Q09

What is a fear that you have and how has it limited you? Think about how you could overcome it this year.

Change. Keeps me in place. I just have to change.

I fear that I will let more time go by and not find a way to truly appreciate all that I have and what I have accomplished.

Failure limited me from doing all I could to prosper my business. Well, I gave up my business but could maybe try another one...?

One fear I've had is of taking the risk of starting my own business.

Despite being quite outspoken, I'm frequently afraid of expressing what I am actually thinking or standing up when I'm uncomfortable with a situation. I fear that my anxiety will rule me and it will hold me back from accomplishing and participating in great things.

Falling off "the path" of success. It's hard when you start getting too old to be a "rising star", you become more of a regular guy, and you still have all your big ideas and expectations of the past. What does a big fish in a small pond do when they get to the big pond? Probably need to have more confidence in myself, and stop thinking there's only one right way. Whatever happens will be a great experience and I'll make the most of it and turn it into a success. The path of success can be wherever I choose to go!

Fear of reprisal, judgement and criticism. It's primal, liminal. As I step into my power, I can cope with this tic by taking note of my body sensations when I sense apprehension or danger; articulating my truth; honoring my instincts about people and situations; and remembering who I am.

Fear of a sick child. Have experienced it and it is terrible. Try to overcome it by thinking positively, not always possible.

My greatest fear is of being looked down on. Of being made to feel "less than" or small. The worst is that look of dismissal.

I am afraid of not having enough time left to do all that I want to do. I am afraid of growing old and incapacitated. I am afraid of losing my loved ones and being alone. How could I overcome this in the next year? Could I do it by throwing myself into my life and becoming absorbed in the moment?

death its a paralyzing emotion. think about living and making most of life

Fear of my own success and that if I accept it I will become the high, out of control person, I used to be at such times, insensitive to others, trying to make-up for the times when I showed myself as less able than I was, trying to prove in an excessively competitive way that I was "king" of talent, that I was the Joseph to whom all the other sheafs must bow. It limits me in the way I live; not producing at the level I am capable of reaching. It would allow me to do the self-interested actions that would make me more successful. But it is not only that fear that drives me but also the underlying unconscious feelings that hold me back toward the other, toward doing those things that would lead to unambiguous success. It is not that I am not doing well; it is that I could lose, let go some of the fear and do even better, or better, be even better, living more of the time with joy, and thus appreciating the others in my life. It requires the continued work of meditation and self analysis and the work to keep a balance in my life, a pace that allows achievement but joy and rest too.

I have a fear of failure. It limits my creativity and I need to let tat out more.

I fear I will accept less than I deserve in this lifetime because I am too afraid of change and taking big risks.

I'm afraid of being embarrassed. I will do anything to avoid it. I am hesitant to speak until I fully think about what I want to say. I want to learn how to be okay with being embarrassed.

I constantly fear that the people in my life don't really like me and it makes me not take risks that involve trust near as much as I could.

I am afraid of many things: failure, being exposed as inadequate to the challenges facing me, of being honest, of sudden death, of physical pain. I think fear is a thing you have to live through. These are realities and there is no getting around them.

I'm not sure... I don't like scary movies or puppets but I don't think that has impacted my life at all.

rejection. i hate asking and not getting. trying and failing. i am terrified of failure. i really need to work on this by identifying the fear when i feel it and then going ahead with my plans anyway.

I fear that I will end the year the way I started - broke, alone and sad. Not good. I can overcome this by being focused in my work, focused in my saving and secure in myself. My catch words for this year are FOCUS, SECURE and LOGICAL. My biggest fear is ending up alone and broke. I never thought like that before but I am now.

I fear that I will continue to be alone (unpartnered) and that it means I'm unlovable. I will overcome it by realizing that being unpartnered has nothing to do with my lovability and recognize that I am loved and loving in many other relationships.

Quite frankly, I've been afraid to really be myself for fear of losing my marriage. Now that I've made the decision to end it, I'm in the process of overcoming that fear. But now a new one looms: I'll never be in a happy relationship ever again and will never have the second child I dreamed of. I'm not sure how to overcome that one.

I am afraid to believe in myself. I can overcome my fear of committing to believing in myself.

I have a fear of other people and how they will use me. In the past my boundaries have been far too permeable and I have not been strong enough to hold my own. This year I am going to learn and practice ways to maintain my own personal power.

My fear is to live. It has been difficult. I feel all alone even though there are people around me. They don't understand what I am going through. They only hear what they want to hear. To make it normal again means to have it all back like it was used to. I don't think I can overcome this at all.

I fear that I will have lived my life and not have taken the chances I should have taken to have lived as full and enlightened a life as was possible for me.

Many worries about family members--probably the only thing I can do is to be as supportive as possible. This is one situation where I have little if any control, unfortunately..........

Fear - Melanoma Fear - Bubby having a difficult year Fear - Not following my inner guide. To overcome these fears, I must continue to look to my spiritual guides to assist me in making decisions, living daily and calming my mind and spirit. To overcome these and other challenges, I bring them to you Ruach Grace and my sisters and brothers in spirit. Help me understand the challenges and find ways to deal with them.

I fear that if people really knew me, I would be alone and friendless. I am never sure how I really feel or why people want to be with me. There are surely more worthy people around. I wonder why my husband has been with me, loyally, for over 38 years. I know he loves me as I love him, but it so abstract to me. I am not anxious about this, but it is a fear that I always have.

It's clear my biggest fear is failure. It actually results in me not trusting myself. When I don't trust myself I do things that are bad for me emotionally or interpersonally. My challenge this year is to walk into that fear and affirm myself.

I'm afraid to give my all to something. I'd rather procrastinate, distract myself or nitpick my work than just go for it. I think it's because, ultimately, I'm afraid of failing, even though I know failing is part of learning & growing. But the day will come when I realize that 'the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom...' - Anais Nin That day is coming soon; I have student loans repay & a London lifestyle to support.

My fear is of being alone, sick and homeless. I'm paying more attention to finances and my health.

i fear that the only way to live is to play the corporate-consumerist-capitalist money game - that the only way to survive is to drudge through life with a distasteful job necessary to pay bills and justify a credit line. it's kept me from pursuing activities and jobs that would really be fulfilling and enjoyable for me as a person. my job is being outsourced, i'll be laid off any time now. this is my chance to find a way to give back via my employment, to be fulfilled. money is still a necessary evil, but i don't have to take a job i hate or one that bores me to make ends meet. i refuse to believe that everyone hates their job, that it's normal to do so. i won't do it anymore. i will not believe that. i will manifest a happier and more positive existence.

I constantly fear that no one will take me seriously. Especially my friends back home, and some people very close to me.

Of new things. I must get used to that and stop panic every time.

I have a fear of flying but it hasn't limited me. It just makes me a lousy traveler by plane.

My fear is not having enough to live on when I get older. But I am saving every month and putting money in my IRA, so hopefully I'll have a little somethign extra for later.

I am afraid of being alone, but limited by my insecurities. I know that I am not without fault in my inability to be in a relationship, but I don't know what to do. I want so much to believe that I will not be alone. But I am afraid of having the expectation that I will not - I know this must be limiting me.

I have a fear of making mistakes. It's getting better over the years but I get irritable at my self and sometimes lash out at others.

I have several fears that I'm trying to come to terms with. Main ones at the moment: 1. I will never be ready to have kids..When I have kids, I won't be able to be selfish; to do what I want or to enhance my career. I can overcome by trying to make the most of my childless time now. 2. I won't ever be professionally satisfied. Can overcome by Starting my own business and putting in the framework now. 3. I'll fail my own biz - start by learning and reading as much as possible. Know that starting ones own biz always takes a leap of faith. 4. I will die without a legacy. Can overcome by trying to perform simple daily acts of kindness. That's what people really remember in the end.

my biggest fear is that of entering in to a true personal relationship. i feel there's a big void in my life and it is making me bitter.

I feel fear when I think about all the hate and anger in the US, and worry whether it will progress into violence in my own area and threaten my family. I don't think I have allowed it to limit me much, except in terms of limiting my inner peacefulness for the duration of time that I am thinking about that. Generally speaking the antidote to fear is trust. So the question of overcoming this fear becomes a question of how I can develop more trust, and in whom or what can I develop that trust? One thing I trust is the rule of law. We have a system that is designed to accomodate dissent and to address the concerns of minorities. It doesn't always work ideally, of course. So maybe the thing for me to do is find ways to shore up that aspect of our society, so that people need never feel that the only way they can accomplish their goal is through violence.

My fear is one that has been with me since my special needs daughter was diagnosed. How will she fare in life? How will her needs affect the lives of the rest of our family. It has limited me in the freedom to plan a future w/o her dependency. We will never experience the natural order of things, in that your children grow up and develop their own lives. It probably sounds selfish, but I am truly being honest with myself. I would like to accept my life for what it is and not be so envious for what it isn't.

Just a feel of be being socially inequite or diffrent. Stops me being as social or having as many friends as I want.

My fear that my mother will die before we make amends. Sadly, unless she does a 360 I be unable to overcome this fear. And my mother is getting very sick and old. *sigh*

I fear that financial concerns will keep me from fully exploring my creative pathways . . .

I fear rejection and it limits my ability to reach out to make new friends or extend intimacy to existing ones. What will I do? Take the risk; is there any other way?

i have been afraid of success. my fear was rooted in feeling unworthy, because family drilled those thoughts into my head. i allowed them to condition my mind to accept scraps, and mediocrity. i have broken free of those limitations. i now know it is not so much what happens to me, but how i react to the events, that my attitude is paramount to my experience. i choose to continue to reinforce this new understanding, and embrace active life rather than passivity in the coming year. i am filled with passion, positive energy, and hope. I am worthy of, expect and will acheive new levles of success, happyness, and prosperity in the coming year.

The thing I fear most is illness leading to disability, or painful treatment. Death frightens me less than having to suffer. I worry about the welfare of people I love. I also worry that mistakes I have made in the past could come back to haunt me. I worry that I might not have enough money when I'm old. I fear excessive dependency. I worry about letting people down: being either too much or not enough. This question, more than any other, made me think all day, and limit my responses.

I am scared of the marriage I am about to enter. I don't know what expectations to have, or really what it exactly means. This isn't about love either, just trying to grapple marriage.

I'm afraid that I won't be able to find a good job after I leave this job next year

The one fear that I have and have always had is of transition or change. Although, lately I have realized that change is exactly what I need right now. It had limited me because it allows me to get comfortable and lazy about making important changes in my life, and I just back and not do anything about it and ignore the elephant in the room. This year I hope to make some big changes finally, I just have to figure out where to start...

One fear is that if I attempt projects that I care about, they will fail because I don't have the resources (time, money, talent, support) to succeed and that even if I manage to organize something I'm proud of that, that no one will come. One way to work with this is to focus on collaborative projects with people I trust, so that it's not all on my shoulders and I can also draw from their resources and the people they might bring to see the art show or listen to the reading. I just started working on a project like that now and am very excited about it.

Fear of being sick. I have such anxiety about being sick that I give my myself symptoms to so many illnesses.

Fear of failure - it leads to inertia. Hopefully, I will figure things out with a bit more clarity this year.

my greatest fear is financial insecurity. I would like to resolve it but I don't quite know how to. I need some help, some guidance, but I don't even know who to turn to.

I fear success. And failure. And making the wrong decision. And overexposure. Strong winds. Heights. This year I could finish several projects, let them fail or succeed as they might, and survive either way. I'll make my big decisions when I feel confident about them and not before. I'll protect myself as necessary. I"ll avoid hurricanes, tornadoes, and being up high without a railing.

I am afraid to dissapoint people. I undercharge because of it and am not succeding financially.

oh boy, where do i start?!? i'm kind of afraid of change, i guess. and there has been a lot of change for me this year - new home, getting married, new job...what next? i want to be able to overcome it by just accepting it...change happens. it's called life.

I have a fear of losing my grandfather. He has been my best friend for my entire life. If I ever lost him it would absolutely ruin my life. When my dad's grandfather died,it really did destroy his life, I am so afraid that history will repeat itself with me. Hopefully, I have learned from his mistakes.

Fear of my own success. Fear of failure. Fear of humiliation. fear of being "the one". I self sabotage myself to prove to myself that indeed, I was right. That I should have not tried this, or that... I'm facing my fears- I'm going for it and giving it everything I have got! I can overcome it by knowing the Light is in the business!!

I fear that the mental changes which started a few years ago will get worse and worse, til I finally need custodial care---and that I will no longer be able to enjoy reading books, whcih has been the central pleasure of my life. I don't know of any way to overcome it--butI am finding that spending time in beautiful natural settings--like Bandon's primeval-looking beach, or a cliff overlooking the Coquille River is a dependable way of finding some pleasure in my diminished life.

I'm afraid of not being able to take care of my family and not being "good enough". This fear causes anxiety and stress...constant worries. Sometimes people get sick but we don't know when and we don't know the extent. We can't plan everything although worrying and planning helps me pretend that I have control...but it's exhausting and I don't enjoy what I do have in the present. Over the next year, I am trying to breathe slowly, recognize when that overwhelming anxiety begins to steal my breath, and remind myself that I have always come through on the other side no matter the event. I want to enjoy and appreciate the present.

I believe fear is a learned behavior. I am successfully retraining myself to not fear things. I am well aware of a self-survival/protection mode, but I am now arresting any fear I have as it comes up in various situations. I did not fear alligators as a child (innocence). I saw how they catch and eat their prey (observation). My mother expressed terror while watching the same TV show with me (teaching). If Mommy is afraid, I should be afraid also (a child's logic). The next time I saw them, including crocodiles, at zoos, in pictures, or on TV, I became afraid (learned behavior). As an adult, I decided to study them as creatures (tackling the fear through information). When I learned they have specific environments and that I was unlikely to be eaten by one as I sat in a theater, my fear disappeared (retraining). I approach everything, which causes a spontaneous knot in my stomach, in this manner and not being afraid has become a habit.

I'm afraid of being alone - without a boyfriend or partner - and have a habit of staying in bad relationships because I always assume it's better than nothing. I have a rich life, with lots of friends and lots of interests - at some level I know that I don't need to be married to be fulfilled, but I find it hard to take action to that effect.

I fear disappointing my mother, which doesn't always let me do what I really wish I could do.

Every year I fear that the balance between devoting myself to creative pursuits and being a responsible husband and father tips further toward responsibility, leaving me a little bit less fulfilled as an individual. This year, with higher financial pressure than ever (mortgage, 1 year-old daughter), I fear that, unless I gain more creative validation, that tipping will be definitive, forcing me to be more stoic and less expressive about pretty much the rest of my life.

working from paycheck to paycheck and not being successful through business and in ministry.

I sometimes fear the unknown of the future and get frustrated thinking that I can't control everything. This year I plan to abandon myself to the universe a little more. Do the things I need to do from my end, make every effort that I can make, and try not to worry about what happens in response.

I have a fear of not ever being able to study for a PhD. I have to look for work at the university so that I can take courses.

I fear that people won't like me if they really knew me.

I have a fear of speaking. I've always had it. I can speak to small groups and generally do a good job presenting my ideas, but once I'm up in front of everyone I lose it. It has limited me in school. Even though my projects and ideas get me a good grade, I always bomb on the presentations. I want to teach once I get my degree so I must overcome this. A friend suggested a group called Toastmasters and fortunately they have a group that meets nearby. I'd like to see if this can help in some way. I just have to push myself and keep pursuing it.

I fear that I am going to miss out on love because I am too closed off and I have a problem letting people in. I am not afraid of being alone but I am afraid of missing out on the chance to grow in a loving relationship with someone I deeply care about.

I have been watching my only surviving parent, my mom, age and become more frail. I live on the West Coast, she on the East and I fear she will pass away and I will not be at her side. I know of no way to overcome the fear but tell her each and every day how much I love her.

I fear being far away from my family in case something were to happen to one of my family members. I need to work on knowing that my life cannot be dependent on their health and happiness.

