Q09

What is a fear that you have and how has it limited you? How do you plan on letting it go or overcoming it in the coming year?

I fear not being accepted fully. I know no one has given me a reason to feel this way but I do.

Fear of being criticised... by people who matter to me in some way, or where I feel I HAVE got it wrong. How to let go of this? I wish I knew....

I am not a fan of relationships. i fear that someone will completely change who i am and what i believe in. i hope that this year i can let go of that fear and accept people for who they are and be able to meet someone without thinking they are going to change me. if i can be in a relationship with someone without this fear, then i know i will have conquered it.

Two fears, combining together to keep me stuck: A fear that I can't move forward in my life and make a proper decision regarding rabbinical school (for example) if I am with someone - that committing to love means giving up on who I am and can be. And a fear too that just jumping in and going to rabbinical school (or making the decision not to) might also mean compromising on who I am and what I want (which is often just love). I want to be more and more conscious of my fears, to see what lies beneath them, so I can make deliberate choices based on reality, rather than letting them blindside and control me.

I have fear that everything that has come to me in my work situation will some how fall apart. That I wouldn't have the gumption to go through another journey like this. That it all will be for naught. I plan on overcoming it by looking at it everyday. Praying on it. Working at it. Reflecting (shortly) on how far it has come in a relatively short period of time. Have faith in my faith.

I'm scared of quitting smoking I think. I'm nervous about being able to finally kick the habit. This year, I WILL QUIT.

Fear? I'm shit scared I'll freak out come exam time, it's only just over a month away. I'm terrified of my ATAR and I KNOW it's not important, but I do feel that it is a sum up of the 13 years I've 'wasted' in school. I've put in so much effort this year and I just need to get something from it. I never thought that anything could make me cry this frequently, but this can. I'm ashamed of that fact. My plan is just to focus on the schoolwork, though after this year something similar could easily come up and I'll have to deal with it again.

My fears are few but can be devatating. Fear of not being able to take care of my family because of financial limitations and because of physical limitations. Letting go is real difficult as poor historical planning leaves me climbing mountains as I see it. Spending my wisdom correctly each day could bring greater reward. Following through quicker on projects should help financially. Embracing my own ideas with greater enthusiasm could have positive effects for all. Ownership of self and understanding of others will go a long way!

It's not so much a fear, but I deal with stress by pulling my hair out (trichotillomania). I've had it since I was a teenager, and I said I would give up before I had my daughter as I didn't want her to emulate my behaviour. I've certainly been better since she was born, but I haven't given up completely. I hope by this time next year I have it fully under control. It makes me sad and lowers my self-confidence to see bald patches in my hair, and having fluffy regrowth sticking out in places. It's also causing me pain in my wrist so is now having physical side effects. I know if I just show a bit more will power I can do it. The times I find hard are when I'm alone and at work. If I focus my resolve then, fingers crossed I will stop completely.

Have lots of fears; mostly, fears of being trapped (e.g., in elevators, underground in the subway, etc.). But I think my most pronounced fear is of exceeding my parents' success, in work and in relationships. Even though they are no longer living, there is some part of me that thinks it would be dishonorable to them to get a really good, professional job. Also, there might be an element of "not belonging" to my brothers, too, neither of whom has met with financial success. (Nor did my half-brother, who killed himself partly due to job failure).

Fear of saying no often leaves me in uncomfortable positions. I need to learn to do what I want to do and not feel bad about the consequences of saying no when I need to. A good justification is enough.

Fear of committing/finalizing. Fear of finishing pending tasks at work and home. Solution: KEEP JUMPING IN. Reassure myself that jumping in is not only who I am, but gives rich rewards. I got back in touch with Daniel this year because I finally jumped in & I am SO glad I did. I would not have wanted to miss that wonderful wedding. Fear of rejection or saying the wrong thing at home. Solution: Learn that being an imperfect partner is much better than never speaking out!! Learn that speaking out more often means the good and bad things will both be heard. And that he really does want to hear what I say. Also stop focusing on me when he's upset.

I have a fear of being able to take care of myself financially. It has limited me by keeping me in jobs that I don't care for, by not taking risks and doing things I view are important, and by just adding general stress to my life. I am working to overcome this various ways: by opening myself up to seeing the prosperity that is around me, by allowing help if it is offered, and by taking a risk and quitting my job so I can find something more soulful to do.

My fear is always when my daughters are expecting a child. I fear for both their safety, so I pray daily to G-d to look after both and after I have done so I can go to sleep hoping he has listened to my prayer.

I often fear collaboration - I want my ideas to stand on their own and to be mine. In the coming year I will work on letting my work out among my colleagues for review and then still try to make sure it has my voice.

I fear depression and/or anxiety disorder. Lately I have been so overwhelmed with work and my family's crisis (parents splitting up) that I feel my anxiety rising unhealthily -- to the point of feeling physically ill. I'm also observing (from afar) my mother's mental demise as her bipolar disorder causes her to behave in a way that pushes all of her loved ones away. I feel such intense anger towards her that I don't know if I will ever have a positive relationship with her again. I am terrified of ending up like her. I think I have more self-awareness, and I hope that will help me keep a balanced view of my own mental help. I try to exercise 'self-care' whenever possible, usually just by doing yoga once or twice a week. I need to do more. I need to seek professional help, and hopefully that will help me. I need to prioritize LIFE in my work-life balance. I have decent habits in this respect, but as I deal with the current crisis, I need to do even more.

I am afraid of so many things, unfortunately... getting fired, not having enough money to pay the bills, looking stupid or incompetent, looking poor, looking like I have bad taste

My biggest fear is talking to new people I don't know how to start a conversation or sometimes keep it going. I sometimes get corrected on how I speak that when I am with a new crowd I freeze. I try to play shy instead.

Fear of losing everything.

Ending up alone. Only way to combat that is to be open to meeting people and maybe finding the right one. Even though it's early yet, I think I have as of a few weeks ago...

Fear of disappointing people. Try to please everyone all the time. I don't imagine I will be able to let go of that in the coming year.

