that one -- versus the mistakes we seemed determined to repeat from the Great Depression of the late 20's and early 1930's.

Update from Market-Ticker.org and Karl Denninger re: 1920-21

Outrage(s) Of The Week
http://market-ticker.org/akcs-www?post=193091

Why doesn't anyone talk about the 1920-21 deflationary recession? It would be called a Depression except that it didn't last long enough to be classified as one. In terms of the delta on prices (some 37% at the wholesale level - downward!) and collapse in industrial output it was the most-violent that I can find a contemporary record on. The stock market was cut in half and unemployment soared.

The cause of the collapse was over-exuberant hiring post WWI and the release of a huge number of Army members back into the civilian labor pool.

What's interesting is that there was a Presidential election and Warren Harding presided over nearly all of this. Harding received counsel to intervene from one Mr. Hoover - yes, that Mr. Hoover, who was at the time Commerce Secretary.

He refused that advice and the market and economy cleared within 18 months, posting the largest single-year industrial output gain ever in the history of the United States. Not only that but unemployment returned to the full-employment level as well.

Activism by the federal government and federal reserve works and a "hands off" policy of letting those who get in over their head with leverage, overcapacity and debt doesn't, eh?

Isn't selective memory - and how it's used to block out the success of the government refusing to prop up idiots and swindlers alike a funny thing?

Hardly ever mentions Democrats or Republicans. Or this President versus that President. He puts the onus squarely where it belongs -- on the Federal Reserve.

BTW, speaking of which, the Federal Reserve and Bernanke basically did nothing today and the world didn't end. The markets seemed to breathe a sigh of relief (and by that I mean, went up) and life goes on. Let's hope that sort of behavior continues.

----

Here is another highlight reel of blast's from the past.


Significant among them is Maria Bartoromo specifically asking Bernanke if a decline in housing prices could lead to a national recession (about 1 minute in) right before they actually did. Bernanke begins with his now infamous "I guess I don't buy your premise..." line.

Keynesian Economics vs. Austrian Economics



Didn't see it coming.

If you don't know where you've been, how can you possibly know where you're going?

Time to get yourself a new map.

Otherwise, you are just lost and clueless.


Get yourself a new map


----

The Lew Rockwell Show 11/07/2008: Why Austrian Economics Matters More Than Ever



----

Good tune. Throughout history it seems as if the trick has been to properly identify the devil first. Good tune.

The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil

IHSA Announces 2011 Sportspersons of the Year > IHSA

This is one of the things the IHSA (and other state HS associations) does get right. You wish that these kids get more attention than they do. They are the ones who re-establish your faith when some of their more highly publicized and lionized brethren act in the manner that they sometimes do. BRAVO!!!

IHSA Announces 2011 Sportspersons of the Year > IHSA:

"Congratulations to each of these worthy recipients on being honored as IHSA Sportspersons of the Year," said IHSA Assistant Executive Director Beth Sauser. “These individuals excel in the classroom, in athletics, in activities and in extracurriculars inside and outside of their schools. On top of that, they have the character and integrity to represent themselves and their schools with model sportsmanship.”

Each winner will receive a plaque and a $500 dollar scholarship during the Illinois Principals Association conference in October. All four winners were seniors during the 2010-11 school year."

A brief bio on each Sportsperson of the Year is listed below:

Kelly McShea, Wheaton St. Francis High School
Kelly spent four years on the Spartan basketball, cross country and track & field teams during her high school career, which included earning All-State honors at the IHSA state meets in the latter two sports. A Student Ambassador at St. Francis, she was also a part of the school’s Social Justice Club and has been on three mission trips.

St. Francis cross country and track & field coach Scott Nelson on Kelly: “In 27 years of working in education, Kelly is one of the top student-athletes I have had the pleasure of working with. She has always been a leader in every sense of the word.”

Claire Watson, Riverton High School
Claire was a part of the volleyball, basketball and dance teams during her time at Riverton and was selected to serve as a team captain in each during her senior season. Her leadership also carried over into involvement in Riverton’s Student Government, Spanish Club and National Honor Society, in addition to being a part of several music clubs and in the theater program.

Riverton Counselor Nancy Penk on Claire: “Her behavior is exemplary and she is respectful of others. She is one of the most responsible students I have encountered in 20 years of education and will be successful in any vocation she chooses.”