I have a fear that actually putting a retirement plan into effect would invite disaster of one kind or another. I need to focus on what I expect to do during the coming decade or two and start figuring out how to do it!

My fear of being alone. I crave solitude and singularity, yet also need other people; my fear of being alone drives me to accept things, people, and situations that aren’t always in my best interests. It’s tough to even know who I am when I’m constantly trying to please others enough that they’ll stay around. This is a realization that I’ve been facing, to my shock and horror, all this past year. If facing a problem and realizing that it exists is any help at all, then I’m doing that now. Hopefully, with honest realization I can continue to learn better ways to deal with it as time goes by, but one key seems to be to brutally assess the connections themselves. I need some, yes, but with whom? Why? Do I really need this many? Is there mutual benefit, or just this sad trade-off of superficial company for superficial company? What do I really need from connections with other people?

That I'll be such a poor money manager that I'll lose the house and not be able to help the kids or my brother. That I won't time manage and write my book, or, that it won't be good. I spend when I think I won't live a long life, so I might as well enjoy. It's how all the early deaths in my family everyone thinks I coped with so well, affect me. It's the thought that there's no one to take care of me- that I am the "many-breasted one" in the family, feeding all. I could cope with this if I could viscerally feel what I intellectually say, that El Shaddai, the Many-Beasted God, gives me life with every breath, supports me, and will give me "enough" life in the grand scheme of creation. I really need to cultivate gratitude for gifts to not focus only on their potential loss.

Maybe I'm afraid to be happy? I'm afraid of random acts of violence and inhumanity. Of running out of luck. Of injury. Illness. Ruining my children. The unknown. Self-destruction. Natural disasters. War. Chemicals in the food and the air. Rats and spiders. Failure. Okay, I'll think about how to overcome them all, but I think that might make me more afraid...

I fear I cannot do it. I fear I will fail and then know for sure that I am unable. I fear not knowing what I will become when I shed my fat suit. What would become of me if I were a success?

As a result of growing up overweight (and still being that way, although working on it), I have body image issues. The fear of someone seeing me undressed, or getting close enough to feel the un-camouflaged skin, and then rejecting me as a result .... I am working to continue to lose the weight and also working on feeling better about my body.

I have a fear of outliving my money. I fight discouragement over my predicament and see no hope of rectifying it. I couldn't think about overcoming it any more this coming year than I have for the past nine.

Being alone and the consequences of rebelling and taking chances w/ my life.

Fear in general has limited me. I have a fear of the unknown; of taking risks. And I have a fear of being alone. I fear being single again. I will overcome it by taking opportunities and sometimes forcing myself out of my comfort zone. I will reach out to people and hope for the best.

I'm afraid that after I graduate I won't be able to get a job and make my own money. I'm going to work as hard as I can to make sure I make my dream come true and reach my goals.

The fear of being left out - have more confidence; be OK staying home alone.

That Im not a good enough writer or smart enough to write a book. I need to be brave enough to fail.

Fear of swimming in the deep end or bottomless ocean or lake. I love swimming but this fear has kept me from enjoying the water. If I can't feel my feet touching the bottom, I freak out. I've tried hypnotherapy and creative visualization, but neither one have helped. Not sure how I will be to able to overcome it.

I fear total disability. The pain in my back, legs and knee are becoming intolerable and disabling....causing me to be sedentary and limit my activities to two or three square blocks. I have advanced spinal stenosis. I'm currently in a mental struggle as to whether or not to have spinal surgery. There are no guarantees and it's a very big deal. I live alone, with no family nearby. So I'll have to go through the months of rehab and healing on my own., And....I'll have to foster out my beloved Lucy, my sweet doxie. I won't be able to care for her for a few months. I hope to overcome my fears and make a rational decision in the new year.

I fear being disliked and the target of hurtful, sarcastic and snide comments. I need to and I will always need to be myself and like myself and not worry about mean and spiteful people.

I fear that a lack money , being so tight right now, will put me down and I won't be able to do some of the things i want to do . The only way to overcome it is to tightly budget and not buy one extra thing that is not a true necessity. It's beginning to work.

I can relate to the person who fears never feeling like any synagogue is home again. I suppose I fear that I am drifting away from the religous part of Judaism. I'll always make shabbat, I'll always be Jewish, I'll raise our children Jewish but something is changing, shifting.

My fear that the dream job I have spent 6 years building will fail and I will have to go back to working for someone else's.

Fear of being alone.

I am afraid of being alone, and of death. I have no idea how to conquer these fears; they've been with me since childhood. They limit me in my personal relationships, making me needy, and they give me panic attacks regularly.

That I will never figured out what I really want to do. And, more pressingly, that I can never be fluent in Spanish. This has limited me from getting to know my mom's side of the family.

I have terrible self confidence issues - I want terribly to open my own business, but fear of all the economic and liability issues overwhelm me and I do not. I have the talent, skill and the business savvy, but the cannot stand the risk of failure. I know that struggle and failure are part and parcel of success - I think that if I can remember to look at each "failure" as a life lesson of what not to do the next time, I can do it. I just need to do it.

Somehow I've gotten it into my head that because I'm not such an accomplished artist, people will look down on me and not help me out. But people do like me, and when I get over the fear of asking, people usually are willing to help me out.

I fear that I will not live long enough to see my children grow into the people they were meant to be. As a result, I can be too controlling. Sometimes I am too busy worrying and not busy enough 'in the moment"

i have a fear that i am not good enough. this has limited me in many ways. i have shied away from relationship because i feared that i was not good enough for someone to love me. i shied away from starting a business because i feared that i was not good enough for people to want to buy my products. i didn't live in a nice place because i feared that i was not good enough to deserve a nice home. over the past couple months i have come to recognize that these fears were holding me back. and now the process of overcoming these fears is already beginning. i have entered into a new relationship in this past month. every time the fear comes up, i recognize it and then remind myself that i am loveable . i am taking steps to start my business. i am working on small steps and again, each time the fear comes up i recognize it and remind myself that my products are amazing. just last week i had a friend help me furnish my new apartment. every time i walk in and see how beautiful it is i remind myself that i deserve to live in this nice place. i can continue to overcome these fears by recognizing them, giving them a voice, and then reminding myself that they are simply fears and that they are not true. teh truth is that i am good enough.

I'm afraid of making myself feel stupid or look stupid. I am scared to embarrass myself to hard, and I think it limits me

I worry about my parents, and fear that they are not going to live much longer -- especially my father. I've thought about what it would be like to experience this loss, but i know there's really no way to prepare emotionally for it. There is, however, that conversation one must have with a parent or any loved one about their wishes and the inevitable end of life. I fear having this conversation, too.

My fear is that I do not know if my current girlfriend is the girl I want to spend the rest of my life with.

I'm afraid of getting into a relationship. I don't know if I could love some one so and visa-versa. I'm afraid of getting into a relationship and meeting the person I truly love some where else. I'm afraid of ending up lonely.

I have a fear of not being liked or approved of. It limits me because instead engaging genuinely with people, I engage superficially, while the majority of my consciousness is focused on, "Am I making the right facial expressions? Does this person think I'm boring? Am I making a good impression? Am I making this person want to be better friends with me?" So I think it is a self-fulfilling prophecy- I don't make meaningful connections with people because I'm not giving them anything to connect with- I'm holding everything back because I'm so afraid of what kind of impression I'm making. Plus, my insecurity causes me to be judgmental of others- either envying them or cutting them down in my mind to make myself feel better. I think overcoming it involves an answer I gave to a previous question: accepting myself and loving myself more, and being more forgiving of myself. I think it's true that when you love yourself, you are freer to give love to others- to reach out and engage, connect with them. And if I can learn to be forgiving of myself, I'll be more forgiving of others too. And if I still have a hard time connecting with people, at least I won't beat myself up over it.

I fear my mother's judgment and opinions and I fear that I am not capable of accomplishing the things I'd like to accomplish. I can find the validation I need in God and set long-term goals that I want to accomplish, while setting smaller goals that help me move incrementally toward the larger picture.

I'm afraid of my family getting upset over the tattoos I have. I've gone to great lengths and much discomfort to cover them over the five years I've had them. I need to bite the bullet and tell them already.

my fear is that i will make a bad decision to move to a different job - location and then not be as successful as I am right now - i am fearful that i will not do the right thing - i am fearful that i might not be able to support myself in an adequate manner. This fear has limited my choices and made me old before my time -- i need to just get out there and do something else

I am afraid of success....it causes me not to push myself to my full potential.

I have a fear that my fiancee and I will not work out in the long run, and since we both don't believe in divorce we'll be stuck in a loveless marriage. This year, I will put trust into our relationship or I will figure out that this isn't going to work and break it off.

This year has been about facing fears for me - learning to leap. I think I have a slowing dissolving fear of missing my mark; missing what I should be doing or who I should be with or where I should be - this sense that I was somehow f'ing with the flow of the Universe. I've come to accept two things: 1. that ultimately, no matter how hard you try, you CAN'T. The Universe will always win - I've developed a strong sense/belief in the idea that where you are at any given moment is exactly where you need to be. and 2. that I need to follow my gut instinct, my perception and intuition is far more acute than I want to give it credit for, and I need to quit being afraid of following it and just leap, just go for it more often. To let that guide me, don't look back/over think. Just flow.

I fear failure of my healthy eating and exercise. For years I have battled the bulge and have given in to what is easier. I need to remain focused on what is healthy. I'm using a lot of self-talk, reflection on the positive results and encouragement from friends.

I'm constantly afraid that the people I know in DC think that I'm unintelligent. It's not a feeling or a fear I'd ever experienced before moving here, so it's taken me by surprise and has, in some was, really been debilitating to my self-esteem. It's important that I begin to focus on my strengths and recognize that different people have different kinds of intelligence - and that it's not only OK for me to be different than the majority of the DC crowd but it's, in fact, positive. I'm looking forward to focusing on writing & the arts, proving myself in new ways, both to me & to the rest of the world.

My fear is the idea that time is running out. There is still so much I want to do in my life, but I am afraid that I will not have enough time to do it all. It has limited me in the sense that the fear clouds my ability to prioritize and focus on one thing at a time. Rationally, I know I have time to do most, if not all, of it, but emotionally my fear makes me fritter away my time, not really focusing on one task at a time and completing them in a timely manner. I am working on a life plan which ultimately will lead to a to-do list. I want to set monthly goals, yearly goals, etc. If they are not complete by the end of each month, year, 5-years, I will evaluate how much I am really committed to each task and make adjustments, accordingly. I think that will work.

I'm not sure it's a fear, but I wear the "leader" mantle with a lot of discomfort. I look at my peers and at people whose leadership models I want to emulate, and I realize that I need to figure out how to have more ego presence without looking egotistical, how to "float" in a way that inspires without irritating. I'm not sure how to address it - I think part of it comes from slowly building a peer group that respects me as a leader and not just as a thinker or contributor. That takes time, so I guess I need patience, too.

I fear making the wrong choice for the direction of my life. I could overcome this fear by taking chances and accepting the outcome rather than doing what I normally do - overthinking every step I take.

I'm afraid that I can't live passionately as an artist without driving myself into debt and needing to run back to an office job again.

I am afraid I will never have the job I really want to have. I hope to work harder toward reaching that goal this year so my dream can eventually become a reality.

I am terrified of being rejected by men. I think I finally faced that fear by allowing it to happen. I gave a boy a chance to break my heart and he did. It sucked, really hard, and still kind of hurts, but I survived. I'm still incredibly hesitant to ever really put myself out there but I'm getting there.

Right now, my biggest fears have to do with my health. A recent trip to the emergency room has me all worried about my heart. First it was my kidneys. Those seem to be fine. Now, since going to the ER and being told that my heart rate was through the roof I am paranoid that I have every heart condition under the sun. The paranoia that followed me after my kidney problems has been placed into thoughts and anxiety about my heart. I really am hoping it's nothing serious, but I keep building it up in my mind. I realize I'm a prime candidate for a lot of different diseases, considering how little I exercise and my diet. Again it all comes down to motivation for me. If I'm going to be healthy I need to take more initiative and responsibility about my health. I can overcome all these things by making sure I stay active and eat right. It's all so cliche' but it's true. It's on my mind all the time all I need to do is follow through.

I have a huge fear of acting when I feel I don't have enough information. Which is fine, except that it means I put off acting when I should, always hoping for more information. Which screws me over no end in actual real life, where timing is everything and second chances don't just waltz up.

I'm afraid of my own expectations.

i fear that i will not fully explore opportunities that could make me lead a happier, more fulfilling life. that i may continue to put things off or pass opportunities by that could create bridges to learning and doing new things that would be satisfying to me.

I am desperately trying to overcome my fear of wealthy people. The only way to overcome is it to realize that I need to be myself wherever I am and let the results occur. Self-consciousness is a self-imposed roadblock. Its time I get off that road crew.

I seem to have some kind of fear of success or failure or whatever. I procrastinate on stuff I want to do as well as things I don't want to do and I don't know why. I am ready to address that with my new EFT technique.

Fear of failure. Fear of not doing something "right." I'm so afraid that I'm not going to do something well, so I get paralyzed and don't do anything at all.

My main fear is that of failure and it has always held me back. I tend to not do things because I am afraid of not achieving them so it becomes a self - fulfilling prophecy, or I jump into things without full preparation in order to set myself up for a fall. This year I will try to think things through a lot more and prepare for what I want.

the fear that has limited me is the fear of failure I will overcome it by getting out of my own way

Fear of success has definitely held me back. I often think, "I am not ready," but in reality, I can do the job well. This year, I am ready and I will be successful.

Fear is the biggest debility of human-kind, the anxiety and sense of worthlessness associated with fear can cause an acute inertia; at times it has to me. To force through this self-imposed barrier has been my greatest challenge, to tell myself that I am worthy of peer-friendships and to reach out to others in sincerity wit no agenda except sharing has been difficult. I have had to overcome the attitude of "why does one want to be friends with me, why would they be interested in my work and vis-versa" All one can do is try, try to change when it is necessary, try to listen better, try to change into a better person, and try to achieve better work to share with others, to understand others, and hopefully understand yourself.

i am ridiculously afraid of airplanes. i love so very much to travel and see new places, but i do experience anxiety every time i fly. i am planning to go to israel this spring, and i am working through it with deep breathing and trust in the unknown...and the pilot.

One of my biggest fears is rejection. I don't think I need to really explain how it has limited me.

Not having enough money to live on when I get old. I do not enjoy the moment, the day and those I am with as much as I might. And I have a false idea about what I really want and enjoy. For example I often say that places you travel are just as beautiful and wonderful if you stay at the Ritz or if you stay at the State Park. But do I really believe that? I can think more about what I really want to do and what I enjoy and what I find meaningful and satisfying to do with my life.

I am afraid of not being smart enough to compete with others. This has held me back because I worry that I won't be smart enough and I fall into old habits, making this a self-fulfilling prophecy. I need to practice (and find for myself) humility and a good work ethic that helps me to succeed in all that I do. Also, I need to take responsibility for ALL of my actions.

Of not being liked. How Willy Loman is that? It's an overwhelming need for approval, usually from people who are acquaintances or newer friends. I find myself often sacrificing my husband's opinion or desires to do what I think will satisfy other people. Who probably don't care. Who don't really matter. It will mean a real priority shift to overcome this. But I have been able to do that for my son (realize that his needs are more important than a stranger's) so I can probably do the same for my husband and family and close friends.

When you see everyone around you find love, and you seem to be unable to do so, a fear creeps up within you saying you will always be alone. I am dedicating my year to find the right person for me.

My worst fear is not measuring up to what is expected of me. I have always had the fear that I wasn't quit good enough or smart enough . As a young person I had to overcome many obstacles and at times I failed. There were times when the self doubt left me very depressed. As a result of my depression I got help. With the help of my conversion and what I have learned from my study of Judiasm I can over come my self doubt. Jewish history has taught me, nothing except quiting on life can stop us . So I am not afraid of life . To life!

My fear is that I will be alone and not have a husband and family like I always assumed I would. I don't know honestly how I'll overcome it.