I fear for my husband's health. He is not particularly careful about doing things that will keep him healthy and alive, both physically and mentally. I fear losing my life's partner, and it affects how I interact with others. I will have to steel myself to life's limitations and, while still being sensitive to his needs, take my own course and continue to keep myself as healthy as I possible can, living up to my expectations for myself.

I have a fear of giving my heart fully to someone. I haven't really understood it before, but apparently I'm so afraid of getting hurt I don't even give it a shot. Like a wise guy says in a song "You can't fly unless you let yourself fall". I just have to be as brave as I am in anything else. If I can skydive, I sure as hell should be able to give a guy a chance?

The fear I have is of not being capable enough to do the things that need to be done. I have a possible business venture that I feel would be very profitable, but there are so many unknowns for me that I keep pausing and procrastinating - I'm worried that I just can't figure it all out. When I've been fearful of things in the past, I found that just doing an action, without thinking or planning it in advance is very helpful. The sink-or-swim method. I don't know if I can let go, but I know I can take action despite it.

Fear that I failed. It doesn't matter 'failed what/where'. When I'm in a certain mood, the answer to that could be 'everywhere'. Retrospection is a bitch. I need to be as realistic looking at my own self, as I presumably am when looking at other people. I cut other people a lot of slack and don't seem inclined to give myself the same latitude - at least, not when I'm feeling sad.

I am very guilty of worrying. I am worried that I'll get to Cambridge and be the stupid one; that I'll muck up this wonderful opportunity by falling behind in the work or finding it too hard. Also that I won't make friends or people will think I'm exceptionally strange.

As it turns out I apparently have a major fear of commitment. I've been dating Dan again and he wants to get married. I do love him and I also want (in theory) to get married. But when I start thinking about the actuality of doing it, I have a panic attack. I've always sort of been like this anyways in relationships. But I do want to be married and I do want to make it work.

I have a fear of being utterly alone, shut off, disconnected. And of letting my body deteriorate along with my mind. Overcoming it may involve living with intention every day, cherishing, having gratitude for my life and not letting my feelings control what I do.

Fear of not being able to lose weight. I think I'm the only one that WW will not work on. It makes me not try my best because I'm afraid of failing. I will take it one pound at a time and not look at the goal way off in the horizon . . . . . . . . one pound and one pound only. Celebrate it and move on to the next one.

I have a fear of being unsatisfied. I find that as I approach the age of 30 that my fear is to be single and unsatisfied professionally. I want to continue learning about my profession but I want to be recognized with increased pay. Constantly thinking about the dissatisfaction in my life has limited me. It creates bad energy and black cloud over my head. I hope that this year I focus on the positive that I have in my life and continue looking for employment opportunities that recognize my skill and interests.

I fear that I won't live up to the expectations of others if I venture out on a new 'riskier' path. I know that this is illogical, and that I'm very capable, but I'm my own harshest critic and I've never put all of my trust in myself before.

A fear I have is being overly demanding. I work hard keeping myself at bay and not being what I consider "domineering", and I'm not sure why. I think I am attracted to my partner because he pushes me to be more and more assertive. I think I want to explore this more over the next year, and if not overcome it partially, at least understand it better.

I am afraid of economic ruin. I've had no income for four years, although I've worked on some interesting projects none has come to fruition yet. I plan to work on positive thinking and attracting whatever comes out of tuning in to God's will. I know that fear, worry and negative thinking are the cause of all my problems - they are created in my head...

I've been subliminally afraid of being destitute because I'm not part of "industry". I plan on letting go of it by being concretely committed to fulfilling my sacred purpose.

I fear failure, and I fear being judged by other people for my failures. I hope to overcome these fears by being kinder to myself, by judging myself less harshly, by remembering that I need to be as compassionate with myself as I would be with other people, in times of success and of failure.

I am afraid of loneliness, helplessness, loss of control over my own live, the loss of financial stabilization, pain, rejection, unpredictability and stagnation. I would like to focus less on my fears. Share my life with another person to have the support and consolation. I would to give up habitual tendency to control everything that is happening aroundlike step by step .

Right now, I can't say that I have any fears. Over the last two years, I have become very self-aware - I recognize and appreciate my strengths, my gifts, and acknowlege and accept those qualities of mine that are sub-optimal. I am so secure in my own skin, in the knowlege of what I need and what I have to offer, that I know without a doubt that I will never allow anyone to take advantage of me again. I feel confident and fulfilled in the relationship I have with John and with my kids and with the rest of my family. I know that while my approach with Nikki and Jonathan is not what they are accustomed to, it is the way it will need to be in order for me to keep my home as my sanctuary.

I may have a fear of success. I do tend to start things and then drop them right before completion. I'm trying to get better about that...

I'm afraid of getting older and watching my physical abilities diminish. It hasn't limited me, but has inspired me to keep exercising and to be thoughtful about what I eat. I appreciate every day I can go kayaking, go dancing with Ed, take a walk. I'll remind myself this year, that worrying doesn't change anything and all I can do is continue to take care of myself and enjoy my life.

fear of not being good enough. or successful enough. i plan to just keep going and moving because if you don't keep moving, then you become paralyzed by fear.

I have fear of trying to make more money. I believe that I do not really deserve to succeed. To overcome this fear I am starting a small business and am seeking feedback from people to make sure I am doing all I can to be successful rather than self-sabotaging

Agoraphobia. Practice, practice, practice

I fear financial insecurity, always have. Now as a retiree, the fear might be a little more rational. How has it limited me? I don't k ow - made me too concerned perhaps, and yet concern is necessary to stay within my budget. I am working actively with this to lessen the need to spend. I've always been a spender. Funnily enough, the new apartment helps - there is no room for more stuff! I want to be, and feel myself more and more, happy with what I have. I give thanks all the time for what I have. And I have a lot. I am blessed. So when I can focus on hat I have, I simply do not need more!

I am crazy phobic of bugs and worms. I'd like to get over it -- not sure how -- so that I can tend to our vegentable garden and plant flowers at home. I suppose a good start is to start dealing with the little bugs that find their way into our home instead of shreiking for someone to come help.