Tanner Crum, Mt. Carmel High School
Tanner participated in four sports over the course of his career at Mt. Carmel, including four years of football, wrestling and track & field. The 2011 IHSA Class 1A Individual Wrestling State Champion at 285 pounds, Crum also found time to serve as the school’s Student Council President and Future Business Leaders of America President.

Mt. Carmel Principal Pat Cheesman on Tanner: “He is truly an awesome young man. He is a well-rounded individual who puts time into his school work, clubs, hobbies and extracurricular activities. ”

Bo Beniac, Lincoln-Way North
Bo was a three-sport athlete at Lincoln-Way North High School, participating on the basketball, football and tennis teams. He was selected by his teammates to serve as a team captain in basketball and football. A National Honor Society member, Bo was also a part of the school’s Key Club, Varsity Club, Pi Sigma Pi and served as a Math Peer Guide.

Lincoln-Way North Mathematics teacher and basketball coach John Terry on Bo: “Bo is a passionate individual with a love for athletics and academia. He is a natural leader who leads by example. I wanted everyone on the team to emulate him.”

Loyal dog guards serviceman's coffin | The Sun |News

Yup, just a dog....<"( );::::::;~




Loyal dog guards serviceman's coffin | The Sun |News:

"THE dog of a slain US Navy SEAL remained loyal even in death — refusing to walk away from his owner's casket during the funeral service.

A heart-wrenching photo showed how Labrador Hawkeye remained by his master's side during the emotional ceremony for Petty Officer Jon Tumilson, 35.

Killed ... Jon Tumilson

The trooper, from San Diego, was one of 38 coalition troops killed in Afghanistan when a Chinook helicopter was shot down by Taliban insurgents on August 6.

During his funeral last Friday, in Iowa, Hawkeye walked up to the casket, heaved a sigh and lay down in front of it for the duration of the memorial.

Mr Tumlinson's cousin, Lisa Pembleton, photographed the dog resting by the casket at the service attended by 1500 people.

Miss Pembleton, who posted the heart-breaking photo on a military blog, said Hawkeye was Jon's "loyal 'son'".

She added: "I hadn't planned on taking any pictures other than with family.

"However, from my seat at the funeral, I felt compelled to take one photo to share with family members who couldn't make it or couldn't see what I could from the aisle.""

C'MON MAN!!! - CBS Sports analysts cool on Tim Tebow's NFL chances

WOW!! Just freaking WOW!!!

Comments like these are incredible, especially coming from Boomer Esisaon, who "God knows" really ought to know better.

CBS Sports analysts cool on Tim Tebow's NFL chances – USATODAY.com:

"Esiason, an analyst for The NFL Today pregame show, dismissed the job prospects of the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, whose stock is plummeting rapidly. From potential franchise quarterback, Tebow has dropped to third on the depth chart behind starting quarterback Kyle Orton and backup Brady Quinn.

"He can't play. He can't throw," Esiason said at a CBS press event in New York on Tuesday. "I'm not here to insult him. The reality is he was a great college football player, maybe the greatest college football player of his time. But he's not an NFL quarterback right now. Just because he's God-fearing, and a great person off the field, and was a winner with the team that had the best athletes in college football, doesn't mean his game is going to translate to the NFL.""

Tebow's throwing mechanics are so poor, Esiason says, he wouldn't be surprised if the Broncos cut him loose. "What (former Broncos coach) Josh McDaniel saw in him God only knows. Maybe God does know — because the rest of us don't," Esiason said.

Why do I say Esiason, of all people should know better? Let's go to Stat-Man for some perspective.

Because even if I take out the Randy Cross position that people hate on Tim Tebow because he wears his Christianity on his sleeve for just a moment (and I don't), a cursory look at the rookie stats of Tim Tebow versus the rookie stats of one Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason shows that Tebow not only compares favorably, but actually performed better as a rookie than Norman did.

Don't believe me?

- Tebow 41 for 82 for 50% completion percentage, Esiason 51 for 102 for 50% completion percentage. - PUSH.

- Tebow 654 yards passed 8.0 avg per attempt, Esiason 530 yards 5.2 avg. - ADVANTAGE TEBOW.

- Tebow 5 TD vs. 3 INT (6.1% and 3.7% resp.), Esiason 3 TD vs. 3 INT (3% each) - ADVANTAGE TEBOW.

