It's up to the individual to see, participate and actively seek to benefit from opportunities in life, that helps a person move forward, so I agree with you, and think if that ethos is instilled from childhood it's more likely to spill over into adulthood.
In my case, I do fear failure
I get it, many do...but you need to embrace it, that's the best way to learn and undertaking a difficult thing even though failure may result means you're undertaking a difficult thing, and we all know that through trying comes succeeding, it's just that sometimes the journey is circuitous. One thing is for certain though...not trying something because of possible failure means one has failed to try, and so failed completely.
I think you're on the right track and if you try more often than you do not try, fail often and tray again, great results will follow.