I fear about my future it has left me very unsettled. I don't know where to move to or where to go. I have started by putting my house up for sale and I hope everything works into place after that.

That due to my migraines or something else, I will no longer be able to care for my pets and one remaining child that is at home.

Unfortunately, most of my fears are rather petty and egocentric, and often not serious at all. I fear in a sense not making right life decisions as I'm sort of at a crossroads. This leads somewhat to immobilism. Overcome it by being true to myself and others, and just enjoy and think positive.

I'm afraid of overextending myself -- saying "yes" to too many things and winding up unable to do any of them well enough. At the same time, I'm afraid of saying "no" to things and then having them melt away. It's a kind of double bind. The way through seems to be a combination of saying "yes" when I really feel called to do so -- and saying "no" and learning to trust (continuing to learn to trust) that other doors will open in time. That saying no to one opportunity doesn't mean that another one will never arise to take its place.

fear of not getting my act together. allows me to continue not getting my act together. i just need to think that to not try is already to entertain failure.

I fear the surf. I was pulled under a wave in Baja once as a kid. For a moment, I thought to myself, "That's it, my life ends here—on vacation in Mexico." Then the ocean spat me out onto a beach full of tourists with my swim trunks around my ankles. I live in a surfing town now and I'm determined to take at least one lesson this year.

I am afraid of showing anyone any side of myself in which I won't excel. I do not like to appear vulnerable, so I just don't talk about certain things in my life. I think this makes me feel closed to some people. I think the only way to overcome it, if that's what I really want to do, is to just start being more open with one or two friends and then eventually to try to add even more into my "inner circle."

im scared that something is wrong with me medically or that some sort of accident will happen and i wont live to see my children grow up. i think it mostly has to do with my anxiety and im taking medication which helps, but i need to discuss my fears with someone and help to learn better coping mechanisms.

I have a fear that things won't work out between Donn and me. Because of this, I fuss and worry about things I shouldn't. I can replace this fear with trust. I have a fear that long-term iron deficiency will leave my brain permanently altered. I also have a fear that iron supplements will make my bones brittle. I have been taking calcium in the morning and iron in the afternoon, with an extra supplement before a soccer game or a run.

I have a great fear of being mediocre for my life. This leads me to take wild and insane chances and often to avoid reality. And idle. I must work harder, I must not waste days, I must hurtle myself out of bed in the morning and run, I must read more, I must avoid drinking, I must avoid feelings of rapture and overzealous empowerment or crippling depression and self loathing, that lead me to either loving or hating myself by irrational amounts. Neither emotion is useful. I must work very hard all the time.

I have a fear of not balancing career and passion. This year I found a job that I really love to do - and yet I continue to question whether marketing is something that I am passionate about. It could be that I have a passion for business - I'm not quite sure - but the fear is really about not being able to come to terms with the different sides of my personality that pull me in different directions. I anticipate the future yet I try to live in the moment - and the fear creeps into my mind and leaves me feeling restless. To overcome this I am going to do more activities outside my job that satisfy my craving to do something more meaningful. To start - I am going to find an organization to volunteer for so that I am able to recognize more clearly the dividing line between what I am doing to support myself financially and what I am doing to support my passion. I am hoping this will alleviate some of that fear which has been causing me anxiety lately.

I'm supposed to get surgery. I'm scared that I'm not going to get it done before march, because if my dad is still unemployed...his medical insurance goes away then.

Fear of relationships. It has led me to turn down opportunities to go on dates and get to know somebody better. I just need to get over it. Just accept one offer and see where it leads.

Taking on a much larger job that may be offered later in the Fiscal Year. I want the job but fear I'll be over my head. I think I need to work to clearly define the job before I accept it, IF it materializes, and then break it down into units of work that I've done before and really know how to do.

I'm 73 years old, in good health. I've lived my life to meet head-on whatever challenges, obstacles, fears, concerns I had to overcome. So now I don't have any fears...not even of dying. My 85-year old husband and I had conversations about end of life with our two grown sons who know what our wishes are and in fact have decided on the same course when their time comes.

I fear being alone with my own head sometimes. I fear what true concentration could unearth. I want to have faith in how much I have grown and the person I am now.

I fear that I am making the wrong decision about not talking to my father or his family, and at the same time I am fearful about what they could do to me, my husband, and my children. I am not sure this is ever something to be overcome, but figuring out and naming how it limits and effects me might help.

That I will die and my husband will be my son's sole parent. I don't think he'll be able to handle the special needs; I don't really think he's a good parent; and he certainly doesn't like being a parent. How to overcome it? I guess I can't die.

the fear of what if, and making the right coices. there are no right choices, liffe will take me by its hand, it will all be ok.

I am very anxious to begin with, and I constantly experience fear, and anxiety. I am afraid of the massive amount of debt I am in. I also scared that I have wasted so much time running from it, that it is going to catch up with me before I know it. Then I will become more anxious, fearful, but also will have to demonstrate a new level of honesty, of secrets I have kept safe, which can no longer be hidden.

That I won't live up to my reality. It sometimes makes me freeze up and do NOTHING! Maybe put up a motto on my desk: "just start!"

I have been homeless for more than a year now. I am afraid to say that to my friends. I don't think I will ever tell them that. The best way to recuperate is to get back on my feet and transition into a normal job.

I have an intense fear of mediocrity

I fear others including my family and friends see me as crazy. This makes me anxious, depressed and alienated. I know this fear, weather or not it's true, has reinforced this alienation and it is my doing. I would like to challange that comfortable, yet unhealthy mindset this coming year.

I fear never finding someone I love and who loves me back. My mother divorced my father early, and her two sisters never married or had any children. I am worried that I am going to end up alone. I need to become less defensive and have more faith in love, and in men.

flying. my fear has gotten so bad, but it doesn't limit me from traveling. i hope to overcome it this year. maybe get some therapy.

It's so Woody Allen, but isn't it the fear of death that underlies it all. What the heck are we doing here and what happens when it's all over? Nothing? Really all my fears stem from that, and that, I think will take more than a year to overcome. But you just keep at it, right?

I hope that I pass my course (study.)

I fear.... that I'm not living up to my potential. I fear... I'm in the wrong profession. I fear... that I'm not going to accomplish anything meaningful. I fear I have no ambition. I fear I don't know what to do with my life. To overcome this, I think I just have to live. I have to know, to understand, what's important in this life that will end, only God knows when. Then I live day by day trying to do the right thing.

The fear i have is to share who I am and what I know or do not know to myself and others. It has limited me from learning and allowing me to focus on what matters most that I am learning and expressing. The more quiet I stay the more closed and trapped or stuck I feel. It has limited me in my relationships with myself, Robert, and parents and job peers. And limited me in persueing what I want to learn about. To learn I need to show my ignorance to allow others to know where I might need help when i can't ask for it. Rather than trying to do it all myself. Is that the PRIDE.

Growing old alone. Not knowing if I cn stick with someone for the long haul.

Fear of working hard and the work turning into nothing. Fear of mediocrity. Fear of trying so instead I will stay stuck in my stagnation.

That I will be thrust back to my roots in an unheated, 1-bedroom apartment in the South Bronx, because I have no job and no job prospects. Having been unemployed for 2 of the last 26 months, I have whipped out my savings, gone into debt, and am in the process of depleting my retirement savings. I am only 55 years old. I did everything right (worked hard, saved to the max, lived below my means, raised two chidldren and paid for their college education), how could this have happened to me? My American Dream has turned into an American Trajedy.

Hoo boy. Oooo oy. My fear is that I am utterly worth;ess when it comes to earning a living, now that writing is such a crapshoot and also (let's be fair) I'm uninterested. Just today I was thinking that not having that thought 24/7 would make it easier on me, no question, and that I can't imagine that God is just waiting to show me the truth: that my 100% negative opinion of myself is true! And I should sink into a pit of despair and accept the minimum wage, provided someone will give it to me. It has always turned out that I was more adept than I thought when it comes to things like this. And that being negative never helps and certainly does NOT enable me to "face facts", whatever that's supposed to mean. But how could I overcome it this year? Surprisingly enough, I think something as simple as five minutes of meditation most days might do the trick. It's certainly worth a shot. From my mouth to God's ear thing will be better next year in this regard.

I have been afraid to contact family and other significant figures from my past. Part of this fear is finding out that they are no longer alive, as has happened to me before. I wrote about this on 10Q last time, and do not seem to have overcome it. One thing that has helped in similar situations, when I have been trying to do something potentially painful, has been having a friend with me so that if I get bad news I will not suffer the pain alone. I have a friend who has offered to help in this capacity, and I should take her up on it.

I've been terrified to stand up for certain rights of mine, which I gave up while under duress when I left my husband. I need to push through the knot in my stomach and talk to a lawyer about nullifying certain clauses in our divorce contract, especially where I agreed not to contact my stepson, even to say goodbye.

i am afraid of losing my job. especially in the past year, with a troubled economy, i have gone to work most days with an awareness that i could be out in no time. i hate the idea of losing all that i have worked for and all that could be affected by losing my income: the house, our baby and our way of life could not run correctly without an income. shari continues to remind me that this fear is irrational (aren't most fears?) and that i am valued enough to keep at the office - and so far she is correct - but i worry about the chances of it all slipping away. i think this leads to some deeper fears about financial stability but if i am truly honest it is about my need to be successful. i am at the point that i have a hard time differentiating between my personal happiness and my fulfillment at work - they have become one in the same. so, i need to learn to overcome the fear by accepting that it may actually happen. and, if it does, i'll find the strength to pick myself up and find something else. and shari will be there to make it all ok; she is, after all, what gets me through...

I fear that I will always be heavier than I want to be and that I won't make peace with my body. And I fear I won't find love because of it.

I have high anxiety over my children's health and the swine flu has exacerbated this fear. I am working on keeping things in perspective and am so thankful that my children are healthy!

I fear being exposed as a fraud. It is a unrealistic fear, as I have not done anything fraudulent, but it keeps me humble. At times this is good, in that I do not let myself get over my head, but it also keeps me from challenging myself, and from getting the recognition I deserve.

I fear failure. So, tell me why that's a bad thing?

I am afraid of having a recurrence of breast cancer, and terrified that my MS will cripple me. I've been coping with MS for more than 30 years, and with breast cancer for 15 years. At times, the fear has been paralyzing. My response to this fear has been to take action: exercising, eating smart, sleeping through the night (this is a serious issue for me), living each day completely (this goal almost never attained!). What if I take time to appreciate the work that I do to be well and live a meaningful life? I would do this for me, without thinking that I have something to prove. No one is watching me. I am alone, an exhilarating and terrifying truth.

I have tackled many fears in the past few years, as part of my "project" to undo the damage that a half decade of stress has done to my psyche. Having said that, I am now seeing a fear of not being attractive, of being "hit by the ugly stick" as most older people are. I had no idea I was so attached to youthful good looks until I have developed a terror of mirrors. How has it limited me? Only in the ability to live fully from my heart, and aside from my ego. The ego and heart are in competition for energy, and only one can win out. I don't know right now how to overcome this fear, but I'll figure something out.

I have a fear that I'm not good enough; and I have a huge false bravado to mask it. I'd like to lose the bravado and pick up some real self-esteem!

I fear that I will drive away the people closest to me, or that once anyone knows me really well then they won't want me around anymore. It's made it harder for me to meet people this year - I don't feel like I'm in the safe and open place I was in college, where people accepted me as I was. I worry about getting to close to anyone, because I worry that they'll leave me and make me more vulnerable than before. It makes me more scared of intimacy as well. Part of getting past it, I think, is staying close with the friends I already have, so that I never lose them even if new friendship fail. The other is just taking the risk - and trying to remember that I can gain from failure as much as from success.

i am afraid love isn't real and that people can't be trusted. i'm not sure how to overcome this fear except to hope it's not true.

I fear bad choices have made it too late to ever find a career that has even a reasonable combination of fulfillment, enjoyment and payment. And therefore I will never be able to provide enough or be a good role model for my family.

I have a fear of displeasing people by saying "No" that has resulted in my displeasure and unhappiness because I was unable to get out of situations that I didn't want to be in such as spending time with my sister, which does little for me other than make me uncomfortable. Life is too short to engage in activities and spend time with people that you don't enjoy. This same fear contributed to my taking on too much at work and feeling overburdened and resentful, which, ultimately, precipitated my decision to leave. I need to work on feeling confident about decisions to NOT spend time with someone or participate in a given activity. I'm sure it will be a slow process. I think the best way to get there is by degrees, perhaps starting with declining an invite from a group and eventually moving to the individual level, when and if necessary.

I fear that I'm not going to be able to get pregnant naturally, and I will go into major debt in the process of trying. I am going to look into and get started with the adoption process so if one cycle of IVF isn't successful, we will move onto adoption and be sure to have a baby within one year's time.

My fear is my fear of going after what i really wand and failing. I think the economic crisis has forced me to consider it, which will hopefully be a good thing.

I have a fear of not completing what I've started. Of trying again and again without ever completing a major goal. (OK, it's the book, again). I have no idea what life strategy, productivity software or coaching method will get me to the place I want to be, but in the end I know it's just about hard work and focus. On one thing. And I will try this year. Again.

I am scared of really putting my all into writing and having it not turn out well. Classic fear of failure. It's certainly an underlying (the underlying?) reason for my inability to really give myself the time and space to write. I would like to find a way to make writing simply a habit -- an appointment I keep every day/week -- because I think that will go a long way to overcoming this fear. The truth is, I know at some level that this fear is baseless, and yet there it is.

I fear being mediocre, ordinary, average, almost more than I fear failing at something. So there's probably a lot I don't do and thus I miss out on the pleasure of doing as opposed to the pleasure of achieving.

The fear of time going by and the things that I am "supposed" to be doing at my age... That is probably not something I should be considering when I make my decisions in life.

i am afraid that i won't ever find the right partner for myself. it has limited my ability to truly enjoy the present.

Fear,,,,,,,let me think. I'm kind of shy about trying to sell something to someone. I'm much more comfortable in the background, thinking, merchandising, planning a sales approach or a visual method - I cannot walk up to someone and open up with something! That's kind of a fear. I am fearful of aging and being alone..........ultimately I believe we wind up alone and that is a concern or fear of mine. Overcome it? The first, I just don't do. I would rather teach, sell my classes through word of mouth and devote my time and effort into producing a quality program. The second one..... I have to reach out more and make plans more ( although that is exctly what I am NOT doing since Ryan ) My biggest fear is losing my grandson. I don't want to and I don't know what I will do.... I can't bear the thought for me for my son for my husband and daughter in law and our whole family.- I just don't want to think about it and quite honestly I would rather die than have to endure that !!. I don't think I answered the question but that's just where my head is....

I have a fear of failure. This fear limits me because I always feel that I am coming up short. I'd like to realize that I am meeting and exceeding expectations when I do, and stop always feeling like I could do better.

fear of becoming homeless; it has cut down on my joy.

The same old script that plays over and over again in my head that tells me I'm not as smart, as accomplished, as successful, as witty, as good-looking, as I should be, so that no one will like me and I will always fail at everything. The great self-fulfilling prophecy. My fears stunt me in ways I'm not even sure I can grasp. How would my life have been different so far had I not been raised by dysfunctional parents and taught to think this way? I have no idea! Just telling myself that I'm smart and wonderful and beautiful just sounds false, there are rarely simple solutions to complex problems. I must take some first steps such as putting my fear aside log enough to accomplish something praiseworthy. With that, will come more confidence, and on and on.

I have the fear that some of the people in my life won't accept what I must do to fulfill my sacred purpose. It's really an irrational fear. But it has kept me from sharing this very important reality with some of the most important people in my life. I am also afraid in general that people won't accept me for who I am.

I worry that I will never be able to afford to move out of my apartment, so in my dissatisfaction with my current living situation I have let things here get out of hand and do not have a relaxing and comfortable living environment where I am able to have people over. I could commit myself to getting rid of a lot of clutter and making it welcoming.

Had a mean fall on skis about two years ago, it's made me too dang cautious. I don't know what I'll do, just keep working on it.