- QB rating, a flawed stat, but good for apples to apples comparison. Tebow 82.1, Esiason 62.9 - ADVANTAGE TEBOW.

- Rushing stats, C'mon don't make me laugh. That's like comparing a freight train versus a Volkswagen bus. - ADVANTAGE TEBOW.

So, pretty clearly, the advantage is to Tebow over Esiason. Sorry Boomer.

So, if in fact, Esiason is only doing his job as a "respected analyst" he should know better than most that maybe we haven't seen all there is to see in Mr. Tebow. And that indeed, what we have seen so far, is pretty good.

So, let's bring back the Randy Cross argument, that a lot of the ant-Tebow fervor is a soft form of religious bigotry.

1) All one has to do is look back at the comments section of any pro-Tebow article, from the University of Florida days to the NFL, to get a flavor for the religious bigotry angle. I don't recommend making a habit of reading the comments section, you might lose your confidence in your fellow man, but to deny the anti-religion angle, or soft-peddle it is nonsense. And Esiason should know better.

2) Ironically, the example I believe Tebow fits the best in terms of comparability -- and doubts about whether his success in college would translate into NFL success -- is Michael Vick. There were many doubters, and Vicks' early returns appeared to vindicate the doubters. Many of the arguments against predicted future success -- the run first mind-set versus staying in the pocket and reading defenses, the dreaded "bad mechanics" curse -- were all brought against Michael Vick. And he turned out OK as a QB.

Given time.

And if you recall, there was much wringing of hands and soul-searching as to whether or not the criticism was a result of race in the Vick example. This occurred long before the dog-fighting issue clouded the argument. And again ironically, Vick seems to have become a better QB -- AFTER he became a better person. Funny how THAT worked out.

We are seeing the same dynamic at play here, IMO. Denial is not just a river in Egypt, folks.

To deny that there is not a significant number of folks who would like to see Tim Tebow fail entirely based on who he is and what he represents is fool-hardy.

I can't put the religious bigot label on anybody's opinion any more than I can use the racist label. And neither can anyone else for that matter. None of us know what is in another person heart or mind.

But that is speaking  INDIVIDUALLY. On a case by case basis. 

On a larger, societal basis though, C'mon folks. Who are we trying to kid here? Who are we trying to convince? Are we delusional or in denial? You know where that gets you. It doesn't help trying to cure a problem --any problem -- if you don't think it exists. That seems to be what we're trying to do here, IMO. Remain in denial, and convince ourselves that there isn't a problem. And that's pretty shameful.

I think so many of these so-called experts want to be first on-board either calling someone a success or a bust that they don't do any reasoned analysis any more.

And that's pretty shameful. If your going to play the "just a professional analyst" doing his job angle. Some of these braying jackasses ought to know better as well.

Full Disclosure: 
- I like Tim Tebow and I hope he succeeds.
- I do not understand anyone who WOULD root against him.
- If that makes ME a bad person, I can live with that.

FEAR OF SUCCESS OR FEAR OF FAILURE?

Sometimes you have to make an honest evaluation of where you are before you can decide where you are going.

Otherwise you're just lost.

Some great stuff on the topic from greater minds than mine. The clip from the movie Coach Carter is awesome. A very underrated book and sports movie.

Many of us are familiar with the concept of the fear of failure. But what about the fear of success?

Believe it or not, having a fear of success is actually quite common. Many people who have this fear aren't even aware that they have it, which is why it's holding them back from achieving their goals and dreams.

The passage has such inspirational power that it is now a stand-alone mantra for a generation of exceptional individuals who wish to motivate themselves and others to live up to their fullest potential.

---

From the movie Coach Carter:

Our Deepest Fear...



---

OUR DEEPEST FEAR
by Marianne Williamson. from A Return to Love


Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

(A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles", Harper Collins, 1992. From Chapter 7, Section 3])

---


FEAR OF SUCCESS:

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/fear-of-success.htm#nopopups

Fear of Success

Overcoming Fear of Change

Laura's boss has just announced that the company has won a bid to create a national marketing campaign. And he's asked Laura if she wants to head this project. All that she has to do is let him know that she's interested by the following Friday.

Laura always hoped for an opportunity like this. She knows her work and management skills qualify her for the job - and she knows that it would likely lead to a promotion, or at least to some much-deserved recognition.

