Fear of Failure, a Lifelong Search for Love and Fulfillment

Relocating to California was the final move I made with my nine-member family. Pursuing job promotions Dad moved the family every three years or so, signing on with new companies needing him elsewhere. First, we moved from Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio, then on to Detroit, Michigan; next East Rockaway, New York, then Arlington Heights, Illinois, and finally, Fountain Valley, California.

Each move created a problem for me, initially pushing me out of favor with the new kids because of my ADHD and my different mannerisms. Each struggle to fit in with peers was at first disastrous, but ultimately I mastered what I needed to be a peer leader, creating within me fortitude to overcome hard life challenges that would help me work towards goals others felt were not obtainable.

Fear of failing is a two-edged sword, beneficial on the front edge because the worry can propel you forward, but deadly on the back edge because the same fear can paralyze. And, as with any situation involving an ADHD mind, both the fear and the anticipation are magnified a hundred times. Hence, my mental chaos.

I hope you find my podcasts entertaining and informative.

The first chapter, Being in Danger of Leading a Lewd, Idle, and Desolate Life, finds me in jail, arrested on suspicion of distributing an illegal substance.

The autobiographical work “Fear of Failure” documents the life and times of James Aarons, Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. It is a bold, uncensored look at the struggles of a young man looking for fulfillment in his profession and love in his life. Dr. Aarons pulls no punches and makes no excuses as he charmingly writes his way through his life’s journey. It is an effort that took great courage to write, and took even greater courage for his wife to permit him to do so. Most of all, this book is full of hope. The author’s self-disclosure is at once heartbreaking and enlightening, honest and innocent, with an eagerness to face headlong difficult and often painful truths. It is a memoir and an exposé that is captivating and very hard to put down until you finish.