I'm afraid of living and dying alone. Paradoxically, that sometimes makes me more reluctant to get out into the world -- but I think I'm already making progress on that. Connected to that is being afraid of getting involved with another man who only takes. I don't have surplus years to give away discovering I made a profound mistake and then trying to extricate myself. Of course I never did have extra years, but the passing of time didn't bother me before the way it does now. Perhaps because I'm starting to go to memorial services for people younger than myself? Not that I'm ancient, but the beating of time's "winged chariot" is a sound I continually hear. How to overcome it? Since there's no escaping time, all I can do is more (much more) of what Marvell advises: carpe diem, seize the day.

I always have a very visceral fear of my children being harmed in anyway, a fear of loneliness which undoubtedly goes hand in hand with a fear of being unloveable which partners with a fear of and a desire to rise above others that piggybacks onto a fear of and a need to succeed in certain arenas. No idea I was so neurotic. As for overcoming these fears....I will try to separate what is extraneous from what is essential and focus on thankfulness. I will mantra a quote from Anna Akhmatova which asks, "Who can refuse to live his own life?" I will treasure the activities, persons, places or rituals that bring joy, a feeling too expansive to leave room for fear.

i fear that my guy really doesn't want to have children. and i'm getting older and i don't know what this means for our relationship.

I'm about to enter the real world... and I have no idea what I want to do. Many people that are close to me have ideas of what I have said I want to do, but I fear that none of the career paths that I will be certified for are not what I want to do with my life.

a fear i have is about burnout and extreme intimacy, which seem disparate, but feel related to me. i worry i will burn out from intense emotional work, and getting so close to people's pain. it limits me i think in keeping me at a distance which perceive is for my safety...but perhaps it prevents me from doing the best work i can or limits me from going deep within myself to learn, grow and discover and depend on my inner resources. i would like to overcome fear of deep intimacy by having faith that i will still be lovable when completely known. as will the other person remain to me. and that if i were to get so close to someone's pain, i will be okay. i will be resilient and find courage.

There are really two things I am afraid of. . .guns, which is fine with me, and failure. I really try to work hard on believing that failure is not trying and that being the best means being the best I can be with the tools I have at any given time.

I have always feared spending money. This year I'm going to spend thoughtfully and freely! Yahoo!!

I have had a huge fear of making friends, and it would keep me from trying to meet new people. This year I am working on making new friends and not being afraid of rejection!

I fear being financially insecure and not being able to afford housing and a family. It is what has stopped me from committing to a career in theatre and caused me to compromise on some of my artistic interests and values. This year I aim to concentrate more on the work I most want to do, while at the same time taking steps towards financial security through the rabbinate. I guess most of all I fear not moving forward - staying stuck in the same places, trapped by fears on both sides. Not only the fear of financial insecurity but also the fear of missing out on my 'calling'. I hope by this time next year to have committed in one direction or another. I have also recently discovered that I have trouble feeling and expressing love, because I am scared of being vulnerable and getting hurt. I want this year to open up more to other people, through presence, courage and honesty.

I have a fear of allowing myself to be revealed in an intimate relationship. I have a hard time being myself when someone I'm interested in is trying to get to know me. This could be overcome this year by being honest with people that matter to me and to trust my intuition and allowing time to be myself and unfold around someone with whom I want an intimate relationship.

My fear is that I will end up alone, with no children and husband.

I fear making people angry or unhappy with me. I hate emotional scenes of any kind. I sometimes don't ask for what I want because I don't want to upset anyone. I want everyone to be happy but have little regard for my own needs or feelings. I see this behavior in my mother, who won't even return an item to a store, in fear of making someone mad. Resolve to remind myself - what' s the worst that could happen? Someone might say no? Big deal. Life goes on. Standing up for myself always feels better than just walking away. Sometimes I think "will I regret this if I don't do it?" If the answer is yes, I push to do it anyway.

I have a fear of failure. There are plenty of business ideas that I have and want to do, but because I think of financial issues and not trying because of the fear of fasilure. I need to do it just so I do not have any regrets. (RE: real estate career).

I am scared of failing, especially in a new job. I feel like I am not as smart as everyone thinks I am. I miss so much as a result of my hearing impairment, but most people do not realize that, so then because I may have missed some crucial info, my responses tend to be inappropriate. I am scared because even though my hearing is not deteriorating, my ability to make sense of what I hear is and I do not know why or how to fix that. No one seems to understand that.

My greatest fear this year has been thinking about my son's relationship and the possibility that if it continues to grow, and if she doesn't want a relationship with me, that it will completely affect my role as his mother, and later as grandmother to their children. It's affected me by not allowing me to speak my mind openly with him, for fear of his "taking a side" if I don't agree with his girlfriend. I will seek advice from people who have been through this AND I will step back and let people help me to see myself more objectively and work toward improved acceptance, if their relationship continues. My other fear is watching as my parents begin to age...but that's probably going to become a greater fear than the first one in the future, so maybe this will be something to plan to focus on for NEXT year.

I fear not been able to keep the promisses I make to my children.

Do I have a fear of relationships? Is that why I am so cavalier about singlehood and I seem to fall for girls who are unavailable? Am I scared of commitment? Settling down? Being alone forever? I would love to tackle this. I would love to love. I would love to be able to meet someone available, local, straight, of age and ready for a relationship, and move forward in a normal way. I'll have to make more of an effort. I'll have to go beyond my comfort zone to make that work, otherwise the other fear - being alone and unwanted - will be what I'm writing about next year!

fear of being alone? fear of being excluded? keeps me doing things with people that i maybe shouldn't be spending so much time with because i'd rather be doing something fun and social with them than to be alone. the best thing to do would be to just confront that fear, say no to those occasions and deal with the social isolation and find other avenues for friendships, interests and socializing.

I fear that no matter what I do I will never be good enough for my family and prehaps someone else in the future. I am working on this through therapy and by realizing that I can't do everything everyone wants/needs me to do.

I hold onto a fear of letting go of certain things--papers, objects, letters, journals, photographs, etc., and I think that limits my ability to bring newness and creativity into my life. I feel I'm in a constant state of clutter to one degree or another. I have been giving things to Goodwill a little at a time, and I think more diligence with this will really open me up to more possibilities and freedom in my everyday life.

I am afraid of edges, heights, bridges, steps, - falling off the world. I've had the experience. This used to be a recurrent nightmare. Breathe deeply and balance those places.

I have a fear of talking to people I don't know. It probably keeps me from meeting new friends. What's odd is I become extroverted the moment I'm introduced. Without an introduction--I won't say a word. I've been this way my entire life, so I don't foresee any change.

I have a fear of becoming homeless, broke, not paying my bills.

I seem to be afraid of change, even though life is not so rosy and I'd like a lot of change: intimate relationship/partner/husband; a position/work and a new apartment. I guess I'm afraid that it is too late for me to want/get the good things in life. Then I worry that by my asking for this, I'm not open to/spurning that which God has in store for me. What/which is right?

My biggest fear right now is becoming homeless...losing ground financially and either having to give up our home or be foreclosed on...I'm trying to take advantage of as many federal and state programs fros which we qualify and pray that my husband finds lucrative, full-time work.

Fear of being disliked or judged. I need to think about why I'm doing things, and do them for clear reasons, and not just to be liked.

Fear of being dominated, which has occasionally made sticky situations with parents and siblings stickier.

I fear my wife and daughter will be financially compromised if I die. This position keeps me working at a job that I do not care for.

I have a fear of being firm in my boundary around family and personal time such that I often do things for others when I should say "no." I plan on practicing saying no or, at least, advising of my time constraints this year.

I have a fear of my body and my phobias and my axiety and how I've let it limit me and define. I need to conquer it and not let it run my life.

i fear that i will always be a failure. it makes me think less of myself and always compare myself to others. I also fear that because of my lack of self confidence no one will understand me and that i will always be alone. I am slowly learning that I am not alone and even if someone doesn't completely understand they usually try and will be there for me anyway.

I am afraid that I will feel as alone next year as I do right now. I'm not afraid of being alone forever, only that it will be a long time before I find the kind of companionship I crave. I think that the best way to overcome it is to learn to take advantage of this time alone. This is a time to figure out who I am with minimal outside influence. My kindred spirit will come along when the time is right. For now, I should focus on myself.

I fear failure. Greatly. It makes me afraid to take chances. I have gradually gained confidence but still take failure hard. I need to accept that things don't always work out and that it is ok.

Sometimes I'm Afraid that I push everyone away. That I'll be alone. This year I need to focus on loving me the way I am and makng the adjustment that will make me happy. Doing things for my own good. I need to forgive myself for past mistakes and move on. And stop feelng so guilty about the past. The future is what's important and I'm ready to move forward and discover my happiness.

I have a fear of rejection both personally and professionally. I have learned over the past couple years that it has affected every major decision I have made. Not surprisingly, the costs have been extraordinary. Frustrated with the arc of my career, and holding back from pursuing the kind of woman I know I deserve, fear has been the motivating force in my life. I am trying to overcome it but doing so is complicated by my financial limitations. Pursuing my professional dreams is hampered by very little money in savings and the need to make money to support myself. I am hoping that I can create a roadmap to pursue at least a portion of my dreams with the hope of achieving more later. My effort in making this happen is learning how to acknowledge my fears, addressing them, and making the choices that make me truly happy.

Yes

My fear is for the country and the direction Obama, and Congress, is taking it. All of a sudden competition, hard work, and a free market, have been replaced with a generation (and more to come) of entitlement non-producers demanding unearned rights and taking the country from capitalism to socialism.

I'm afraid of losing control. I need to relax more.

My greatest fear is that something happens to me and my daughter is on her own; that I die, and leave her. I think the best way to overcome it is to find a good therapist for her, which she has asked for, to help her overcome her fear of being alone. And to ensure the plan we have for where she would go, is still the best and most appropriate for her.

major fear is that we'll have another big trauma with the kids, or another death in the family. it paralyzes me. i'm working torward therapy.

I have been afraid of heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes since I was a child. At about 4 years old I was standing on the porch when lightning struck a tree in front of me, and perhaps that is the route. I have limited my life in many ways because of this. I have worked to overcome this fear, and because of that it is losing its power to restrict my life. There was a time when I never would have traveled to an area of the country where these storms were common, but now, I am much less concerned. The best way to overcome fears is supposed to be in increments, not all at once, but I am taking steps, and things have already changed. In the next year, I don't want to back down, and I will keep looking for opportunities to confront the fear and overcome it. This connects to all fears, even fear of being genuine, angering others, disappointing others. The biggest, and the one I want most to overcome, is to be honest, genuine about my feelings, and to be truthful about love, and not to be afraid when I am in love to recognize it, and act on it. Whatever the consequences of that would be, they would be better than hiding it away.

I fear being disliked, so I always try to fix things, many of which I should leave alone. One of the ways I work on solving it is trying to remember that I don't need everyone as friends, just the a good few.

I think my biggest fear is loneliness. I am not sure how it can be overcome. I feel sort of lonely now, despite being in a relationship. Maybe if I felt more understood, or more like people genuinely wanted to spend time with me, it might not feel this way. But I just feel lonely, and that scares me.

A fear that I have is not knowing where to go after my master's degree. Failing, not going to a PhD program, and having a crappy office job. How will I overcome this? Confidence in myself, focusing my head on something I really want to do, and committing myself to it.

I fear I will never reach my potential. I am not sure how to overcome it.

I fear that perhaps the reason I haven't achieved what I wanted is because I simply don't have the wherewithal and ability.

My fear of disappointing others, both in my personal and professional life. I need to remind myself that I cannot make everyone happy.

I fear not living up to my potential. I fear that my desire to accomplish so much holds me back and blurs my vision to the practical steps to further my growth and evolution. I limit myself by short changing my current level of development when compared to my lofty ideal. I fear my lack of gratitude and 'grass is greener' vision will haunt my path despite my progress. I limit my present mindedness by allowing my thoughts to be lost in the past or future. I fear being ordinary and unfulfilled.

to be honest i think a fear of being lonely had a large negative effect on me. this year i am going to take more time for ME

i fear that i'll never move out of my parent's house it keeps me from having a serious relationships, stresses me out, i eat more, i don't feel independent, i feel like a 14 year old girl having to explain my every move

I fear becoming someone I don't know, through some debilitating illness or just plain old age. I don't think this fear limits me in anyway, in fact it drives me to take the best care of myself that I can. I can't see overcoming it unless I die at a much younger age than I want to.

One fear that I have is gaining weight. It has limited me by controlling too many of my thoughts. This year, I can overcome it by forcing myself to think normally and remember how carefree it will feel to place a normal priority (not an overbearing one) on how much/what I eat.

I am an actor. I have been so since the age of three. Professionally since the age of seven. I am afraid I will never as good at acting, as successful, or as confident as I was when I was a child. I fear that I peaked at age nine. -I want hold myself to a high standards, which I set for myself. I don't want to limit myself to only working as hard as the others in the ensemble. -I want to be the kind of artist I want to be working with: honest, compassionate, mature, professional, positive, respected, high quality, flexible, humble, conscious of the ensemble, loving. and supportive. -I want to surround myself with people who have as much passion and respect for the craft as I do. -I want to find artistic mentors. -I want to let go of the idea that one day 'I'll get it back'. I'm ready to have success as an adult actor, but I need to let go of my childhood career. -I want to not fear failure. I want to be daring. I want to REALLY go for it. I want to work hard - and run the risk of failing. I want to learn to deal with failure and how to use it as a learning experiance, and to grow from it. -I want to be persistent and keep working. I don't want to give up. I don't want to settle. I want to dare to expect excellence - from myself and colleagues. I want to be a person, and have a career that I can be proud of.

I fear that I might lose track of what is really important to me: health and laughter. More and more I see myself being sucked into fulfilling society's values. They require me to be more serious and hard-working and leave me lacking the time to make healthy choices about what I eat and how I exercise.

I have a fear of not being able to stand up in a swimming pool and not being able to swim. I'll take lessons this year.

What people think of me has always been a fear of mine, you could say. Caring about what others think has really held me back, and stopped me doing many of the things I know would make me happy. But I tried, and am still continuing to try, to stop caring about what other people think of me, and to just live for me.

I'm afraid that my health will fail again before I've fully recovered both physically as well as financially. It puts a damper on everything I do and I am hoping that if I can get out from under this pile of medical debt I'll feel lighter and more at ease.

I still have this fear of not being good enough for people, which I'm finally beginning to realise that actually I am. I am finally beginning to realise that I am worth a great deal more than I ever thought. I am going to overcome this fear by trying to think about things rationally rather than so emotionally all the time.

I am afraid of saying no, particularly at work. I need to commit to tracking time more carefully. Ultimately, this will help with another of my fears: that I will waste my life away by working too much and being ineffective because I'm burnt out.

I have got to get over my public speaking fear. In graduate school, which I just started, it's going to be debilitating. I have so many resources at my disposal to get help with the panic attacks, I just haven't been able to make myself go. I really need to do this.

The fear of being alone, of never falling in love again, yet also the overwhelming fear of being hurt in love. These two things are highly conflicting, and I tend to sabotage myself in matters of the heart. I need to be more open to situations, and not overthink things. I'm also afraid that my anxiety and depression will return. They've abated over the past year, but there's always a fear of slipping back. I need to realize that people have bad days, people have bad weeks, that doesn't mean I'm sick again, it means I'm a normal person with normal feelings.

that her cancer will return. i don't think it has actually limited me because it's still so new - just starting to hit the phase when I really HAVE to think about it. perhaps that's a question for next year?

That I'll never have a partner in life... or, more truthfully, that I'll never *let* someone into my life.

Being alone, being helpless, being empty, not being in control. Definitely being helpless. I can overcome it by facing it, and feeling it, and not reverting to eating as a coping mechanism. I want to do this.

I'm afraid I will never find love, and that I am not living up to being the person I am meant to be. If I am honest with myself and others, I think I can begin to overcome these fears.

My fear is of failing to live up to the ambitions that I have for myself, and that I will be looking back on my life and regretting things that I didn't do. I think that by doing a little bit of something that interests me every day, I might be able to feel that I'm not wasting my life, and I can get myself back to where I want to be.