However, by the time Friday arrives, she has created a list of reasons not to head the project. And by the end of the day, she still hasn't talked to her boss.

Does this situation sound familiar?

Fear of success is actually quite common, and it can cause us to lose out on opportunities in life. When we're too afraid to take risks and move forward on our goals - either consciously or subconsciously - we get stuck in one place, neither moving forward nor backward.

In this article, we'll examine the fear of success: what it is, how to know if you have it, and what you can do to overcome it.

Fear of Success

Psychologist Matina Horner first diagnosed the fear of success in the early 1970s. Her findings, especially as they related to fear of success in women at that time, were incredibly controversial.

Since then, however, most scientists and psychologists agree that fear of success exists for both men and women.

Fear of success is similar to fear of failure. They have many of the same symptoms, and both fears hold you back from achieving your dreams and goals.

Signs of Fear of Success

The biggest problem for many people is that their fear of success is largely unconscious. They just don't realize that they've been holding themselves back from doing something great.

If you experience the following thoughts or fears, you might have a fear of success on some level:
You feel guilty about any success you have, no matter how small, because your friends, family, or co-workers haven't had the same success.

You don't tell others about your accomplishments.

You avoid or procrastinate on big projects, especially projects that could lead to recognition.

You frequently compromise your own goals or agenda to avoid conflict in a group, or even conflict within your family.

You self-sabotage (member only article) your work or dreams by convincing yourself that you're not good enough to achieve them.

You feel, subconsciously, that you don't deserve to enjoy success in your life.

You believe that if you do achieve success, you won't be able to sustain it. Eventually you'll fail, and end up backing a worse place from where you started. So you think, "why bother?"

Causes of Fear of Success

Fear of success has several possible causes:
We fear what success will bring - for example, loneliness, new enemies, being isolated from our family, longer working hours, or being asked for favors or money.

We're afraid that the higher we climb in life, the further we may fall if we make a mistake.

We fear the added work, responsibilities, or criticism that we'll face.

We fear that our relationships will suffer if we become successful. Our friends and family will react with jealousy and cynicism, and we'll lose the ones we love.

We fear that accomplishing our goals, and realizing that we have the power to be successful, may actually cause an intense regret that we didn't act sooner.
Overcoming Fear of Success

You can use several different strategies to overcome your fear of success. The good news is that the more you face your fears, bring them to the surface, and analyze them rationally, the more you're likely to weaken those fears - and dramatically reduce your reluctance to achieve your goals.

Take a realistic look at what will happen if you succeed with your goal. Don't look at what you hope will happen, or what you fear will happen. Instead, look at what is likely to happen.

It's important not to give a quick answer to this. Take at least 15 minutes to examine the issues, and write down answers to questions like these:
How will my friends and family react if I accomplish this goal?

How will my life change?

What's the worst that could happen if I achieve this goal?

What's likely to happen, and what's the best that could happen?

Why am I scared of accomplishing this goal?

How motivated am I to work toward this goal? How can I increase this motivation?

What am I currently doing to sabotage, or hurt, my own efforts?

How can I stop those self-sabotaging behaviors?
Where you identify risks and problems, make a plan to mitigate those risks or solve those problems. And where you identify actions that need to be taken, add these to your To Do List or Action Program.

Another useful technique is to address your fears directly, and then develop a backup plan that will overcome your concern.

For instance, suppose you don't push yourself to achieve a promotion partly because you secretly fear that you'll be so busy working that you'll never see your family, and partly because you might be forced to make choices that would destroy your integrity.

To overcome these fears, start by addressing your workload. You could set a rule for yourself that you'll always be home by 7 p.m. You could tell this to your boss if you're offered the new position.

For issues involving integrity, you always have a choice. If you set maintaining your integrity (member only article) as your top goal, then you'll always make the right choice.

By creating backup plans that address your fears, you can often eliminate those fears entirely.

Tip:
Sometimes people will react negatively to your success, particularly if they've been perceived as being more successful than you in the past. If people are this small-minded, and they can't rejoice in your success, do you really want to know them?

Key Points

Fear of success is common, but many of us don't realize that we have it. Self-sabotaging activities - such as procrastination, negative self-talk, and fearing what the success will bring - may hold us back from achieving our goals and dreams.