From this break up on, my great fear is to be let down again if I trust. I know I won't trust anybody I just met and knowing that makes me really sad. I'm a daydreamer, an idealistic person. I like people who can feel in love and lose their heads because of someone. But I'm pretty sure it's going to be really difficult to be the one feeling like that again. I was cheated on and left alone with a baby (even when the father is still 'present' it is not the same). I can't allow myself to trust that much in someone after what that one person did to me.

Fear that I'm making the wrong decision, that what I'm choosing is too hard, impossible even. Being 99% satisfied with my life choices instead of 100%. This year I'll accept the decisions I've made, good or bad and rejoice in the opportunities I'll have.

I seem to fear being denied treats, special dispensations, and "the good stuff". I respond to this fear by over-treating myself. I respond to this new, self-inflicted state by becoming fearful of being out-of-shape, multi-chinned diabetic fatso loser. I respond to THAT new fear by denying myself. Lather, rinse, repeat.

One of my fears that I want to get over is my fear of not being enough. I need to always know that I am enough, and that I am good enough for everyone in my life.

I have social anxiety, and I have a constant overwhelming fear that people either don't actually like me or are judging me, even when I know it's not true. It's really hard to be myself sometimes because I'm just so afraid of people judging me. I'm going to talk to my friends about it; they're the most supportive people I know, and they should be able to help me out.

I'm afraid of how I will cope without Pat by my side for the next 30 years or so. I miss him so much and I worry that I will always feel sad. It is so hard to keep on going without him.

Fear of infertility. Trying to remember everything is in hashems hands.

I fear failure, and most of all, what others will say after a failure. Filipinos love watching car crashes; they elbow their way even through paramedics just to get a closer look at the scene. I fear it because I care too much about what other people think. It's stopping me from letting go, and taking the leap. In one way, it's good that I get to think. But another is when I let this fear paralyze me into silence, just waiting, sitting, not making a move. And then I think the world would be passing me by, and I wouldn't have done anything, and I would have missed things. Because I'm too afraid of what people will say if I fail, I try not to fail. Sometimes I'm scared I fail to not try.

Fear of dying at a young age, and leaving my wife and children alone. I need to improve my health and eating habits.

That my son will not overcome his perfectionism and it wil prevent him from going to college. It has prevented me from approaching him with unconditional love always! The how is not easy to know--but I will!!!!

fear of commitment to the wrong woman, and fear of passing the right woman up because of my fear of commitment. Not sure about the overcoming part!

There are days when I feel that I will never find the well-paying career that fulfills me. I fear that I will always be just scraping by on my part time jobs. I plan to overcome this fear by continuing to trust that the Divine has bigger plans for me, and that all will be well.

Fear of needles has prevented me from giving blood and has caused a lot of anxiety.

I have a fear of being alone. And not like just living alone or something. Being alone. Not having friends or a significant other. It's a bit irrational since I'm a social butterfly and get along great with people, but after what happened with Shawn, I got a tad bit of abandonment issues. However, the good part is that I'm letting it go. I've been single for 5 months now and am doing good. I joined APO and got myself back up on my feet. So I'm dealing with it quite well.

fear of messing up human relationships just by being me. how do I plan on overcoming it? I think I need to find a new way to interpret anger. I keep thinking of what I'm losing out on -- but it's got to be bigger than that. The world doesn't change when people get angry at me. I just fear that it will.

Lately, I have had some social anxiety. I am now getting help for it. I have also had some fear of leaving my current job, but I do need to make that leap.

I have had a fear of failing yet another time at a small business. I have had two successful businesses, but even more failures, and I got tired (fearful) of trying again, so I tried to convince myself I didn't want to have a small business anymore. But I do, and I've made steps towards creating one, but this time I'm reaching out for more help and am more adept at spotting how I've been sabotaging myself through sneaky means like procrastination, cynicism, "tiredness," and so on. Now I'm working on dealing with those symptoms of the real problem, which is fear, and as I do, my fear is gradually subsiding. It still surprises me, though, at all the things I'm really spooked by! It is not rational, but I try to remind myself that it is also a very human foible.

I'm incredibly fearful of complacency. Ever since I moved back to Los Angeles, my hometown, after eight years away - I feel like I might be stuck. I fear that my adventures are over - that I'm in a job I'll hold indefinitely, I'm in this city indefinitely and that before you know it, my youth and fun will be over and I'll be living in a house in the valley with two kids and a dog. In the coming year (and even starting on Yom Kippur) I need to make sure that I take advantage of any break I get from work, travel as much as possible, explore my city more and live in the moment. I need to not be fearful of spending money but rather save for experiences - not goods.

I have a fear of failing. It prevents me from challenging myself and trying things that I might be able to accomplish. It's a huge problem and I feel as if it creates a self fulfilling prophecy cycle. I am going to try and push through my fear and try to not listen to that part of my consciousness. I am going to try to do things that I might fail at but know that at least I tried.

I have a fear of not getting married. That limits me in that I worry about where I should or should not go for a job. In order to overcome this fear, I think I need to keep listening to myself to figure out where I can be happy. There is no guarantee about what location will bring me the most happiness or grant me a husband. I need to focus on what I can control.

I am afraid of the word enough. Do I do ENOUGH? Am I good ENOUGH? Am I working hard ENOUGH? This year I am going to try to be satisfied with myself. I am going to try to work towards recognizing the good I do.

Where do I begin?! Let's just take a look at the fact that every time I invest my all into something - it fails. We're talking energy, love and time and lots of money. So the natural limitation that comes out of these experiences is the fear of trying something new. Why should I? I'll just fail again! I'm obviously going to do *something* again, because I have no money and I have to survive. But this time I have to listen to my intuition better, to think and analyze better and to seek advice from those who know more than I do. In addition, I have some serious self-forgiveness to work on! I want to get quiet and do an exercise of recognizing my skills and talents and gifts. And concurrently to figure out what it is I want. What REALLY do I want with my life? What do I want to be doing? With whom? Where? And then combine the talents, skills and gifts along with my creative power of manifestation to create the perfect situation.

I have always been afraid of my mother. She is hurtful and unkind, and she has held me back my whole life: made loving difficult, made me unsure I could amount to anything as a professional, a wife, a mother, a friend. This year, after long years of understanding that I had to do this but could not, I have cut off from her. I am happier and better at being contented with myself. It makes me feel guilty at times, but mostly, it's really liberating to let her go. I wonder if I will ever see her again. Part of me is so sad when I write this; part of me hopes I will not.

