"Our Deepest Fear".(new initiatives for National Association of Credit Management)(Brief Article)

Nelson Mandela said in his inaugural address, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure." He went on to say that "As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." During the past few months, I've often thought about this quote. I've wondered why anyone would be afraid of success, beyond measure. I think that is what Mandela meant by the word power; I think he was talking about success.

The most dangerous part of success is that in order to succeed, one has to venture out into unfamiliar territory and make an attempt at something. Whether it is personally or professionally, success means that we have to try something. And in the course of trying, the possibility of not succeeding always exists, which is where and when the fear sets in. We often become so comfortable in the safety zone of "not rocking the boat," or "doing it that way because that's how it has always been done" that it's difficult to think about changing things.

I've thought about why change is so difficult for us--including me--and I have often thought about the line in the book, Who Moved My Cheese, when one of the mice said, "What would I do if I weren't afraid?" [2] That line speaks to the "fear" factor: when one of the mice in the story had to find the courage to move out of the maze in which he lived to find new cheese, he asked himself if it would be easier to try if he didn't have to worry about his fears.

The challenge is to move beyond the traditional places, asking "why not," instead of "why," and finding ways to reach beyond the ordinary. The challenge is to inspire those around us to ask questions, to reach new heights, to try new things--giving anything and everything a chance. It's so much easier to accept status quo because we believe it to be tried and true. It's harder to change than to stay the same, for sure. But not changing is a whole lot less rewarding, if not deadly.

In the past few months, NACM has risen to the challenge of moving beyond the struggles of the past. The leaders of your organization--your local Boards, your Affiliate Presidents and your National Board of Directors--are now communicating with each other, and asking why we, as an organization, cannot try new things and venture out into new directions. Staff members of your local Affiliates, through the Affiliate Resource Council, have accepted the challenge of creating a nationwide membership marketing campaign, which is one of the many new projects that has come ...