If you think that you suffer from a fear of success, identify why you're afraid of accomplishing your goals. The more you face your fear and analyze what you're worrying about, the better able you'll be to deal with these issues and move forward with your life.

FEAR OF FAILURE:

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/fear-of-failure.htm#nopopups

Overcoming Fear of Failure

Facing Fears and Moving Forward

Have you ever been so afraid of failing at something that you decided not to try it at all? Or has a fear of failure meant that, subconsciously, you undermined your own efforts to avoid the possibility of a larger failure?

Many of us have probably experienced this at one time or another. The fear of failing can be immobilizing – it can cause us to do nothing, and therefore resist moving forward. But when we allow fear to stop our forward progress in life, we're likely to miss some great opportunities along the way.

In this article, we'll examine fear of failure: what it means, what causes it, and how to overcome it to enjoy true success in work, and in life.

Causes of Fear of Failure

To find the causes of fear of failure, we first need to understand what "failure" actually means.

We all have different definitions of failure, simply because we all have different benchmarks, values, and belief systems. A failure to one person might simply be a great learning experience for someone else.

Many of us are afraid of failing, at least some of the time. But fear of failure (also called "atychiphobia") is when we allow that fear to stop us doing the things that can move us forward to achieve our goals.

Fear of failure can be linked to many causes. For instance, having critical or unsupportive parents is a cause for some people. Because they were routinely undermined or humiliated in childhood, they carry those negative feelings into adulthood.

Experiencing a traumatic event at some point in your life can also be a cause. For example, say that several years ago you gave an important presentation in front of a large group, and you did very poorly. The experience might have been so terrible that you developed a fear of failure about other things. And you carry that fear even now, years later.

Signs of Fear of Failure

You might experience some of these symptoms if you have a fear of failure:

A reluctance to try new things or get involved in challenging projects.

Self-sabotage - for example, procrastination, excessive anxiety, or a failure to follow through with goals.

Low self-esteem or self-confidence – Commonly using negative statements such as "I'll never be good enough to get that promotion," or "I'm not smart enough to get on that team."

Perfectionism – A willingness to try only those things that you know you'll finish perfectly and successfully.
"Failure" – A Matter of Perspective

It's almost impossible to go through life without experiencing some kind of failure. People who to do so probably live so cautiously that they go nowhere. Put simply, they're not really living at all.

The wonderful thing about failure is that it's entirely up to us to decide how to look at it.

We can choose to see failure as "the end of the world," or as proof of just how inadequate we are. Or, we can look at failure as the incredible learning experience that it often is. Every time we fail at something, we can choose to look for the lesson we're meant to learn. These lessons are very important; they're how we grow, and how we keep from making that same mistake again. Failures stop us only if we let them.

It's easy to find successful people who have experienced failure. For example:

Michael Jordan is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. And yet, he was cut from his high school basketball team because his coach didn't think he had enough skill.

Warren Buffet, one of the world's richest and most successful businessmen, was rejected by Harvard University.

Richard Branson, owner of the Virgin empire, is a high school dropout.
Most of us will stumble and fall in life. Doors will get slammed in our faces, and we might make some bad decisions. But imagine if Michael Jordan had given up on his dream to play basketball when he was cut from that team. Imagine if Richard Branson had listened to the people who told him he'd never do anything worthwhile without a high school diploma.

Think of the opportunities you'll miss if you let your failures stop you.

Failure can also teach us things about ourselves that we would never have learned otherwise. For instance, failure can help you discover how strong a person you are. Failing at something can help you discover your truest friends, or help you find unexpected motivation to succeed.

Often, valuable insights come only after a failure. Accepting and learning from those insights is key to succeeding in life.

Overcoming a Fear of Failure

It's important to realize that in everything we do, there's always a chance that we'll fail. Facing that chance, and embracing it, is not only courageous – it also gives us a fuller, more rewarding life.

However, here are a few ways to reduce the fear of failing:

Analyze all potential outcomes – Many people experience fear of failure because they fear the unknown. Remove that fear by considering all of the potential outcomes of your decision. Our article Decision Trees will teach you how to map possible outcomes visually.

Learn to think more positively – Positive thinking is an incredibly powerful way to build self-confidence and neutralize self-sabotage. Our article Thought Awareness, Rational Thinking, and Positive Thinking is a comprehensive resource for learning how to change your thoughts.