I fear the death of my partner but it hasn't really limited me, but my biggest fear is that the human species will eradicate itself and take a number of others along the way, perhaps even the planet.

I fear that I will never find a partner to share my life with and that I will never know true intimacy and love with someone. I fear I will spend the rest of my life alone. I suppose I can overcome this by doing what I am doing, which is taking advantage of the fact that I'm single to travel and try to create the life I really want.

i have a fear of failing. it has limited how much i am willing to stretch myself or take risks while i need to depend on myself.

I'm afraid of not being working enough (eve though I have two jobs). I hope I'll get over my sense of duty.

I'm scared to get close to people. After my failed marraige the thought of failing again and getting hurt that way is at the forefront of new friendships and potential new relationships. I'm working hard to let that to and move on but i know it will take more time and more mistakes as I continue to learn and grow

not being taken seriously, that is why I am overweight

the next step. when change is the only way i tend to procrastinate by using others' needs as my crutch. this year, walk on two feet, no crutches, help others by helping myself first. it's time to move on...

I fear not living up to my potential, in all respects. But this year, I'm going to try much harder.

I think the biggest fear I have is not fufilling my potential. I don't know how to fill it, because I am too concerned about staying afloat financially and trying to continually hang on to my job and make a living. I am trapped in a job I hate, so maybe emerging out of that will be the first step.

My fear is to lose my loved ones. This fear does not merely apply to things that I could do to somehow lose them, but the thought that I have no control over when I can or will ever see them again. It is an irrational fear, since change is a constant, and we all are going through our own stages in life. The only solution is to accept it and roll with it. To know that every meeting and every hug is a gift, and to love them all with everything I have.

That I am not very good at relationships, but maybe I am, maybe it's not being good at looking at other human beings as they really are and selecting the right person for me. Being more realistic as I become romantically invovled with someone and continue to be open and willing to risk being hurt even as I recognize someone might not be right for me.

fear of doing it on my own. dive into the future. or actually maybe it wasnt what i was supposed to do? ?>?

I worry sometimes about how I am including Judaism in my life. I have a hard time connecting with the Jewish community in the USA, but living here, and being married to a non-religious non-Jew, I fear that I will lose my connection to the religion and will not be able to instill in my children a sense of connection to the traditions and culture I was brought up with. I think this year I can spend some time reflecting on what about this religion IS important for me and how I might make sure to make it a part of my life.

Fear of success perhaps? I dont know what exactly the fear is, im still trying to figure it out. I can be insecure, timid, indecisive. Im thinking particullarly when I am around people in my job environment who are very successful and important. For example, Susan. I should speak up more when Im at her studio and give my ideas.

My fear is not speaking up loudly enough for myself. I am going to try to be more assertive.

My fear of having become too dependent on my boyfriend. Having him around all of last year was wonderful, but I became so used to it and how easy happiness was. When he moved last month, I knew I would have to fill that void with other things that make me happy, being more independent, hanging out with friends, doing my own thing. This year is good for me because I am forced to work on myself as an independent person. I hope that when we are eventually in the same city, I do not fall into the same trap and lose my identity as an individual.

Two big ones: not finding a partner and not having enough money to live well and feel secure. I'm hoping I can overcome the first by continuing to keep myself open to dating and relationships, even when they don't seem to be with "ideal" partners. As for the second, I'm working on being much more mindful of where I spend money, and am challenging myself to feel OK about charging more for the work I do so I have a greater income.

I fear that I don't live up to my potential. I let past hurts bring me back to my unhappy childhood and not let me achieve what it is that I am more than capable of doing.

I do not want to fail medical school and this has been putting a ton of stress on me. Unfortunately, I just have to work through it.

I feared much this year and I would like to do everything that scares me most. Fear sucks and makes you a prisoner.

I fear that I am not good enough. I put a lot of pressure on myself & bc of that, put pressure on others. I would like to be more gentle in my reactions toward other's foibles

I lived as a child in constant fear and had to be very tough to get through each day. As an adult, I have never released the vigilance that has accompanied me from childhood. I have no reason to be afraid but the feeling of fear is often with me. I am working on ways to dissipate the "little girl fears" that still eat away at me. I hope by this time next year, I have put my "little girl" on a path to peacefulness.

I think I have a fear that work defines me, and that if I stop working, I may be viewed as a lesser person. Whoa...where did that come from? So is this about power and control?

I often fear that I will outlive my children. Not that I don't want to live a long life but I would like to die before my children do because a parent burying a child is the worst experience (my mother had to do this). I can overcome some of this fear by realizing I have no control over events and that the fear itself is not going to stop anything from happening. And I hope could overcome it also by knowing that when a situation does occur that seems impossible we do develop tremendous strength.

Fear of losing others. By allowing myself to actually get close to others, I'll have to confront it. There's no way around losing someone but by not fully engaging in relationships I know I am losing out, too. All the useless anxiety about death also keeps me in my head and not enjoying the memories in the making.

My fear is that I am not a good artist and I am not capable of earning a good living. I don't even like writing that down because I fear it reinforces these fears I've been confronting so intensely for the last two years. It has left me side stepping things, avoiding doing the work literally and figuratively and it has squashed the light inside of me. I can overcome this by challenging those thoughts every day and showing up to do the work every day to change the situation. I can thank the fear - it's just trying to protect me - but it can go now.

I'm scared of bicycles. And I'm scared of getting hurt. Mainly emotionally. I'm trying to figure out how I can let that wall down. I'm so scared of being vulnerable.

This year I have now and again wrestled with fears about the significant decisions that my relationship is forcing me to make. At core, the question is 'Is this the right relationship for me?' If I consider only our interpersonal dynamic and my abiding love for my girlfriend, the answer is a resounding 'Yes.' But when I factor in professional concerns, the answer is not so clear. Should I move across the country, giving up an extraordinary income arrangement here in New York for financial uncertainty and less time for my art and writing in San Francisco? Can I trust in the fact that my girlfriend won't, in the future, bemoan my modest income and desire to live simply, as well as my commitment to art and writing? Does a move in the direction of domesticity necessitate some sacrifice or "fudging" of my moral and professional standards? How can I overcome this fear? I do not know. Some friends insist that I need only "take the plunge," and that the questions will then answer themselves. That's true, certainly, but I don't want some of the questions to be answered in a way that I am uncomfortable with. If I "jump in" and then discover that I've compromised my morals in the process, that will likely corrupt our relationship, poisoning the bond with resentment and regret. Truly, the prospect is not a happy one, and it is a source of regular anxiety for me of late.

I'm afraid that I'll be alone in old age. It has probably limited me in that I have stayed in a bad relationship for too long. I am overcoming it by being comfortable with not having children and wanting to live life to the fullest without them. By feeling like I can be a vital part of society without having a family, by being a good citizen and business owner who gives back.

That I am going to loose my job. It has caused me not to want to go away on an expensive vacation.

I have a fear of failure - and yet that prevents me from trying, so I fail automatically! Ridiculous but true. For the coming year, I'd like to fail gloriously, putting myself out there with even more gusto and recklessness, taking risks, and doing things with abandon.

I fear never being part of a community ever again. I fear isolation.

i fear being alone for the rest of my life. i have been working hard this year to realize that i'm pretty good company even if i do never end up finding "mr. right." i would like to continue to bolster this self-love and be able to say with no uncertainty whatsoever that while i *want* somebody else in my life, i don't *need* it.

Losing my sight or mobility. Must find the courage for the eye surgery and other medical procedures. I've been trading short term time for greater risk.

Dying young. I just have to be grateful and accept each new day as a gift.

I am afraid to give up a job that's holding me back and do the work I really want to do. I am afraid that I won't have enough to live a comfortable life, and comfort is important to me.

I fear for the health of my parents. They both suffer from illness, and I am terrified of how they will continue to care for each other. I fear that I will never be able to open up again and love the way I have loved in the past. I have been hurt so many times, and I keep myself very guarded. Men have left me because they feel as if my "wall" is too great a burden to bear. I fear that, even though I know its not healthy for me, or what I need to do in order to move forward, I will continue to keep that wall up to protect myself.

I am afraid of leaving a great job to go back to a place where my job experiences were not great - but knowing that it is best to go back. So, I need to get past my fear and realize this is the next step forward with my family and myself - perhaps this is the step out of the familiar and safe that I need to take to make the next big leap in growing as a person.

Fear of failing as an artist and having to go home with my tail between my legs. The only way to overcome this is to work as hard as I can to be type of person I want to be, make the type of art I can respect and be good to everyone around me. Then I'll know, whether I succeed or fail, that I performed to the best of my abilities.

I can't think of any fears that I have that are limiting me. I have fears that are motivating me to keep moving, and I don't think I want them to leave just yet.

I have long had a fear of letting others down; this fear taken to the nth degree has been that I will "miss the point" of why God put me here. I have often feared that I would not be able to do a good job, that I am doing the "wrong thing with my life," that I am making bad choices or I am missing something/ This has kept me form "going for it," kept me from believing I could ever have any mastery in my work or my life. This year, I will keep practicing: my kinesiology, grant writing, spiritual direction, blogging and journaling. I will keep company - inside my self, and with family, friends and colleagues - that helps me keep asking and acknowledging and grateful, not judging, doubting, and second-guessing.

I fear that there is much going on in the world, which I can't do much about except PRAY!!! for immediate redemption....

Fear of losing my job. I can't afford to lose my job, too many commitments, at least for the next 4 years.

I have had a fear of commitment to a man for most of my life. It's not that i havent' had meaningful relationships, but i have been know to "Run". When i met my last boyfriend, he sweapt me off my feet and took me on a whirlwin romance for 9 months. Unfortunatly we never discussed what we were to each other so it left us both somewhat uncommited. I had trouble moving on from this relationship when it ended so we became the best of friends so that we didn't have to feel the pain of a breakup. It's been quite challenging maintaing a dating life while still being in his life. I would meet people and constantly make excuses as to why they weren't the one and run. I realized that i needed to set boundries with my ex so that i could really work on finding a relationship that made me happy. I have had the pleasure of dating really great men but for some reason i get scared and run. I met someone recently that has shown me that i don't need to run. I think it was just a matte of me creating a space that i could invite someone else in to join me. I'm looking forward to seeing where this relationship goes and how it develops.

I fear that there are "no more good ones" when it comes to finding a good man and true love. This fear has kept me in limiting and unfulfilling situations with men who are not right for me. It has compromised who I am and my values. I've put myself in some twisted, awful situation and have tolerated really disgusting and low-life behavior from men. I think I can overcome this by standing in integrity to who I am and what I want - even if it means I'm single for a while. I'm just going to do it.

I fear that my body is falling apart and that I am going to be in physical pain for the rest of my life. The only things I am aware of that might even help at this point are to lose weight and to continue getting regular exercise.

Not having enough money to pay off my debts in this lifetime. In addition to the money issue. Not making enough money to afford a "real apartment" and or real " house". Yes, not making enough money in a regular job. Fear of finances has limited me in many area. Not being able to cook my own food every day at home, and thus not be able to bring in food to work for lunch. Limited funds to purchases brand new clothes, instead of used clothes. Limited funds affects me in traveling to places I'd like to explore. ie : Tibet, Nepal, Washington State, Alaska. India etc. Limited funds affects having health insurance, and dental insurance. Lack of a larger income affects buying healthier food on a daily basis, not just once a week. How can I overcome lack of money. Get a better paying job. or work another job in addition to the one I have then not have a social life. Choices, yes. I choose to not work another job for the sake of paying off my debts sooner. Life is fleeting, and I want to enjoy my time off by doing things I enjoy doing, not expensive things either. I guess keep doing the status quo, and then when I can fit it in my schedule offer my natural talents, things that come easily to me and generate money from that.

Fear of being too big. Fear of failing and fear of succeeding. I think continuing to try things, and getting to the root of where these fears came from is key. I do have a concept that they are just feelings and they don't have to dictate my behavior forever, but right now they do in many ways I'm not even fully aware of.

i have a fear of being vulnerable. still, it interferes w/ my ability to make friends & also interferes w/ my ability to just sit down & relax. i am trying to overcome it by paying attention to it, accepting it, seeing the benefits it has brought me (i'm really, really, really observant) & try to figure out how to be more open, by seeing myself as part of a group, for example, at temple, rather than as an isolated individual.

Oh, I'm afraid of so many things. Mostly of not being liked, not being loved, of making a fool of myself, of saying the wrong thing, writing the wrong thing, alienating people in some way.

maybe trying something new and taking risks...I would love to get more involved in photography. I've had a picture in the paper and 3 pictures in a Fodor's travel guide. Well, I could start by taking some photography classes, so I will look for those in my area. I also fear the loss of my parents...I can't even imagine what that is going to be like outside of horrible. I hope it doesnt' happen this year. I try to get them to talk about their wishes, etc. with whom do they have their living trust, but it's very difficult to get them to talk about it.

I am afraid that I will die, early. I think this is most recently after losing my mom - she was only 60. I'm not sure, but I know that when I hear of people celebrating anniversaries and birthdays I just cant quite imagine having the benefit of enjoying that. Like i just wont be so lucky! i'd really like to overcome it. Especially because I realize besides what I already do to take care of myself, there is nothing I can do to prevent dying. When my time comes, it comes. I'd rather not worry about it. So I find myself living for the moment- which is great but it still doesnt stop me from feeling like I live for the moment because I dont know how long I will live and there is a part of this feeling that is just so scary. I know I need to work on it!

I think I have a fear of being unloved and possibly of ending up alone. It has limited me by making me too attached to people who I get into relationships with. I lack security, and therefore get too clingy. I'm not sure how I could overcome it... Lots of counseling, I suppose (which I am planning to do), to get to the root and help myself realize that I don't need anyone else to be happy, and that if someone doesn't love me, or rejects me, ultimately it's ok.

While I'm not shy on a one-to-one basis, the fear of speaking in front of a group has made my shy away from certain situations and job advancements. I'm slowly getting better at this.

I have a fear of failure that stems from a need to please others. I want the things I do to be perfect the first time out and when they aren't, it feels miserable. I am working heavily to get past that and to embrace failure so that I can grow as a person.

I am afraid of not finding the person - the one person - who will really complete my life. I have absolutely amazing friends who I love deeply, but they move and their lives change, and I'm not good at getting used to that. I need to find that one person who will stick with me, wherever I go and whatever I do. I realize that's a huge 'ask' and something I can't force to happen, but I know I need to make more of an effort to get out and meet new people, because without that I'll have no chance of finding this person (if he - or she - exists). The fear of being alone has simply limited be from being completely happy this year, and I need to embrace my need to be around people and keep looking for the important ones.

my biggest fear in the world is not being liked. I need to stop taking things so personally. If someone doesn't like me....so what. If a person chooses to not like me or something about me, it is their loss. I can only be who I am and nothing more.

Handling financial issues, specifically money. Being afraid of not having enough to do what we need often makes me think about cheap alternatives (or forgoing necessities) and not looking smartly at the whole picture. I've already started the process by scrutinizing my own purchases, and valuing time with friends and family over owning 50 bazillion comics, DVDs and CDs. Looking differently at those little things gives me permission to look more clearly about the big thing, I think.

I fear that I won't find love and happiness in the same place. Or at all.

I'm afraid that no relationship will ever work out for me. That things will just keep going wrong, and that I'll always get hurt as badly as I have before. I think I have to just keep loving.

A genuine fear of intimacy and commitment. I need to find the right, happy person to commit to and not get involved with any more men that need help. I need to find an equal who complements me rather than someone that needs fixing before he can be a genuine partner. When I do start dating again, I need to be less ready to get too involved at the beginning of a relationship, but still open enough to realize if it's the right person for me.