I fear financial failure. I need to look at things more rationally and realistically.

I don't have any fears at present TG and I do not believe in crossing bridges before I come to them.

I have a fear that my twin brother who is disabled and my mom who is disabled won't be cared for the best possible way and all the time. I will address my fear by either reading about how others deal with such issues or talking with folks who do.

I have a fear of throwing up. I plan to ignore it more heavily this year, so I don't worry when I'm eating somewhere far away from home.

I'm pretty sure that I fear change. My whole life I've been trying to create stability in the chaotic world of my parents divorce and childhood. I see now how my life choices have reflected this. But this stable thing really isn't that fulfulling. I've had to opportunity to change my life this year after several months of needless stressing I am welcoming and embracing it. Wahoooo! I plan to keep this attitude up over the next year.

I was raised with fear. Fear of trying new things (lest i get hurt). It has hampered me in so many ways. Yet, when I do step out of my comfort zone (i.e. ziplining), I am so surprised I survived that I let the experience pass me by without taking a moment to enjoy it.

My biggest fear is of time passing by too quickly. I'm not sure how to handle that one other than to live life to the fullest and enjoy the moment. Another fear is of disappointing my children. I hope it doesn't happen.

A fear to be left alone, to be left behind, to be ignored, to be unrecognized. It makes me at times insecure and as a result controlling and angry. I'm being confronted with it because I'm in a relationship now and I don't like myself when I act from this fear. I'm painfully aware of it and try to contain it. We talk about it which helps.

I have a couple of fears that go hand-in-hand. I am fearful that I will not complete my master's program. This level of education is much tougher than I had expected, and I am fearful that I am not good enough to succeed. I am also fearful that if I do complete the program, I will be faced with the issue of not being able to find a job. I keep asking myself if all the hard work is going to pay off with the employment market being the way it is. Because the trouble of finding a job is what led me to return to school, I have these negative thoughts in my head. I plan on overcoming my fears by staying persistent. I know God will lead me to the place I need to be. In the mean time, I am trying to build up my work experience as well as education to be able to achieve my professional goals.

I am a pretty fearless person in my everyday life but I do fear losing my health as I get older, and I fear that I won't have enough money to be comfortable during retirement. I plan to overcome those through a combination of acceptance of the inevitability of aging and going to the gym to preserve my fitness level, plus increasing my IRA, 403b and regular savings balances so that I will have less to be concerned about my financial future.

I fear that, at some point, my wife may simply tire of me for some reason. Maybe it will be my poor relationship w/her parents; maybe it will be my temper; maybe we'll have one argument too many. I need to address each of these issues individually. First, I need to make a better effort to get on w/her parents. I don't need to make myself love them- but I need to at least show them more respect than I have. As for my temper, well, that's been my #1 bugaboo for my whole life. I need to improve my passions mastery before it's the end of me.

Fear of being truly alone. I have no idea how I plan on dealing with this, honestly. It drives me to do some pretty stupid things. Marriage seems a good solution, but I'm not sure if that is the right answer or merely trading one fear for others (fear of abandonment, etc.)

I fear failure - I fear that I will let people down in my life and in my job. This is balanced with the fear that my job will become all-consuming, since it can, leaving me empty. It has paralyzed my ability to make advanced plans, since I feel as though if I do not take time for myself and my family now, I won't ever get it, as there will always be more to do. But I wonder if that mentality actually gets more in the way of my ability to be with my family and have time to myself than it allows me to do so. I hope in this next year to find a coach who can give specific guidance in this area for my own personal and professional growth.

I have a fear of people not liking me. I plan to simply stop worrying about that in the coming year.

I have a fear of my unemployment situation getting worse (such as cut-off of unemployment compensation), and I have contingency plans if it happens (to be more energetic about job-hunting).

Like a lot of people these days, I really really fear that I won't have enough money to take care of my daughter the way I would like. When I had her, I couldn't imagine this being in the case. I also worry that the lack of a father is really going to affect her badly. I had always hoped to find her a good role model, and I haven't.

Fear that someone would need me and I wouldn't be there - it limited me in what i did socially throughout the year. I gave up opportunities to go abroad and away, to social engagements to everything. I put this person first when i was always always second to them. Overcoming it, wasn't so easy. It took a lot of realisation and hurt - but i'm getting there. I'm starting to do things for myself. Starting to take opportunities for myself without worrying and putting them first. But as a result, I'm also scared I'll never find someone. I'm scared of letting myself get too caught up in things that don't matter. I fear I'll never be in a place to achieve all the things i want to achieve. I think the only way to overcome all these fears is to face the reality they may occur and as a result, face the music. The only way out is through..

I have regressed into a longstanding fear of flying that had gotten so much better several years ago. I even got to the point where I enjoyed parts of flying, and was able to enjoy going to new places and having new adventures. I am afraid that I am limiting my daughters' abilities to have more diverse travel experiences. I will work to generally manage anxiety better this year, and will find an opportunity to fly and to take them places.

A fear of never pleasing my family. It seems like no matter what I do, and how hard I work to make them happy, my efforts are worthless. I would like to take this year and learn to care less about their opinions and do what is best for me and my health; something I have never been able to do before.

I fear that I won't figure out what I want to do/won't be good at it/will let down everyone that's helped me so far. I hope to overcome that by doing well at what I decide to do!!

Money. Having enough to send my kids to the schools of their choice. If my husband or I were to be laid off, we'd lose the house. Fix it by trying to save, doing the best we can, trusting in G-d.

I´ve got no fears, I´d call them worries, instead. There isn´t a particular one, I have some but none of them gets to limit me; they just keep me worried and planning/making things to work them out.

I have a fear of being rejected as a friend. And this is totally irrational. I have tons of amazing incredible loving and caring friends who truly love me and are there for me whenever I need it. I know I am SO SO SO fortunate to have them, because a lot of people definitely don't have that. Again, and this is a lifetime goal- I just need to hold myself up high and be confident!

