Great thoughts.

Love that last line: “failure is an option but Fear is Not”

reminds me of my cat with a broken leg…wants to retreat because he can't defend himself…we let fear paralyze us…

And if anyone thinks Cameron hasn't failed and he's speaking from an ivory tower, make sure to check out, “Piranha Part Two: The Spawning.”

http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2799344640/tt0082910

I spent several years in denial that I had become an addict. Addiction is a cunning thing. Kept my thinking just like that-”living little”. Even now, some 2 1/2 years clean, and I still deal with the insecurities of my decision-making. If I don't step outside the bubble I keep around me, I can't experience it all. The good, the bad, and the ugly! I feel stronger each day. As my self-esteem grows, so does my confidence. Even in those moments when I feel at my lowest, I know God is here. With me. No matter what.

i love that too! so true!

LOVE IT! keeps it all in perspective. they guy sure isnt afraid of risk even after the Piranha!

right on shellie! thats so true! thanks for sharing that. addiction will definitely tell you to live little even after being clean.

Where is God in all of this?

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” – 2 Tim 1:7 (one of my favorite quotes).

Beautiful sentiment. Thanks for passing this on, Mike.

Great post. Thanks for sharing it.

So true. Great thoughts!

Absolutely true. The tendency is to retreat. But it's not like you get any help. Just being perfectly vulnerable: how can you live big when you can't get a job? When phone calls are not returned and you can't even get an interview? At some point I gotta feed my family, and there's just not a lot available. I don't dispute that living small is dangerous in the long term. I totally agree. I guess I'm just having a hard time with the practical living out of a redeemed life to full potential in a not-so-gracious culture. I just wish I could get back to where I left off before I fell. I guess it just takes time–and trust.

great thoughts alan…first off just know im with ya…as you said time and trust are key components…the road back is certainly filled with discouragement and frustration and these things will shout at you to just give up…surrender…btw, i think living big is a series of small steps but its refusing to believe that the small steps is all that God has planned for you…hang in there bro!

Perhaps why a lot of marriages end in divorce or ministries end after some devastating event. Retreat and surrender. Instead of Charging forward in the face of adversity. I've noticed in my life when big failures happen even those closest to me urge me to retreat and surrender. It's then when I must realize my strength and what it is I'm capable of.

So my question is how far does this go? Does this only apply to art and exploration or does this refer to everything? If everything, what if you have a family at home who is counting on you not to fall flat on your face? What if you've already fallen flat and they are counting on you not to blow it again? When does fearless become reckless?

I remember when my failure ruled my heart: loss or confidence, loss of passion and loss of perspective. All I could see was the rehearsal of my “stuff” and how I was now “disqualified” from anything productive.

Mark Batterson quoted someone by saying, “think long and you'll be able to think big”. Perhaps that nugget might be encouraging as one whose in the throws of failure. Time is your greatest asset and friend while you heal, re-group and are made whole. As you focus on the future, rehearse the possibilities and keep your eyes upon He who your help comes from, life will begin to emerge from EVERY dead area in your life.

God's restoration is ALWAYS BIGGER, BETTER and MORE!!!

Our failures are truly the seedbed to greater possibilities. We can finally die to our efforts, agendas and time tables to allow God's incredible grace to be revealed and empowered within us.

I have learned that we truly need to guard our heart, especially in the times of our failure. Lack of hope creeps in through the smallest spaces. A few years back I was in a place of great loss, trauma, and failure. I felt devastated and loving people tried to come along side me to support me but the long term reality is their words ended up moving me to a place of “living little”. I was told I needed time, had to work through processes, and just needed to go through the journey but I was not taken to God's word and shown how amazing He is at healing, providing hope, and restoring lives. My image of God became little and my failures, processes, and the journey became big. I lacked hope because what I saw was the problem instead of the one who would be the resolution. I was left limping and struggling for years as I couldn't get past the confusion and lack of hope I was trapped in. Finally God had enough and He brought me to a place where I connected with someone who lovingly showed me the wrong counsel I had been given and she opened God's word (the source of truth) and together we walked through things so I could clearly see the true and living God and understand how my story is only part of His story. In a matter of only a couple hours with her my heart changed, my confusion broke, and my life changed dramatically. Almost five years of walking under wrong counsel and living with my failures was resolved and left behind forever.

If you think you are living little, take a look at what you believe about the character of God and how big or small you think he is. He seems to only do in our lives what we believe and have faith he will do. The more faith I have the bigger He gets and the smaller my issues become!

I wish my tendency to retreat would lessen the more I risk. Our family has risked so much and each time God has provided so one would think I wouldn't need this simple reminder… but I do. With risk often comes reward that can trap you into living with limitations fearing to lose what you have achieved. Its such a hard balance! Great Post!

Great quote from James Cameron. The Bible is FULL to the gills of “do not fear.” I love it. Failing is only failing if you quit after you fail. Otherwise, failure is simply called “learning.” And if you're not learning anything, you're almost certainly not accomplishing much along the way. Great post guys. God bless.