I'm afraid I don't deserve to be happy. I'm afraid it's too late. - that I'm too unhealthy, bad, poor and consequently doomed, to feel happiness and/or do what I need to do to achieve self- respect and joy. I don't even feel I can laugh and make or laugh at jokes, the way I used to be known for. I'm also afraid it's too late for my sons. Their status and happiness has seemingly dominated my own for decades . I wish I knew whether I was or wasn't responsible for them - what I do deserve. Then maybe I could work for it. I wish I were happy. I wish I felt deserving and good the way I used to.

i'm afraid of deep water, so i can't do a lot of things i'd like to do like swim in lakes, learn to surf. jump off cliffs, ropes, boats and diving boards. i've taken swimming lessons, i can swim. i love the water but i panic if i can't touch the bottom. the only way i can think of to overcome the fear is to continue trying these things and hope the fear eventually goes away

I'm terrified of my child having serious developmental problems...and how it will change my life in ways I don't feel like changing. I don't know that there's a way to overcome this, I suppose there are just ways to accept it as a possibility and attempt to be open to embracing it.

I'm afraid that I'll never find someone to spend my life with. I'm afraid that I'll never be able to get past the self-loathing that always seems to be hovering over my head. I think the two are related and reinforce each other, and I hope that this year I make more healthy choices and learn to feel comfortable with myself and my limits.

That I will fail at what I try to do. That I will work hard at something & no one will find it of value. Overcome it by putting more time into work & limiting all the things I do so I can do some things well.

I've been far too timid in my public life, and I think it's held me back. I'm secretly afraid of people, and I guess it is simply a lack of confidence. At the same time, I do think I am overcoming it, albeit very slowly. But I think I just need to push myself to get in front of people, get my ideas in front of people. Force myself to be that much more accountable.

getting hurt. i think i try not to allow myself to get to caught up in an idea till i know it will happen as a defense mechanism. i try to be realistic and i think this upsets people because it's not always optomistic. i have to try to take more chances and be more positive.

Just several days ago, I realized I have a fear for lack of affection. Often times, I found myself thinking that I was a loving, appreciative person, caring for those I really loved. I demanded that others do the same to me, expecting a full level of trust, love, and appreciation that I could feel. In reality, I was the one that was being ungrateful, uncaring, and untrustworthy. I expected people to say "I love you" back to me, I was in need of constantly hearing that they trusted me and believed in me. In the end, I should never have to do such a thing. This realization is extremely striking because I never saw myself as that kind of person, and it is changing the way I want to approach relationships and intimacy.

i fear rejection and failing. i know, me and lots of people. but it really keeps me from even trying and joining in the game of life lots of the time. i affect in difference. but i'd like to get the courage to risk more pain and TRY.

I have a problem with commitment sometimes. I worry about being trapped by responsibilities such that I can't quit when I want, stop when I want, or just take a break when I want. I am so afraid of this that I limit what I can do in the world. As a professional, wife, and mother, you can imagine how scary this can be since "commitment" is infused in so many of the normal activities of being a mature adult. I can overcome it by getting support and taking it one day at a time. I can learn to not get freaked out by my feelings of wanting to escape. I can realize that even when I feel trapped that it's really just a feeling and that I can tolerate that feeling. The trapped feeling ends up passing and I am able to do what I need to do. The other side of that, being too afraid to take an opportunity, creates frustration and regret that are much longer lasting.

The biggest fear in my life right now is aloneness. It make me very need sometimes, and i think this has contributed to some the relationship stuggles i've had. I think i wont be able to handle it until i get through it- so maybe the best thing for me right now is to be alone for a little while.

I fear that I'm not doing the job that G-d intends for me...but there's no way, so I'd like to have more confidence in myself and my instincts and spend more time praying to G-d to help me do my best rather than fearing that I'm not.

I have been limited by the fear of bemusing people if I use my talents and show it. I have been afraid of success and afraid of a possible fail at the same time. So I got stuck. I can overcome this by being myself whatever other people think or feel about it. If I do what I know it is my inner calling, it is not my intention to irritate others, but if they feel irritated by me and my works, it is their problem, not mine. I have to learn that it is not a catastrophe to fail or to irritate others, as it's quite normal that not everyone loves me or my works, but it is a personal disaster of I procrastinate or get stuck again.

I think a great fear is that I may not be as good or talented as I hope to be. I think this has held me back from REALLY pursuing dance, for instance, for so many years... even though previously i thought my fear was that i would be good. I think this has also limited me because it comprises my sense of self confidence- to speak my mind in any and all situations- and, prevents me, sometimes, from really trying to get my voice heard because what i have to offer really is valid and original and important.

My fear of people being dissapointed/angry at me. This fear is something that I can't shake, no matter what level of false confidence I give myself. I cant handle someone giving me a dissapointed glance, or an angry stare. This is why I try to limit myself as much as possible, because the more I try, the more I can dissapoint myself and others. This is a true statement in my life, and something I live by very closely due to my fear.

I fear failure. I can overcome this fear in the coming year by reorienting my thinking - from thinking in a dichotomous way ("failure vs. success") to, this year, thinking in a creative and flexible way. I will aim less towards meeting some arbitrary standards, focus more on setting goals that matter to me, and then striving with all my might to meet those goals.

I worry about some of my children. I fear that they are having difficulties in their general life and in their relationships. I feel helpless to guide them at this point and maybe just supporting them is enough. I fear that the world will get so out of control both environmentally and politically that I will not feel that I can even make a small difference. I don't know whether these fears limit me, but I always feel like I am not doing enough as a person and that somehow if I pushed myself I could be doing more.

I fear that the only way I can be happy is to settle and accept the fact that I am not going to do anything special in the world.

I live life without fear; I live in wonder and gratitude.

I have been afraid to tell people who have hurt me how I feel. I have let many throughout my life dictate how I feel about myself. With each incident I get stronger and better, but have yet to truly assert myself. This has held me back from having certain types of relationships that I want and getting what I need from friends and lovers. I am at the point that in this year I am ready to assert myself. I can overcome it by trusting my gut, recognizing a toxic situation from the start and asserting myself when someone hurts me.

I fear making the wrong decision about who I should share my life with. I realize that no one is perfect and I simply have to live my life and enjoy it day by day.

I fear that I will move across the world and nobody will like me; that I'll have no friends. I fear lonliness.

i often afraid to let people know what i want; sometimes even to allow myself to know what it really is that i want. i'm working on this -- after all it's the first step to getting it.

I've had a fear of letting people in to get to know me. its deffinatly limited me in the fact that i live with my boyfriend and i've probably lost touch with a lot of people i cared about last may... its easy to overcome. just grow a pair.. which... i have yet to do.

I fear failure and rejection. I think it keeps me from trying new things or going after what I really want. I could overcome this by pushing my boundaries more frequently, and realizing that failure is OK.

I am worried that my career is no longer moving forward. I need to focus on getting along.

I fear that I will never have a true home.

I have a fear that I will screw up this wonderful relationship by always waiting until my partner gets upset with me before I make a change. This isn't really the right answer to this question -- I'm more talking about a worry. [As I review these answers, our relationship is precipitously on the rocks.] I fear that I will be alone. No partner, no kids. I can work to not have that be the case (but not overcome that fear) by humbly working to change aspects of myself that are problematic in my current relationship. I can also look for examples of alternative social networks / families and cultivate those kinds of relationships, so that being childless and partnerless won't feel as scary.

I am afraid of being average. I will overcome it by living in the present and taking the challenges that offer themselves up.

i fear death, and i fear wars. i fear diseases and invisible amoebas or whatever that can bring down whole civilizations. i fear the way leaders in the world have no empathy for each other but are hostile and tribal. that's the stuff i really fear.... i have silly inner fears about myself, of course, but they aren't important, and i spend alot of time just letting them (my voices of fear and discouragement) wear themselves out in the back of my mind. i take note that those fears are there, and then i just ignore them. without attention or anxious energy to feed them, they shrivel up and blow away.

fear of rejection fear of change fear of my own power fear of intimacy fear of conflict overcome it by deep breathes by feeling and being with my own power

I fear confrontation. Because of it I spend a lot of my personal and work time anticipating and avoiding conflict. In some situations, it is a great thing as I can solve problems; in others it limits me. Additionally, as I get older I discover that the conflict is needed, albeit unpleasant.

I am afraid to let down my guard and stop hiding behind my professional accomplishments. I am afraid to stop always helping people and instead ask for help myself. I am afraid to show people who I really am. I am tired of worrying constantly about what people think of me. I am aware that the choices I make to hide my true self are isolating. I wonder how people would respond if I was more self-revealing. Maybe they would like the real me for who I am? Maybe they would admire me for sharing all the parts of myself, even the parts I don't like as much? Maybe it would give them a chance to feel good about themselves by helping me? I want to try to be honest not only with myself, but also about myself with others. I wish I could be myself without feeling afraid of being criticized or judged. I think that trying to be myself with people who already love me and accept me for who I am will help me to build courage and confidence in being myself with people I don't know as well, or at all. In the end I am only just myself, so trying to be anyone else will never work anyway. And maybe some of what people think is about them anyway, not just about me. I realize that the hope of great reward entails the undertaking of great risk. I hope that as I risk showing myself to the world in the coming year that I will be rewarded by a rich sense of deep honest connections with others, and that people will be rewarded by having the true me in their lives.

i fear never finding someone that i feel as deeply in love with as i did with the person that i consider my soulmate. need to work on opening myself to that possibility.

I have a fear of people meeting the real me. That the me I keep hidden won't live up to who they thought I was. And even typing that I realize how absurd that is. Everybody is the same. Everyone has things in their life that they're afraid will lessen them in someone's eyes. How can I overcome it? Talking about those things with people. Every time I do, I realize I didn't have anything to worry about in the first place.

I fear not being good enough at work to overcome the stigma about female copywriters.

I worry about my kids and my husband an dtheir health and safety. It limits me because I am too overprotective of all of them. I should try to let go a little bit.

I fear that people won't like me or will be disappointed in me. I have to remember (after my mom tells me over and over) that no matter how charming I am (her words of course), there will always be people that don't like you and that isn't something you can worry about.

Failure. I am afraid to push myself or to burn a bridge I've worked hard to build. I will work harder to believe in myself.

My fear is losing the people that I love. Sometimes I feel myself pulling away from people I am close to because it will hurt when I lose them.

chickens and being attacked. I need to stop giving into irrational fears plain and simple.

I fear financial insecurity, and the prospect that if something happens to my job I won't be able to support myself. This is connected to my fear that I won't be able to take care of myself when I'm older, especially since I don't have any kids. I also fear wasting decades of my life clinging to something that looks like security, but is less than I could have or be, simply because I'm afraid to risk.

Fear of failure. Fear of looking dumb. I need to remember a wise Spud's advice: JUST JUMP!!!!! I need to keep asking for help, keep knowing my limits, and keep jumping on!!!

My fear of doing the wrong thing has kept me stuck. I don't trust my judgement anymore after all the mistakes I've made in my life.

i believe i have deeply-rooted, but difficult to recognize or define, fears of commitment and failure in the areas of love and work. i think they have limited my ability to attain success and fulfillment in each of these areas. i think i could overcome these fears by simply moving forward with faith, which i'm constantly trying to do anyway.

i think i am afraid of being intimate.. it's easier say single and to just say you can't meet someone you like than to let your guard down and let someone into your life and all your secrets..

I fear that the relationship I have with my mother won't change. And I fear fear. May I try hard every single day to live without it. It's the only thing that holds anyone back.

I am afraid that the rare statistical accidents that happen to other people will happen to myself or my family. And I'm afraid of leaving my family to do things on my own, even things I like.

I fear that one day i will loose the people i love around me. Something i know i wont handle well... They will be taken from me and you have no control.

I fear that I have missed the chaces G-d has brought to me. I fear that I was expected to do more and I have done less. I fear that I won't take the chances that I have, that I will squander chances like I sqander time, and that at the end of it all I will not have lived in real joy.

I think one of my biggest fears has been not being able to meet the expectations of others. I would like to focus on creating expectations for myself and not worrying as much what others think about me

I fear that I am not doing everything I can to ensure my children grow up with healthy eating, physical and emotional habits. I am going to make a bigger effort to do family activities that involve excersize, teach the children how to make healthy eating choices, and continue to do my best for their emotional well being.

I am afraid of being alone. I think that it has limited me because I keep people in my life who dont treat me with the respect I deserve just to have more people. I think I have to be ok with being alone, and I truly hope that I can learn that in the next year.

I fear that my husband and I have irreconcilable differences, and that we won't be able to live together happily. I think this fear has made me gloss over some difficulties that actually are significant, and therefore my fear has made it less likely that we will resolve anything. I am hoping that this year I can express my feelings and let him know what I need, without fear of confrontation.

Fear of flying! That is my number one fear. It has limited me from seeing the world, opening my eyes to different idea, cultures and ways of life. I think taking some short trip in a plane will help me overcome my fears slowly. And quite possibly some drugs.

I am afraid I will keep self-sabotaging, so I guess that's a form of fear of success. But really I'm not afraid of succeeding so much as I'm afraid of really giving my all, really exposing myself and being vulnerable and then being rejected. This is an issue both professionally and personally. Wow, I guess I have to embrace the attitude, "if you don't ask, you don't get." And if I fall flat on my face then it's better to do it while I'm young enough to do something else.

I fear I won't come out successful. I have put myself in so much credit card & loan debt that I feel like I've ruined my life by doing that. It has limited me by waiting and hesitating to move out, scared of rejection due to my credit & I don't want my boyfriend to know how bad it really is, even though he should know & I want to move out, badly.

I fear that I will not succeed in a new job, even though it's the best move for me, so I stay in the one I have now, which is great but doesn't do anything for my retirement fund. I will apply for the job(s) and see what happens!

I fear being poor and constantly worrying about money. I hate living like that, and I want to be able to get past it - both by making enough money to be comfortable, and by wanting less.

I'm afraid of being alone, but I'm also afraid of being pinned down, and I'm also afraid that I can't handle relationships. I'm not sure how this can be overcome, rather than just to live life and work things out by making mistakes. Obviously, there's no manual to these things, and I can't exactly go around asking for advice, because things work differently for everyone. I need to adjust to the uncertainties and learn to expect the unexpected, always, so that I can take comfort in my own mistakes and grow from them.

A fear of rejection has kept me from forming close relationships with anyone and from putting myself out there in ways that I would find beneficial.

I fear groups, and teamwork in particular. I've finally learned to put my best effort into my personal work, but I have a hard time feeling valuable and/or appreciated as a group or team member. It has limited me in oh so many volunteer, professional and even personal settings. I'm challenging myself head-on in my A&P class, which stresses teamwork. I'll have to continue to think about how to overcome it . It could change my life.

This year I spent a good bit of time thinking about fears and limitations and have concluded that I am afraid of not being perfect. My concepts of perfection will vary greatly from others at times, and the way I deal with it may differ. This year I will embrace everything that is not perfect about me and accept all of them!

I have feared rejection almost as early as I can remember. It has limited my life in many, many ways. Some of the consequences of this fear has been isolation, self-destructive behaviors, and anxiety and depression. I can overcome it this year by reflecting, writing, practicing, challenging, learning, doing, consistency, therapy, medication, self-care, meditation, exercise, eating healthy, discovering who I am and what I want, taking helpful risks, living, striving, letting go....and not giving up the fight like I have in the past to various degrees.

I tend to fear anything doing something i have not done before - not being able to to it correctly, and so i tend to procrastinate which limits me in so many ways. Fear of failure i guess is what it is.

I fear not becoming as close to my family members as I can be while they are still with me. I want to give more energy and consciousness to the time I spend with those loved ones.

I have fear of dealing with money. It limits me because I never know where I stand and I can't plan for the future. I think addressing it head on this year would help by doing things like developing a spending plan and working on saving. I may also want to do some reading and get some help with this issue.

I have had a commitment fear my entire life. This year I'd like to have a baby with my partner, I go back and forth in my mind if I will be stable enough and strong enough for such a task, but I finally think I'm ready.

I guess fear of trusting the unknown. It has limited me in making my decisions, in placing my decisions in other peoples hands, and not being fully open to the situations as they were handed to me. I guess just realizing that pain is part of the human condition, and trusting that it will be ok. Being more patient. Being more connected to myself. Understanding that things take time.