I want to get over my fear of not having enough money. We have plenty to support ourselves now but I worry about the future when we want to start a family. People have started families with much less money then we have! Instead of wringing my hands I need to do something productive like opening up a high yield savings account where we can start to save money for the future.

I'm afraid of rejection and of hearing an answer to a question that I don't want to hear. In the past, the first part has led to a very active inner life and an extremely unsatisfying outer life. The latter part has led me to act cagey and secretive as I maneuvered around anyone who held the answer I needed. Getting over that caginess and shredding subtext has been one of the great projects of the last seven years of my life. Recently I've seen how much of it still lingers as I've taken more control over the shape of my life. The imperative of self-preservation has pushed me in the right direction, but there's still work to do. I need to focus on the behavior of impressive people to inspire me. As for my fear of rejection... I just need to keep DOING; while tattooing "VIVRE SANS TEMPS MORT" on the inside of my eyelids probably isn't the best option, I need to remember that my desires are not abnormal, and if I don't do something about satisfying them, I'll end up old and miserable. I will leverage my fear of mortality to liquefy all of my other fears.

I am kind of afraid of the silence in my life. Afraid that if I stop all of the things that stimulate me I will become unhappy or unsatisfied and the yearning that defines me will become oppressive. and I am afraid i will blame those around me for not being enough to satisfy the yearning. it is like i need to figure out what it is that i am yearning for. because with everything i've had, the yearning didnt' cease, though it did dull. so, i plan to be with this fear over the coming year, to see where it leads me.

I am afraid he will leave. I can't let it go.

Gaining weight. It has ruined everything in my life. It has lost me people, it has caused me to have to move across the country, it has lost me jobs... it's crippling. I will take opposite action this year and gain the weight I need to gain and see how/if my life gets better. If it does, I know I will be ok to stay healthy.

All those questions.. they seem all to be asking this one again and again. Or perhaps I am seeing the same question again and again. My fear of course is that I will be found out as a fraud. My real fear underneath it is that I am a fraud. Not sure at all how overcome it in the coming year. I don't have an expectation that I will. I will scrape at it, however, crumb by crumb.

My biggest fear that holds me back is not getting something right, not being competent, not communicating correctly, not being effective enough - basically performance anxiety. I feel like I have borderline social anxiety and I tend to shy away from people and situations that make me uncomfortable. I plan on moving towards areas outside of my comfort zone. I want to grow and blossom more and more, and stop being so shy!

I have a fear of being disliked. I am afraid of my writing being disliked, my work, my appearance. I'm afraid of being disliked by my roommates and my coworkers. I think the best way to overcome this is by doing what I love a lot more. I need to write more of what I love and eventually the fears should slip away. I need to focus more on myself and less on others and that way I can develop a better sense of self. I need to stop flirting so much. Well, I need to stop flirting with the hopes of it leading to anything. I can just flirt. But I get my hopes up and then it just hurts. That's part of caring too much about what other guys think of me. Am I pretty? I'm afraid of being ugly. Am I fat? I'm afraid of how I fit into my jeans. Who cares if I am single for the next year? It will be an awesome year, because it will be another year with myself.

I often have the fear the break throughs will take to long in my business so I have started affirming and having faith the right time is right now and all that is perfect is coming my way. I believe the gifts I have been given are beginning to manifest and will happen!

Not finding a major. I need to explore more.

I fear that my work finding the right truffle recipe will be wasted and not put to use, but I hope I am wrong. I hope that next year, after graduating from school, I will have more free time and will be able to work on the truffles and sell them to lots of different places.

I am fearful that I will lose sight of the amazing goal I have of beginning my sleepaway summer camp. I see how Real Estate can be addictive and encourage you to pursue money instead of dreams. I hope to be able to find a way to accommodate both!

I am sometimes fearful when I am too happy and things are going well. I guess it comes back to a fear of there not being enough to go around and if I have too much happiness, success, well-being, the scales will have to be balanced and I will pay a price. I am working on faith and being in the present moment to overcome this fear.

I am afraid of being alone. I don't know that I'm letting it go, per se, but Gd sure is forcing me to adapt. It's hard and I don't like it, but all of my relationships are failing for seemingly no reason. All I can think is that Gd sees my fear and is making me face it before I can find that happiness.

Fear of disappointing others or making them feel bad. Not that I want to purposefully go out of my way to make people feel bad, but I shouldn't feel obligated to spend time with people that I don't like or don't add anything positive to my life. I need to focus on the people I care about and who care about me.

Lately I have felt a lot of generalized anxiety about things that are out of my control. I will work this year on better recognizing what I can influence and what I cannot, and letting go of the things I can't change.

1. I sometimes have a fear that I am going to wake up some day and find out I have been set up for a fall. I have to keep believing this is not true. I am a success ansd I will continue to thrive and be a valuable part of my company and my family. 2. I have a concern (try to call it fear) that I will lose my sobriety and fall back into the pit. I work day by day to have this not happen. I am so much better now than six years ago. I believe that I am going to be involved in unimaginable levels of greatness and success. I am going to keep positive, believe my Creator's promises, take one day at a time, and trust. Fear is useless; trust is what is needed. If it is meant to happen, it will happen. The bottom will not fall out!!! Think things through!!!

I am afraid that I am lazy and/or stupid (or both!). I often have a fear that I am not cut out for whatever is I am doing or want to do and sometimes that makes me hesitant to reach for it. I want to be brave and confident in my abilities to take on new roles and take risks especially in my career.

There is a fear that I won't be able to provide for my wife and I in retirement. I have had to restart my career three times, the stock market hit in 2008 and with my son in university its been a challenge to put enough enough way. My health is having some issues as I am getting closer to retirement and I would like to curtail working so that I can enjoy some of the benefits of retirement (travel, pursue other interests) beofre my health begins to preclude this.

I'm afraid of rejection and abandonment. I'm always afraid that I'm going to do something, or not do something, and people are going to turn their backs on me. It's a constant fear, and I end up hating myself for no reason, because I think I did something wrong. I'm going back to therapy as soon as possible, and hopefully we can work through it!

