5 Beliefs About Success That Are Going to Help You Fail If you still believe these five myths about success, you'll never achieve it.

The following excerpt is from Debbie Allen's book Success Is Easy. Buy it now from Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | IndieBound

F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real) comes from the false beliefs and myths that exist around the meaning of success. Yet all fear can vanish once you own your beliefs and discover the real truth about success.

Once you define your own success with new beliefs, there's nothing to fear. So let's look at a few false beliefs or myths that contribute to failure, as well as the reality behind them.

False Belief #1: Success is all about power, wealth and fame.

People who measure success only in terms of power, wealth and fame are looking in the wrong places. When someone believes you must measure up to those high standards, you may not even want to try.

Here's the reality: Success is about feeling confident, empowered and committed to your core values. Your values are part of your overall success equation. Successful people stay connected to their true self by tapping into what they value most about themselves and their business.

Related: 5 No-Nonsense Action Steps to Help You Achieve Success

False Belief #2: Success is hard work and takes forever to achieve.

People who believe that it takes too long or that it's too hard to achieve success will lose motivation and commitment to take action. But that's not you! If success seems too far out in the future or even unattainable, people will start to make up excuses for why it won't work.

Here's the reality: Working hard for a long period of time doesn't guarantee success. In fact, success can happen quickly and easily. If you have the right skills or talent, you can succeed with minimum effort. You can experience success easily every day through small achievements, accomplishments and personal growth.

False Belief #3: Successful people are selfish and self-centered.

Those who believe successful people are selfish or self-centered usually feel uncomfortable standing out in a crowd and may also fear self-promotion. A person who believes this often feels that putting themselves out there will cause others to judge them as rude, pushy or intrusive.

Here's the reality: You won't find truly successful people focusing internally. They know how to self-promote effectively in the service of others. The only way to truly be successful is to get comfortable standing out and promoting your value, services and ideas.

Related: The 7 Strengths and Habits That Successful People Possess

False Belief #4: You need a formal education to succeed.

Some people believe getting a college diploma or another degree will make you successful. Some actually work hard at becoming professional students, while piling up debt. Others use the excuse that it's critically important to learn more before going out into the world and taking action. In the meantime, they'll hold themselves back from going after success until they feel "ready."

Here's the reality: You don't need a formal education to prepare you for success. That can sometimes be the slower route. The most expensive university will only give you the tools to help you learn and grow. It's still up to you to come up with a plan and execute it. Education comes in many forms and can be gained in a variety of ways. The key is to absorb knowledge and gain life experiences that will teach you how to apply your wisdom.

False Belief #5: Negative thinking patterns cannot be changed.

When you engage in habitual negative thinking, positive thoughts will not come naturally or easily until you choose to change your thoughts.

Here's the reality: All thinking patterns can be changed, even negative ones. Once negative thinking turns to more positive thoughts, it creates a greater sense of success. The more someone trains their brain to think in positive ways, the more it's expected, acted on and achieved.