Edmund Hillary almost died on his way to making history.
During his 1953 climb of Mount Everest, he lost his footing and plunged into a deep crevasse—the kind that swallows climbers whole. One second, he was scaling the world’s highest peak. The next, he was hanging by a rope, his life quite literally dangling in the balance.
But his climbing partner, Tenzing Norgay, didn’t hesitate. He slammed his ice axe into the ground, braced himself, and pulled Hillary to safety. Then they kept climbing. A few short hours later, they stood at the summit.
Now, let me ask you something.
What if Hillary had let that one terrifying moment define the rest of the climb?
What if he had thought, I almost died—this is doomed. I should turn back now before I make an even bigger mistake.
He could have. But he didn’t. And because of that, something that once seemed impossible became history.
So, what about you?
What’s the “crevasse” in your life right now? The thing you’re so afraid of—failure, rejection, embarrassment—that you’re hesitating to take the next step?
And what if it’s not failure itself that’s keeping you stuck? What if it’s just a belief?
The Hidden Beliefs That Make Failure Feel Like a Mountain
We don’t actually fear failure—we fear what we think it means.
And most of the time, that fear comes from if-then beliefs—the little rules we create in our minds without even realizing it.
- “If I fail, then people will lose respect for me.”
- “If I fail, then it means I’m not capable.”
- “If I fail, then I’ll never succeed.”
And here’s the tricky part: These beliefs don’t feel like beliefs. They feel like facts.
So we don’t question them. We just act accordingly. We play it safe. We shrink back. We stay stuck.
But just like climbing Mt. Everest, what seems impossible might not be impossible at all.
How to Find the If-Then Beliefs Keeping You Stuck
Let’s try something right now.
Fill in these blanks with whatever comes to mind first—no overthinking:
- “If I fail, then it means [blank].”
- “If I fail, then [blank] will happen.”
I had a client do this recently, and here’s what came up for her:
- “If I fail, then my parents will be disappointed in me.”
- “If I fail, then people will judge me.”
- “If I fail, then it’ll mean I’m not good at anything.”
And for her, the strongest one—the one that felt undeniably true—was:
“If I fail, then I’ll let everyone down.”
Now, imagine trying to take risks when you believe that. When every challenge feels like a high-stakes moment that could cost you love, approval, and connection. No wonder failure seems terrifying.
The Truth About These Beliefs
Hillary almost didn’t make it to the top of Everest.
But almost isn’t the same as failing.
And your fear of failure? It might be caused by an if-then belief you’ve mistaken for the truth.
So here’s the good news:
Once you start eliminating those beliefs, you might realize something surprising.
The fear that’s been stopping you isn’t based on reality. It’s based on a rule your mind created.
And rules? They can be broken.
Eliminating the Fear for Good
This is where the Lefkoe Belief Process comes in. It’s a simple, powerful way to get rid of beliefs so completely that they stop feeling true.
When you eliminate the belief, “If I fail, then I’ll be rejected,” suddenly, failure doesn’t seem so terrifying. You can take risks. Try new things. Go after what you want—without fear holding you back.
If you’re ready to stop letting fear of failure control you, you can learn how to eliminate these beliefs here.
Final Thoughts
For years, Everest seemed impossible—until it wasn’t.
For years, my client thought failure would ruin everything—until she eliminated her if-then belief and realized it wouldn’t.
And for one brief moment, Hillary thought his climb was over—until Tenzing pulled him to safety, and they kept going.
What if your fear of failure is the same?
The Lefkoe Belief Process can change these beliefs. The Natural Confidence Program eliminates these if-then beliefs (and many others) that have been making failure feel like a threat.
Because once the belief is gone, so is the fear.