I've got the fear to lose my job and I'm looking for a new one. But it's a hard task in Italy today because I'm not an escort.

I am afraid of heights. And I am also afraid my husband will find he doesn't really like me. I am very open about my faults and my laziness with him, and everytime I am extra obnoxious I am just cringing waiting to hear what he will say about it. Being afraid of heights makes rock climbing difficult.

I fear being laughed at by others -- this limits the risks I'm willing to take, unfortunately. I may be able to help overcome this by remembering a good piece of advice: "Stop worry about what other think of you, and worry about what YOU think of THEM!"

I'm scared that I won't accomplish the things I want to, and I'm scared that life's going to go by too fast. On one hand, yes, I'm younger than some people are when they graduate college or finally move out of their parents house. In that respect, being 23 and living and paying bills all on my own is a big deal and I'm doing well. But I don't want to get complacent. If I want to be in my career field and well on my way to a dream job by 27, I need to get cracking. A year's gone by here at AIU and before I know it, it will be another year that I've wasted. The years go by slower and faster and in different tempos every year depending on what you're doing and who you're with and how you're feeling. I just hope I don't get complacent and let three years go by here at AIU. That's what I'm scared of.

One of my biggest fears is mediocrity. I can see that the only important things in life are to be happy and to make others happy, and I can see that in order to do that I have to stop judging myself so much.

Being dependent on someone else. I am working on that now.

I'm afraid of failing and of succeeding. Both hold terrors for me that I'm sure have no basis in reality but yet they keep in this stasis. I think if I just keep going forward, with baby steps, with small movements that hopefully I can forget the big picture as I create it.

I'm always afraid I'm not living life to the fullest. I'm also really nervous to be spontaneous, so I think I'm stuck somewhere in the middle.

Fear of death...that I don't have the time to complete what I have to do when I'm alive 1. Look after parents 2. Look after grandparents 3. Look after siblings 4. Serve the public 5. See the 7 wonders of the world and all of this needs money actually I'm torn between to earn more money or to stick to the more simple life...

I fear realizing my dreams. I fear being a powerful person in this world. I think the only way to overcome that is to just go for it anyway, even though it's a struggle everyday. Little by little I'm getting there....

I'm afraid to get too far from home, from friends & family. Honestly, I know that you don't have to get away to necessarily be independent, but I feel like between my personality and my amazing family... it's to easy to just bail out and ask for help. I'm afraid of growing up dependent and burdensome... I think, basic day to day tasks, cooking, cell-phone bills, car-insurance payments etc.... are a good start...

Failure. It limits me everyday. To overcome | Try.

I fear not living the life God intended for me. Not having children and a family when I expected to has left me broken and confused. I'd always assumed I'd be a mother, and people have always told me how loving and caring I am. But now, it seems I've run out of time and need to figure out how God wants me to use the rest of my time here on earth. The other fear is that I won't find someone with whom I am a good spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical match.

My fear is i'll lose my job and couldn't get back on my feet. That will probably push me back to depression and anxiety, feelings i've experienced so many years.

I have feared to love deeply because of the loss of my father when I was 15. I am actively choosing to take a risk in relationship this year, and have a great support network to help me. One day at a time, I intend to face my fears and choose to love.

The fear of choosing the wrong path has kept me paralyzed at some points and caused me to create a path with hundreds of branches at others. It's kept me from forging a single path and feeling confident about it consistently. It's also kept me from even starting single steps on any path. I'm planning to spend this year taking notes, spending time considering but also acting at every opportunity (within reason), until the path ahead is clearer. To use a statistical analogy, I want to fill my life with data points until my normal distribution is the path I've subconsciously always wanted and it's crystal clear.

I'm afraid to leave new York because going back to LA has come torepresent the end of my "youth" in a sense. This shouldn't be the case and I need to find ways to be comfortable with leaving the place in which I've become so comfortable. For me and for her.

I definitely have a fear of intimacy. It comes mostly from my issues with self-image/my skin. The first, and easiest, thing i can do is go back to the dermatologist and get this stuff figured out. It's not impossible. It's just that i get really motivated and then i just sort of give-up. So i think if i can take care of my skin then i can seriously face (and hopefully overcome) my fear of intimacy. Intimacy is obviously linked to self-esteem which is linked to my self-confidence. So if i fix my skin my self-esteem will go up, meaning my self-confidence will go up - resulting in a diminshed fear of intimacy. Easy enough on paper. Now i just have to begin the steps [again] to fix the root. Here we go….

I am worried of rejection, and this has prevented me from submitting my writing (or even finishing it for that matter).

The fear of failing miserably and publicly. I need to just *try*: Turn on the computer and write. Step into a new church and worship. It doesn't matter if people look at me and/or judge me. I have to be free to live my life the way I want to live it.

I fear that I'll continue to work in obscurity without attaining any sort of significant public acknowledgment of my work. This limits my sense of what I have already accomplished, places undue stress and expectation on a process that should be solely creative, not professional. I want to focus on not focusing on what I don't have, or what other people think of what I'm doing and simply focus on being of service and producing work that is helpful to some people.

I fear not being proud of myself and of my accomplishments. I need to learn how to accept things as they are. And not worry so much about the "name."

When im too social....i feel that i want to be alone. When im too alone, i want to get out and be really social. It's frustrating not being able to find a balance there.

I think I have a fear of commitment with the opposite sex. It's pretty easy not to get hurt if you never put in a full effort, but it's tough to win that way too.

I have a fear of commitment and it has limited me in all of my relationships. I suffer from "what if" syndrome - what if there is something better around the corner, what if I want to move to a new place, what if this person holds me back from doing what I want and takes away my independence. I want to overcome this more than anything this year and share my life with someone, and learn that you can be in a loving relationship and still be independent.

I have a fear of approaching people. It's getting better over the years, but sometimes it gets stronger. It's a matter of courage, trying to be more social, as much as I can.

My fear is that I am never going to find a new job and will have to move back in with my dad.

My fear is that I will not have the courage and artistic skill to write what I must write... I could help myself by just beginning to write a bit each day... and the projects will surely follow. But what I am called to do is deep and wild and I feel that hesitate..

My fear of failure has effectively made a ruin of 2009. I hope, this year, that I'll be able to finish what I start.

I fear being perceived by others and myself as being awkward, imperfect, different, unsure of myself, or stupid. This keeps me from expressing myself more creatively in music and writing and limits my contacts with others. Since I realize that I'm walking the "back 9" of life, I need to work through those fears and do the things I'm afraid of or uncomfortable with, in order to enrich my life and to live up to the potential I have.

My greatest fear is for my daughter's safety, but I don't see it limiting me. Of course discussing safety can make Rachel crazy!

I am afraid I won't ever "get over" being in love with a certain man, I fear the time I am wasting mooning over him and the accompanying feeling of intense envy, now that he is with a woman 20 years my junior. I don't want that jealousy to hurt anyone, especially myself!

My fear of actually becoming a parent. To do so, we have to deal with a lot more hurdles than most, and it has been an exhausting journey, but I realize that I am as afraid of becoming a parent, sometimes, as not becoming one. I am trying to just accept that I will learn as I go, that it will be okay.

I always though I had some strange "fear of success." Now I realize it is fear of failure. I will hold back at the very moment that I should be pushing forward, afraid that I may lose what I already have. My husband has nerves of steel, and I am asking him to encourage me & kick me in the butt if I need it.

Being alone. I think it limits me from exploring things by myself, and finding true security in who I am. I think I could overcome it by taking contrary action, and picking up a hobby or something else just for me.

My biggest fear is that I don't know what I really need in my life to make me the most I can be. I just need to make a decision and go with it.

I fear the future, growing old, being alone. most of all, i fear I will not expereince love the way i hope to.

I fear that I will be in a relationship like my mom & dad's. They were never happy, and I want to live a life full of love and understanding.

Fear of anger/fear of confrontation. I have been working for years on conquering this and, while I've improved, this fear still has the capacity to restrict me. I need to face this fear more, to see when it is entirely irrational to think someone will be angry -- and even less rational to care -- and to remember that confrontation need not always lead to conflict; it can simply lead to truth.

I think I have a fear of success. My professional life has been a series of climbs to the second to top rung of the ladder. I then find a way to leave or be asked to leave. I'm at the same point and I'm trying to fight through the jealousy of those above me.

I'm really not afraid of failure. In that, I see failure simply as not trying -- to me it doesn't mean not getting the result expected. I would like to find a way of not being afraid of being alone in life. This is what I think about today. I'm not sure how to overcome this, but I'm working on it. I need to work on addressing the things that are uncomfortable in my life and eliminating them or moving on -- people, jobs, whatever. I don't want to spend time with people and/or in activities that make me unhappy. I am just afraid to hurt others. But I have to consider myself first. Lastly, I need to deal with the reality of my finances and handle everything. This is going to be very difficult as I need to create a plan, a budget (not good at that at all) and face it all. One step at a time.

I would mention intimacy, but that was in the last question. And I could include what I just saw to the right: a fear of always being depressed and anxious. But I will mention bringing fruition to my professional goals as I find myself up against that right now. Getting past the blocks towards achieving business, teaching and artistic success is very important to me this year. And through my Jeremiah goal outlining, work with Mark, personal growth and therapy I hope to work towards this.

I have a fear of rejection, whether it be from girls, friends, work colleagues or some other sphere. I think the best way to overcome these things is more self-confidence, self belief and assertiveness.

Fear of failure which makes me too afraid to even try somethings. Fear of rejection.

I fear not being able to expand our family. It limits me in everyway possible. Not sure how to overcome it, I just pray that we are able to acheive our dream of having a large biological family.

I don't know what the fear is but I am extremely uncomfortable with shows of affection from others. There must be some fear that is keeping me from allowing love in my life. I want love and I envy those who seem able to accept it graciously and joyously.

I fear that nothing I do is good enough and that I'll never be able to produce anything worthwhile. I think I can work on that by just making stuff - volume - this year.

fear of being inside my head, and having limited ability to feel at ease with my friends and others. How to overcome - is my lifelong question: as I think these type of things are internalized very young. practice practice practice.

That I'm unloveable. But Rachael says it's not true and I trust her. :)

My fear is that I will be chronically depressed. I am terrified that I am just one of those people that is never satisfied with anything, and is continually disappointed with life. I wasn't like that for a year, but when I was seriously depressed I was, and I'm afraid that's coming back. I need to be assured that I can beat this for good. Hearing that you have chronic depression, or worse, possible borderline personality disorder, is like getting a death sentence. In my opinion, anyway. It means that your life will never be happy, and then what's the point. That's why I am fully committed to finding a good therapist and doing as much therapy as it takes to make sure that I won't be like that. I'm not going to quit therapy, no matter what.

I'm afraid to take the steps that will bring me what I really want career-wise. To send the emails, make the phone calls, that will create the network I really need. Maybe it's laziness, maybe it's being too busy, but it could also be fear. I need to embrace what I really want!

fear of being alone limited me until i realised i am never realoly alone and when i am i want to be.a fear of saying goodbye to someone who treats me terribly,i felty i needed to hang on till the bitter end losing myself and my dignity along with the relationship.so i want to get out wqhen the time is right.

I'm afraid I can't connect to someone the way I should be able to. I feel like I'll always find excuses to not participate fully in a relationship.

the fear of failure if i REALLY try at doing something that is my dream...

I have great difficulty telling people what I really think, especially if I disagree with them. I've been working on this over the past several years, and have made some progress. But my gut reaction/first response to someone asking me something is to give them what they want to hear. It's not that I don't like being disagreeable; it's just that I have a kneejerk reaction in this area. How does it limit me? Well, it makes me feel like I'm not really capable of setting up the parameters of my life. Like I'm living life with everyone else's ideas, suggestions, preferences, wishes, desires, all crowding out any space for me to even figure out what I want. Well, to overcome it, I'm still seeing a therapist...somewhat helpful, at least in understanding why I do it, but less helpful in overcoming it.

I fear that that by being anxious to retire. Am I making a mistake that will cause problems for me and my family. I can overcome this fear by having a plan of activity that will keep me an my family secure and safe.

I am afraid that I will hurt others that I care about by being myself and acting on my true feelings. I has caused me to stay in a painful marriage for far to many years for fear of hurting the other. Once I over came this fear by becoming angry and feeling hurt beyond the point of ignoring my feelings, I acted quickly to move away. My rapid movment away from my partner was then seen as runing away, unwillingness to compromise and hurtful behavior. It resulted in actually being what I had feared most- I hurt another=possibly beyond repair I think I need to work on mindfullness - being in the moment and acknowldging my feelings as they happen. However, the key is to acknoldege those feelings and yet provide sort of culturaly approrpriate suppression of intense feelings until I can express them in a healthy way without fear and without ruminating on those things that may feel bothersome.

I am afraid of reaching old age and feeling like I have let my life slip away without doing everything I wanted to. I need to get out there this year and grab life with both hands!

I fear not giving my family what they need. Such fear sometimes leads to depression and negativity on my part. I suppose the only way to overcome it is to work through it. Gather information and move forward, trusting that I am not the only woman who struggles with this, nor is my situation that unique. Therefore, some of this advice had got to be helpful!

a fear that everyone will figure out i live a double life.

I have a fear of absolute failure. Seeing as I have yet to hold any kind of steady relationship with an employer or more than one friend, I always assume that I will be unable to keep things going. If tomorrow I ended up being unable to sing or play guitar, I have no idea what I would end up doing for a living. I doubt I could make it in the "real world".

I'm afraid of damaging my sons with my own confusion about my place in the world, particularly in connection with my Jewish-ness. I am still grappling with the loss of cultural knowledge I inherited from my parents and I am very unhappy at the prospect of dumping the same vault of complexes on to the next generation. I am trying to find answers to my own nagging frustrations and resentments and places of sorrow, which I think is the only way I can help my sons.

I am afraid of being undeserving of the love that is given me. I think this has more to do with my self-esteem, than actually being undeserving, and that is definitely something I need to address this year.

I have so many fears that it is difficult to choose one. I think fear of being alone / not finding a boyfriend and attached to this fear of rejection and abandonment causes me to behave in ways that put men off. Also, it causes me to become obsessive about men at the expense of my other relationships. This year I would like to focus more on building friendships and continuing to strengthen familial realtionships, and to accept that I am ok alone.

I have a fear of failure if I leave my comfort zone sometimes. This has limited my career prospects somewhat. I have a good, solid job, but I've worked for the same organization for over 15 years, and feel that it would be difficult to leave, while at the same time it is hurting my chances at bigger and better opportunities if I stay.

I have a fear of speaking up to my parents. I especially cannot talk to my mom, I feel like she does not understand me or truly care about me since she is so busy with my brother and his children. I am afraid that even if I do speak up, they won't listen, since my Dad has already done this. What's the point of talking if no one listens?

I'm terrified of losing my husband (either to his death or my dementia.) We met late in life and I've never been so loved. Truly want to live more in the "now", be grateful to have this time with him, and enjoy our life together. I can remind myself that I NEVER thought it possible to even meet someone like him, much less marry and have a life together. If that could happen, anything's possible - even old age together.

I have a fear of trusting people. Once someone screws me over it is very hard for me to forgive. I can't quite figure out if this is a good quality or a bad. I seem to be prohibiting my own happiness but at the same time am I ensuring that I don't get hurt in the future? I guess the only way to overcome this is one day at a time.

I have a fear of living a life in which I compromise my happiness for the security of a steady paycheck and a "good living" versus a life where I am actively engaged in what I'm doing, regardless of how much money I make. I think this year I will work on trying to identify what will make me happy and to take steps in that direction.

I fear being in debt forever. I fear living a dull and boring life. I fear that I will never have the will to stop procrastination. I fear I will always be too comfortable to make the kinds of changes I should in order to live the life that I want.

I have a fear of failure that I've been working on for many years now. Sometimes I don't put myself out there because I'm afraid that I'm going to mess up. This year I'm going to try to put myself out there more and take a change.