Look at the worse-case scenario – In some cases, the worst case scenario may be genuinely disastrous, and it may be perfectly rational to fear failure. In other cases, however, this worst case may actually not be that bad, and recognizing this can help.

Have a contingency plan – If you're afraid of failing at something, having a "Plan B" in place can help you feel more confident about moving forward.
Using Goal Setting

If you have a fear of failure, you might be uncomfortable setting goals. But goals help us define where we want to go in life. Without goals, we have no sure destination.

Many experts recommend visualization as a powerful tool for goal setting. Imagining how life will be after you've reached your goal is a great motivator to keep you moving forward.

However, visualization might produce the opposite results in people who have a fear of failure. In the article "Tantalizing Fantasies: Positive Imagery Induces Negative Mood in Individuals High in Fear of Failure" (published in the journal Imagination, Cognition and Personality, Vol. 21, No. 4), researcher Thomas Langens showed that people who have a fear of failure were often left in a strong negative mood after being asked to visualize goals and goal attainment.

So, what can you do instead?

Start by setting a few small goals. These should be goals that are slightly, but not overwhelmingly, challenging. Think of these goals as "early wins" that are designed to help boost your confidence.

For example, if you've been too afraid to talk to the new department head (who has the power to give you the promotion you want), then make that your first goal. Plan to stop by her office during the next week to introduce yourself.

Or, imagine that you've dreamed of returning to school to get your MBA, but you're convinced that you're not smart enough to be accepted into business school. Set a goal to talk with a school counselor or admissions officer to see what's required for admission.

Try to make your goals tiny steps on the route to much bigger goals. Don't focus on the end picture: getting the promotion, or graduating with an MBA. Just focus on the next step: introducing yourself to the department head, and talking to an admissions officer. That's it.

Taking one small step at a time will help build your confidence, keep you moving forward, and prevent you from getting overwhelmed with visions of your final goal.

Note:
Sometimes, fear of failure can be a symptom of a more serious mental health condition. If fear of failure affects your day-to-day life, it's important to speak with your doctor to get advice.

Key Points

Many of us sometimes experience a fear of failure, but we mustn't let that fear to stop us from moving forward.

Fear of failure can have several causes: from childhood events to mistakes we've made in our adult lives. It's important to realize that we always have a choice: we can choose to be afraid, or we can choose not to be.

Start by setting small goals that will help build your confidence. Learn how to explore and evaluate all possible outcomes rationally and develop contingency plans; and practice thinking positively. By moving forward slowly but steadily, you'll begin to overcome your fear of failure.

But the cowardly , the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers , the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. - Revelation 21:8

“The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government.” -Patrick Henry

Usury: the root of all evil | Don't Tread On Me

Usury: the root of all evil | Don't Tread On Me:

"Usury –it’s the root of all evil

Contemporary proverbs exist because of humankind’s understanding of past human-life experiences.  In China, wisdom is passed on through sayings such as ‘a single grain of rice can tip the scales’ and ‘to innovate, one must first imitate’.  The vast majority of religions and constitutions contain warnings of usury and the dangers of allowing ‘money changers’ to thrive within society.  Even gentle Jesus is alleged to have become very animated at the ‘money changers’ outside a temple.  All these past-human life experiences have given birth to the ‘money is the root of all evil’ proverb that exists throughout the English speaking world.  I propose we change those words of that particular epitaph in everyday conversation with the sheeple.  Specifically, I propose that we say, “Usury – it’s the root of all evil” whenever anyone mentions the problems we, the people, are currently enduring because of malign governments in cahoots with central banks on a GLOBAL scale."

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Sacre bleu!!! The French were right. This partly explains to all the morons who think that this mess began with the Reagan administration. It goes back a little further than that folks.

DE GAULLE predicted the US monetary crisis in 1965



H/T to Cliff Küle's Notes blog:
http://www.cliffkule.com/

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"Lenin is said to have declared that the best way to destroy the Capitalist System was to debauch the currency. By a continuing process of inflation, governments can confiscate, secretly and unobserved, an important part of the wealth of their citizens. There is no subtler, no surer means of overturning the existing basis of society than to debauch the currency. The process engages all the hidden forces of economic law on the side of destruction, and does it in a manner which not one man in a million is able to diagnose." -- John Maynard Keynes;