Fear of letting go of some small things. There is a part of me that wants to hold on to some negative behaviour and attitudes as a defense measure. Because what if I let go of everything and it's not enough?

My greatest difficulty has been not being straightforward and honest in all my dealings. If I had been, I would have told the boy that I love that I want him and not have just resorted to the thing that's easiest for me to deal with, which was friendship. If I had, I would have been able to deal with my financial issues head-on. I think that the reason I do this is that I want to present a certain image to the world. I need to be concerned less with what others think of me and more concerned about what's good for me.

Fear of what is happening to the planet and having to see how bad it's getting in my lifetime and the stark reality of what will happen to my child's world. No idea how to overcome it, since it's certainly not something I can "let go".

I am scared to trusting people and establishing new friendships because of being hurt by friends before. It's stopping me from making potentially great connections with others. I want to work on my current friendships and learn to trust new people and just enjoy making friends and sharing experiences.

Fear of distraction/ scatteredness, and that then I can't / won't be my word. I release the need to be / behave with fear which is not who I truly am, nor do I believe is divine will for me. I will stop & reflect often and come, come again back to my Love, Joy and Aliveness so that I am living it , sharing and inspiring it as deep and as wide as I can.

Definitely fear of failure. I'm slowly overcoming this and trying to balance what I need to do with goals that I want to dive into and accomplish.

I am slowly letting my fear of disapproval from others fade away. It's a slow fade though... I also fear displeasing those around me, which leads to a lot of indecisiveness. I am trying to let that go as well.

I have a fear of change, even though I usually really enjoy the end result. In the coming year I hope that I can let go of that fear and make the changes necessary in my life.

I have an irrational fear of change and failure that holds me back. I don't like when things change out of my control and I won't go for my dreams, or even set goals, so that I don't fail. I am trying to overcome this by thinking, "what would I do if I knew I couldn't fail?" or "for a million dollars could I make this happen? Then, I could do it regardless." I plan on taking action and go out of my comfort zone to achieve goals. But first, I WILL set some!

I'm afraid that everything will fall apart if I don't catch up in life, and that the ongoing attention to details I consider important is wasted energy. I am afraid I'll never be able to reconcile the demands of working full time with the mountain of paperwork and administrative minutiae that are needed to create an organized life for me and my family.

I fear for the survival of the America I have known. I cannot let this fear go as it is too real, too dangerous and too imminent. All I can do to overcome it is to confront and not deny the dangers, discuss them and vote. My personal death is inevitable, but the death and destruction of my country are not and I will do all I can to prevent them. I am scared and I do not like being scared and I have contempt for the people who are frightening me and the worst part is that some of them are my friends..

I have many fears. As someone who was diagnosed quite a while ago with PTSD (this before its coverage in the news), I feel low-grade fear on a fairly constant basis. Someone recently suggested going to social events once a month and trying to meet one stranger each time. That seems like a manageable goal. Otherwise, I just carry on. I do things even though they are frightening. Except for sports -- which I have always hated and now don't have to do because I'm middle aged. So, I do pilates instead!

Fear of financial insecurity--not having enough when we are both retired--a serious illness sapping our resources. I am trying to be more mindful of what we do have and letting go of my illusion that I can control the future and how I age and die.

I am cripplingly afraid of ending up alone, not getting married or having children and watching all of my friends move on to that stage of life without me. It has limited me in that I've stayed in relationships where I felt like I was settling, because I'd rather be with someone wrong for me than by myself. This year, I'm hoping to develop more confidence in myself so that I can start to believe that I'm worth enough that I'll end up with someone right, not just someone willing.

I have been very afraid of being alone, romantically. This has manifested as a nearly compulsive need to socialize and keep busy, and I'm happy to say that I'm learning to settle into my own sense of self and autonomy. One thing that helped a lot was participating in the www.hai.org community, where I learned to recognize that love isn't something you have to own or go get, it just IS.

I am afraid of never being loved. I hope to love myself instead, and somehow develop the faith that others will, too. (How? I have no idea).

I have a fear of being too different, of being too noticed. i have a friend who has a very "out there" kind of personality and often times i feel myself almost being ashamed of her, but at the end of the day i wish i had enough freedom within myself to just let loose totally and not care who looks or who stares. she is one of my closest friends and i hope that spending more time with her will help me overcome this

I think I might be afraid of experience. I have experienced very little for someone my age, in my opinion, though I know I shouldn't compare myself to others. But it's really difficult not to. Motivation is not easy to come by when it comes to just DOING new things, which is why I think this paralyzing, hazy feeling I have when I think about that sort of thing is a fear. I'm working with a therapist now to help solve it, or at least lessen it, but I can tell it's going to be a long, slow process. That talk I had with my brother helped a little bit, I mean logically it did, but it's hard to get my mind where my heart is & vice versa. We'll see how I do this year.

love > fear. there isn't really anything that I have control over that I fear. And what I don't have control over, I try to release.

The fear of future. Or the lack of it. The fear of new things. The fear of being on my own. The fear that I don't deserve to be on my own. The fear of closure. Honestly, I have no idea how to fix it.

My biggest fear is that I will have lived my life being miserable and never have gotten the chance to have a social life or a companion who made me happy. I have feared making the 'big decision' of starting fresh because I am scared that I won't be able to make it on my own, and I am very worried about how my children will respond. They are adults. I need to find the courage to do what is right before it's too late and I lose that chance for a little bit of personal happiness.

I am afraid that the world is not becoming a better place and that bad history will repeat itself. This fear leads to an underlying depression. I need to constantly remind myself of all the good in the world. I try to do good and charitable things to make the world a better place and I try to appreciate how fortunate I am. Maybe if I keep it up in the coming year I won't feel so helpless.

I fear that I am not acheiving enough. I can motivate myself to acheive more, or celebrate my clack of participation in the protestant work ethic. I think a little of both will be the best mixture. As long as I don't feel that I am wasting my time on the internet, or damaging anything, it should be cause for celebration.

I worry about having enough money to retire, though less so than my husband worries. I guess not so much to retire at all, but that we won't be able to afford to stay in our home or do any of the fun things our peers are doing. The main limit is that it keeps us from investing in work that needs to be done to maintain our home and its value. It has made me sometimes take on more work than I can handle in the hope of making the fund a little bigger. I have some pre-membership service time to purchase, and I intend to do that (a corollary fear is that the cost of the purchase will be prohibitive).