I feel like my relationships with my kids are changing as they get older, and I don't like it. They only call when they need or want something, seems like. I guess it's all a part of the "empty nest", but that doesn't make it any easier. I'm also afraid that my son may be moving out of the area as soon as his wife's teaching commitment is over. (I hope not!)

i'm kind of terrified for my friends to know that i've been dating a boy. i've been an out lesbian for seven years, but then i developed a crush on a boy. it gets even more complicated because he's trans. if we continue dating, i'm going to have to eventually tell people. maybe not the trans part, but definitely the boy part. as far as overcoming, i don't know that i'll have to necessarily overcome it if we stop dating. but more importantly, i need to be okay with myself, and okay with the fact that i might actually find myself attracted to men in the future. that's the real terrifying thought.

I would like to overcome my fear of exercise, and figure out a way to get in better shape that I would actually enjoy,

I still have financial fears in respect to having appropriate financial fortitude in respect to a long-life and retirement. The accumulation of assets never seems to be to the degree that I can feel a sense of financial freedom, yet I do not take strong measures to alleviate that. I feel much better off in respect to life insurance providing if I am no longer here than with my ability for long-term financial comfort. Something to keep working on....

I am afraid of going back to school and this will continue to limit me financially and intellectually.

I have a fear of mediocrity. Not failure. Mediocrity. There is a scene in the play "Amadeus" when Salieri, in the asylum, rails against Mozart for revealing Salieri's mediocrity.

my biggest fears have to do with the safety of my children. i think, though, that these fears are warranted. as andrea hope wrote on one of her status updates, parenthood is insane because it involves taking everything that is most important to you, including your breath, and putting it in another being. i think it's easier to deal with my fears for devon and sophie while they are still young and their safety is monitored by capable adults. but as they grow, i will need to trust more and more in their own capacity to ensure their own safety.

I fear that I will never find someone to marry. I now understand that being with a Jewish guy is a requirement for me. I am still completely in love with my non-Jewish ex boyfriend and the only thing holding us apart is religion. I need to get over this relationship and put it behind me and be open minded about the men I date.

FOMO. Fear of Missing Out. It makes me too busy, doing too many things, over multi-tasking instead of settling into the depth of fewer, more carefully chosen things. I need to be more discerning about how I spend my time and prioritize who matters the most instead of spreading myself so thin.

I have had a fear of acting out, expressing myself, putting myself out there, making myself vulnerable, taking a risk. It has limited me in setting up my own business. It has limited me in my friendships. It has sometimes unknowingly limited me in my marriage. I can overcome this. I will overcome this. How? I will be nicer to myself, love myself more, then take a deep breath and jump. I will surround myself with people who won't let me off the hook so easily. I will remember how beautiful it is to be a friend and let someone be a friend to me. To ask for help. To not always be in complete control. I will make a mess.

I'm afraid that i will never meet anybody. That i will be single forever, or for most of my life. I'm afraid that i will be in this state of longing forever and that i won't get a chance to experience a romantic relationship - won't get a chance to have kids. I'm afraid that there is no such thing as the kind of love that I seek - at least from the outside world. I'm terrified of this situation going on and on and on.

I fear rejection from other people. I presume they've already rejected me, even before I reach out. This stops me from making contact, sometimes even in the most innocuous way. There are times when I overcome it, usually when my confidence is high enough to protect me from caring how people react to me. Probably the biggest tool for ovecoming this fear is realizing that I can't take people's reactions to me personally. And by remembering that in truth, I'm usually the only person thinking badly of me.

I really don't have any fears right now. I wake up in the morning and make a choice--to live with fear or to live with faith. I find that living with faith is so much easier. I had many fears prior to my Al-anon program but working the 12 steps has helped me --I can't,God can, I'll let him is my mantra

I honestly think I am afraid of being successful. I seem to sabotage myself when things go well. It has limited me because I tend to give up or quit rather than working through the difficult times.

I have a real fear of really putting myself out there. I don't feel like I have as much talent as people think I do, and so I'm afraid to even try for fear that they'll shoot me down.

My father has been dead for several years, but I still feel afraid that I'm not doing things that he would approve of, or working hard enough to meet his approval. This year I will be doing a lot of work to remind myself that I'm a very talented and capable person, and I don't need to worry about his approval more than my own.

I fear that people won't like me. I fear that people will be dissapointed in me. Sometimes I have a hard time saying what I truly think or feel because I don't want to hurt others' feelings and I don't want them to think poorly of me. I believe I can work to overcome my fear of others' not liking me but having more confidence in my decisions and opinions.

I have felt fearful about putting my paintings out there because I am not confident of my skill levels. But I know I just need to keep doing it and I will get better - also keep looking at work by artists' I admire.

I fear rejection by those I value. I am not always honest with them. I have to find a way to speak my truth while maintaining connection between myself and those I care about, regardless of how they might react to my truth.

I learned this past year that I do not fear death. I went inot surgery, knowing that there was a small chance that I might not survive it, but having been close to dying with out being aware of it, I was taking the chance to recover. And I have. So, if I have a fear now, it is that I might become less sensitive to the fears of others, friends, relatives and fellow congregants. I can perhaps overcome it by keeping my sensors and sensitivities open, to foucs on where the others are coming from rather than jumping to my own conclusions about their statements and behaviors.

I'm afraid to fly, but I still do it when necessary. I've had this fear for many years not just since 911. I guess could fly more often, or take a fear of flying class. I've read a book, but that only helped temporarily.

I am afraid I am still not sure of going to medical school, that even after 2+ years off I am just doing it because I can't think of anything better to do and I want to appease my father. I hope I can figure this out before interviews. I took a few years off to contemplate this but haven't really done so, but now that the deadline is looming, perhaps I will finally realize how I really feel about it. It has limited me because I haven't fully committed myself to the process and I am suspicious of my father's help. I am also afraid that I won't get in anywhere, which takes most of the blame of the former in the previous sentence. I can overcome this fear by gaining experience to become the best candidate I can be and sitting down and critically thinking about life and professions. Of course getting in would be the easiest way to overcome my fears, or push them aside.

I honestly think my biggest fear is myself and lack of confidence in my abilities to accomplish my goals and follow my passions. It limits me because it makes me hesitant and more timid in acting out my desires and intuitive urges. I plan to be more aware of these and push myself through any doubt to follow what is true and genuine within me.

I fear approaching new people, even talking to someone I don't know on the phone. I have trouble asking for help. This is keeping me from following up on possible jobs, finding out more about jobs I might like and in social situations, it keeps me from getting to know people I might really like. I have to draw on the new-found freedom of 50 - just say fuck it and dive in.

I'm not afraid of much, but my biggest fear would have to be that I will run out of time. Not just this year...but in my life. That I won't get to do and see everything that I had hoped I would. This hasn't limited me in any way...it actually propels me to go, see, do MORE. Maybe it limits me in that I end up spending a lot of time thinking about what I am missing out on. Again, I need to work on being more patient.

Not as much fear, perhaps, as a need to be liked. I think at times it causes me to be a bit too diplomatic in situations that might benefit more from a firmer hand. I'm working on being bolder with sharing my ideas, trusting my instincts more and also apologizing less.

I fear taking risks at work and I think that limits me in moving beyond my current job.

not really applicable, my fear of lawn mowers does not keep me from mowing the lawn

This takes some thought. I do believe that it has to do with my piano playing. I have such baggage with it! And I feel my limitations so keenly that I have seldom really experienced the joy of playing, not to mention playing for other people. This will take real work. And a time commitment which is also hard.

I am afraid of being judged- by everyone and about many things (everything?). Any mistake may feel like a catastrophe. It keeps me from feeling joy in whatever activity I am doing at the moment. I could laugh at myself more. I could remember to think good thoughts about my self and stop myself from worrying about what other people might be thinking (which is probably more positive than I conceive).

I have a fear of getting rejected. I am afraid that people wont want to hang with me. I also am afriad that people will think that i am a loser. this fear has kept me from meeting and talk to many people especially girls.

I fear I'll never get over the heartache and disappointment and experience true love with someone who declares I am their one true desire and supports my emotional, financial, sexual, creative, spiritual health. I keep recreating romantic heartache as a huge distraction to achieving goals in other areas of my life. I am a romantic by nature, but I don't think I've been comfortable showing that to others. I don't know how to overcome this, except to believe the best is yet to come. And only kiss who I really want.

Failure. It's a haunting thing, and I've noticed that I turn down opportunities either consciously or subconsciously as a result. I've begun this month to counter that taking on a job creating supertitles, but I need to make that the norm rather than the exception.

Regretting something, not taking a chance. I don't fear failure, I fear what comes before, during and after. I fear not ever finding out whatever it is I need to know to make this life worth living. I need to keep moving and if I don't I fear I will die unsatisfied. I also fear being forced or convinced either explicitly or by circumstance to live my life in a way that doesn't reflect my inner truth, to live a lie out of convenience or necessity. If I don't stop moving, work as hard as I can to move forward, and then have a little faith that it'll work out. And if it doesn't work out, make it work anyway. I won't be a victim of my own life.

I fear doctors. I need to get medical checks more often.

Fear of failure keeps me from trying. That is why I am such a lazy f*ck. I would rather be great in my own mind and pathetic in fact than mediocre in fact and have my self-image brought down to reality.

I have a fear of my husband dying, or becoming really sick. he's got a big alcohol problem, doesn't take care of himself.... I don't think the fear has limited me, I honestly think it's preparing me for when it actually does happen.

I have a fear that my ideas are not adequate or equal to other people's ideas. I tend not to always share my ideas, political, religious, etc. with other people around. I need to just make myself more vocal about my ideas.

Been afraid to be a more influential father to my kids. Been afraid to be more of a pastor (it's my job!).

My fear of my mother dying has stopped me from pursuing some of the dreams I always thought I had in high school and college. But I feel like I have started to learn how to move again after the paralyzing fear of cancer and the finality of her being gone one day. She wants me to live, and there's no reason to put it on pause and wait for the day her life ends before I begin mine. I can care for her and pursue my dreams at the same time.

I have a fear of speaking in public. I feel like I am called to lead at least a small group, but the fear of public speaking is holding me back. I feel that G-d will remove this fear with some more prayer and I will move forward.

fear of failure. fail and deal with it, and realize failure didn't kill me or break me. the fear that i don't have anybody -any real friends. no one person for me. invest in those that do matter.

The fear of falling in love. More precisely, the fear of losing myself in someone who's not deserving of me. I think I make good decisions about most things, but when it comes to guys, I'll throw my affections at the last guy who looked at me twice. Somewhere between living off the thrill of a crush and settling down with someone I've resignedly settled for, there's a healthy relationship. And I fear making the wrong decision about what's worth pursuing. I have no idea how to get over this. Listen to my friends, I guess. They always know when a guy's not worth my time. (And I always know when one's not worth theirs.) Continue to try to open myself to new people and experiences? Maybe this is one for the therapist I can't afford.

I am afraid of failing. It keeps me from taking risks. It keeps me from focusing. It keeps me always trying to cover all bases all the time. If I weren't so afraid of failing, I might make tougher choices to let some things go. That might let me relax and enjoy life more, and to succeed at the things that matter most to me, whatever they may turn out to be.

I fear that I wont be alive next year. I think it has limited me a great deal, that i cant thank about tomorrow. I know if I take it one day at a time, I will still be here.

I have a fear of being overwhelmed and getting organized. I can overcome it by getting organized.

fear of losing the love of my life has paralyzed me right now. It terrifies more than anything I have experienced before in my life as a result I am paralyzed and cannot move forward

I fear that I will not be able to contribute to my family's finances. Although I am working towards that be getting teacher experience and going back to school, I am afraid I will never have full-time employment again. This year I can look for opportunities, but maybe I can at least hope to find good part-time (more than I have now) work while I go to school part time.

an old, old fear of abandonment, a fear of poverty (like in childhood), a fear of letting someone else's anger take over.....actually all come from childhood and these have stopped me from trusting others, particularly and especially those i love most. i can overcome it, maybe not this year but maybe eventually, by trusting in love and knowing i can weather storms and still be strong and fine.

I have a fear of making the wrong choice or decision. Recently I've realized that the "wrong" decision does not exist, it's just a choice. One path or another. Each with their own set of consequences both good and bad. I want to become more confident in making educated choices. I also have a fear of water due to a trauma when I was younger. I've been working on that and have come a long way, but I'd like to be able to swim again someday. I also fear spiders. Well, I hate them because they are evil and plot against us. I will probably not overcome that. Maybe I will slowly the more I backpack...

I think my greatest fear is what I might experience if I open up completely to what I am outside of this human 3-D experience. I am afraid to open myself up to actually experiencing the ability to see spirits and travel between dimensions and such.

Standing up for myself. It's something I've been working on, and I'm really getting better at it. I would like to do it on a regular basis, and not feel so apprehensive about it.

fear of taking a chance professionally. fear of not having steady income to provide for my family.

I'm afraid of what people think of me. I know everyone is, to some extent. But I let it cripple me in social situations, and I want to start trusting that the people that say they're my friends actually ARE my friends, and stop waiting for the other shoe to drop. I want to meet men that like me and actually go on dates with them, instead of running in the other direction because a boy wants to talk to me.

I have a fear of being extraordinary. I think the reason I have this fear is because to reach my full potential, I have to put myself out there and undoubtedly will be up for scrutiny - and it is exposing myself that makes me uncomfortable, so often to avoid exposing myself, I keep out of the limelight or hold myself back. The answer: PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE! WHATEVER HAPPENS, HAPPENS! IF YOU FALL, PICK YOURSELF UP AND START AGAIN - BUT LEARN THE VALUABLE LESSON THAT IS TO BE LEARNT!

Fear of everything. Specifically: going mad. Regret. Making myself answerable every day for the rest of my life for a 'mistake' which felt right at the time. G-d forbid anything happening to my parents or brother. How to overcome? Just doing it. What I have to do. And being afraid but doing it anyway. Not making a big mess about it. Is that possible?!

Being so financial crippled that I will never be able to live beyond a subsistence level of existence. I am unsure how I will overcome this because the final judgment is out of my hands.

This fear that limits me to speak or even say nothing at all. I have had a speech impairment since I was in 1st grade. I studder when I speak sometimes. I noticed I do this when I get scared to say something. It's like my mind shuts down for a second or so. I must find the confidence in myself to overcome!

I developed a fear in high school of trying too hard. Somewhere, somehow, I decided that I wasn't going to be hugely successful and that it would be worth my while to stop trying REALLY hard and just enjoy life. And, while I enjoy having a "work isn't everything" attitude, I feel like this fear has limited me in many ways. I often wonder if I've been making the right educational and career choices, and I often think about what would have happened if I had decided to pursue something else--like medicine or law. In the coming year I would like to explore this fear further and step out on a limb professionally and intellectually, be it taking a language class or researching further schooling.

Fear of failure. I would like to take bigger chances and take bigger risks....

I am so fearful of my daughter dying. I know every parent has this fear, but I think about several times a day. It isn't healthy and I'm afraid I'm communicating anxiety to my precious girl, just as my mother did with me. I want to work on it in therapy and use CBT methods to dismiss these thoughts.

That if I lose weight I will become more hyperactive and more disorganized, make more mistakes at work because I will not be plodding. (In addition to being a food addict I have attention deficit disorder).

I have a lot of fears. Fear of failure. Fear of success. Fear of terrorism. Fear of political upheaval, and economic collapse, fear of a watering down of our national dialogue and the fact that our country is inching towards fascism before our eyes. How can I overcome it this year? Smoke more weed. I guess the real answer is make a series of small steps that are a break from past behaviors and come at people and problems from a place of compassion FIRST.

I have a major fear of rejection. It's overcome me because I tend to not let people get to know me because i'm afraid of getting hurt

I have fears about being in a relationship - that I'm not capable of it; or that I am too scared to really let go. I can overcome it by just giving into the fear. It' s not as if I'm alone there. I have to remind myself I'm not a freak of nature.

That I am not going to get something done right or on time.

My fear of being disliked or thought badly of often gets in my way. I do not usually act like myself for fear of what others might think.