Exercise. It seems silly, and I know I feel better once I get started, but lately I seem to be finding any excuse to not do it. I worry that I'll look stupid, or that I won't be fast enough, or won't be able to keep up, or a thousand other dumb reasons. I need to not let my fear get in my way, because I'll feel and look better if I just DO IT!!!

I have a fear of loving fully. I have a fear of being completely honest for the possible outcome. I must conquer this fear and be true to myself, remembering that the most important things in life are the most challenging. Love is my purpose, and I must not let it down. At all costs, I will love fully, for all hurt is simply a lesson and growth, and in risking we grow.

My biggest fear was losing my husband. He has a terminal illness and has been struggling for 7 years - 6 longer than expected. He is still here and while I know it will be hard when the time comes - I know that I am strong enough to carry on. I have spent years rediscovering my self-confidence. I had come to rely on his constant presence in my life. I have realized that we have grown and strengthened each other in ways that I would never have realized without this difficult journey.

I have a fear of not being ready. It's a fear that I looked into last night. I am afraid that I won't be able to achieve my dreams or complete my goals. I'm afraid that I won't become the person that I want to be, I'm jut afraid. So my biggest fear that I WILL overcome by this time next year is the fear of self doubt. This self doubt has affected me all of my life up until this very moment I'm answering this question. It won't go away after simply acknowledging it, I need to put in the effort to change it. Over the years it has limited me in many ways like talking to girls, getting my drivers lisence, taking advantage of life improving opportunities and so much more. It's caused me serious pain so far. I have a plan to eradicate this fear though. I have just started to meditate and pray to the Universe to help guide me and help me acquire the requests, confidence and things I desire. Praying to he Universe is only half the work, the other half comes from me and my effort. By working together with the Universe I know that I will experience tremendous growth in my confidence, spirituality, emotions and mindset, all of which have a big part in the fear that I'm overcoming. I will become someone strong and be without self doubt by this time next year. It's not just a hope, it's a guarantee.

I am afraid that I will lose my teaching job at the end of this school year. Rather than let this looming fear control me though, I am using it to stay focused only upon the time and experiences I have right now. I am making an effort to enjoy the blessings of each day and know whatever HaShem choses for me, it is G-d's divine plan.

I have no fears. However, after a 3 year relationship I was still hesitant to get married again, failing is so easy, and it takes two to make it work + I cannot do it on my own. In the coming year, i plan to overcome the trust issue by getting married.

I have always been afraid to speak my mind. I have been too concerned about what others will think of me if I am honest and forthright about my needs, opinions, etc. I have been working on this for years, but need to make a concerted effort to overcome my fears. I know at this stage of my life that I have to give approval to myself and not worry so much about what others will think...

I have too many fears to name. I fear not getting tenure, I fear losing my pregnancy, I fear, not being able to have children for a long time, I fear my husband getting ill or not taking care of himself. Many of these can be grouped into the fear of not getting what I want. How can I overcome this fear? I'm not sure what my answer to that could be other than: being more flexible with what I want. I know that I'm already doing everything that I can to get what I want, but some things are simply out of my hands. I suppose that my main way to overcome these fears are to be flexible in my desires. That doesn't seem to be very easy for me.

I have been so scared that my hard work will not pay off. I'm not afraid of working hard, but I'm scared that it will amount to nothing. I need to remind myself that even if it does not pay off directly, even if it isn't linear, hard work always pays off. The effort is always worth it. We plant seeds and they do blossom, some just take more time than others.

After losing a close friend this year, part of me still worries about my boyfriend leaving me and breaking my heart because I have a lot of trust issues with people. How I am overcoming it is by continuing my therapy every week and talking to him about how I feel.

That my husband is going to die very soon. It has limited me emotionally in too many way too list. My plan is to cherish each day with him that we as a family have together.

I sometimes think I live in fear, but for the most part don't think it limits me or that I let it limit me. I fear something horrible happening to myself or my family. I fear new things that are thrown at me in my job. I fear getting up on stage and performing in front of others. Yet I don't keep my family bundled up in bubble wrap or make them stay home to keep them safe. I don't avoid taking on new roles at work. I get on stage and perform, even if it makes me sweat and hurts my stomach. I wish I knew the best way to let the fear go, however, I think sometimes these fears actually drive me to do what I need to do, so maybe that's not so horrible.

I fear I will never take control over my weight issue...I guess the only way to eliminate this fear from my life is to take control and move on..not make such a huge ordeal about it. I also fear I will get more and more like my mother..her negative aspects, such as spoiled, high maintenance, her way or no way, not accepting change, etc. I make a concerted effort to be open and flexible and feel I am but when my kids tell me I'm cold like her, more like her than I like to admit, etc. makes me feel badly and fearful!

My fear is not to have enough money to do all the things I'd like to do. We have things we need to do in our house and activities and programs that our children would like to participate in or attend. My fear in the past year was not being able to enable my kids to do everything they dreamed about but also not to be able to do the things in my home I want and need to do. I would also like to be able to take the kids back to see the family in France. I worry that people are not getting younger and that I can not act as fast as I would like. My hope is that with my new job and salary, that these things will once again be in the relm of my capability.

I am afraid of being hurt physically and psychically as the result of the trauma of my last marriage. I cocooned for a long time, and thought I'd given up on love. Now, I'm beginning to date again, at first in spite of my fear, and now, gradually, forcing that fear back and reconnecting with the joy of giving and receiving. I want to grow healthier and happier this year, and maybe even find someone very special.

I am afraid of vulnerability. It has kept me from being my true, genuine self and thereby limited my experience of other people and of precious moments in life. I am working on this by trying to stay in touch with my faith in myself and in the basic goodness of other people, taking time to breathe and challenging myself to take more vulnerable paths when confronted with forks in the road.

Fear of waiting too long to make some estate planning and end of life decisions; and then documenting them. I'm unmarried and my (only) sibling is anti-religion, so I can't count count on Jewish ritual unless I stipulate it. I grew up on the east coast; but I live in southern CA now. My parents are buried in MA. Where should I buy a burial plot? I need to talk to my sibling; and get some legal and spiritual advice.

Failing in college ! And I will not let it get or beat me !

I fear failure but I also fear success. Success means that people have expectations about continued success and my record on follow-through is abysmal. "I will act this year instead of try and I will follow-through so there is no need to fear success." Clearly - an affirmation I need to repeat every day.

Fear of overload has freaked me out before anything happens, making it less likely I can cope. I will try to `breathe in the light and breathe out the fear/anxiety/panic' and just plough through and deal with ther reality instead of the terrified fantasy.

Fear of asking for help for fear that it will be seen as failure/weakness. It is a goal of mine to ask early and often for the help I need, since I know intellectually that knowing your weaknesses is itself a strength.

Was worried about getting a recurrence but the magic 2 years have passed so I am in a better position statistically. It's not 5 years but it is a step in the right direction Not worrying about money is my goal for the next year Who cares where my money comes from?

Other than being a little squeamish about various flying or crawling many legged things, I'm not generally a fearful person. However I do find it quite frightening to realize that there's a possibility of becoming someone I don't know or remember, through illness. It's not something I dwell on so it doesn't limit me, but it has motivated me to constantly challenge my brain as well as my body.

My constant fear is exposing my ignorance. The way I generally try to overcome it is to make sure that I am not ignorant. But I feel like there are other ways around this fear. One way to keep it from limiting me is to focus on the expertise that I do have, to play to my strengths. Nobody knows everything -- if I'm humble about what I don't know and confident about what I do, I will feel better and make more of an impact in the world.

My biggest fear is the fear of having my trust broken again. I have an uncanny ability to choose guys that have agendas designed to use me and then get away with minimal consequences.The fear is not the problem here, it is my anxiousness to let people in, and my belief that everyone is good intentioned. In the coming year I plan to be cautious about who I allow myself to become vulnerable with. I'll choose who I enter into a relationship with more carefully, and remind myself to not be reckless OR too apprehensive. In other words, find the perfect combination of how to trust while maintaining a sense of safeness.

Fear of imperfection. I over-plan and over-think so many things that I often am too caught up in the details to actually enjoy the experience I've worked so hard to make "perfect". I realize that its all about who I'm with and how I feel that makes something enjoyable, so in the coming year I am going to try to plan things an average amount so that things still run smoothly but I don't drive myself crazy in the process.

Jellyfish. I hate jellyfish. It prevents me from enjoying the beach/seaside. I don't think I'll ever get over it.

Thanks to a sheltered life and innate stupidity, I'm not afraid of much. I mentioned in an earlier answer a desire to do some serious (for me) hiking/climbing, to finish dealing with the fear of not being able to; but I think that fear is mostly gone after the hike last month that my wife encouraged.

My fear of not being liked and accepted has had a lot of control over me throughout my life. I'm slowly learning to let it go by saying fuck it, not thinking too much, and just going for it. I want to continue to do the same in this coming year, and step it up a bit by trying lead my own things and stand even more on my own.

2 fears: Fear #1--The older I get (almost 69) the more I fear travelling on my own, especially by car, or driving at night. I have begun limiting my attendance to events that matter to me--poetry readings, performances, etc. I hope this year to just get in the car and take off a couple of times, and see how I feel afterwards. Fear #2-I was brought up in a completely secular Jewish household and over the last 15 years began observing the Sabbath and instituted a regular Jewish prayer practice. My beloved Torah study partner died a year ago, and in the great gap her absence has left in my life, I have come to understand that I need to attend High Holy Day services for the first time in my life. I have picked out the Jewish Renewal synagogue I would like to attend which is a two hour drive from my house. However I still am afraid of showing up in a synagogue--a stranger who knows none of the practices and liturgy nor how to navigate the services. I've decided the next thing I need to do is to contact the congregation's Rabbi and explain my hesitations and ask for guidance on how I might overcome my fears.

Always been scared of spiders - only limited me by having to get someone else to dispose of them. I'm happy with this arrangement so won't be doing anything to overcome it.

I started having panic attacks. Cannot go through a car wash ever again. I don't drive much because I don't like to go alone. Hopefully, I'll figure out why this is happening and start living normally again. I think I'm afraid something will happen to me while I'm out there on my own and nobody will know who I am or what happened to me--ever. I'll just disappear.

I've been having an increasingly hard time with anxiety, more than outright fear. Anxiety that makes me not want to try new things, not want to go new places, and sometimes even not want to go to places I'm comfortable going, but I know there will be a crowd or a hard time parking or something. It is a huge issue for me, although not because it impacts ME; I don't mind staying close to home or avoiding certain places on busy and crowded days. But because it means I find excuses not to do things with my kids that I would otherwise do, anxiety aside. I'm not sure how to overcome it, frankly. I've been trying to ACCEPT it instead, and work with the anxiety instead of against it. I'm not sure if that's really working, though, or if I'm just being self-indulgent.

Fear of failure & fear of intimacy/loving and being loved deeply. I think the plan for letting these go is simply to practice: acknowledge fear of failure when it comes up, and know that it is only my job to do the best I can in every moment, and that in the end, every failure is a step towards another win. I also think that since I crave intimacy and love so deeply, that simply acknowledging the fear when it arises will allow me to breathe through it. First the person to love needs to show up (please god)...then I will ask my heart to stay open. The thing about overcoming fear is that the only way to do it is to try and inch and strive and stretch. You know, talking about doing it is getting me excited already.

Fear of going out, unknown situations, being in public or the spot light. I'll never be able to let it go but I fight it by working in public service which forces me to work through it.

My biggest fear, or fears, one totally rational the other maybe not so, is that my writing will not go anywhere. All I can do is write more, spread it around, do everything I can to improve myself as a writer. The other is somehow losing my girlfriend. These two things have greatly impacted my life in the past year, and my girlfriend really has changed my life around for the better and I don't want to lose her. I've read stories about long-distance couples being together for years, meeting up every so often, and then just breaking up because they can't do it...I know it's hard, and we haven't even met yet in real life, but we both said we were up for making it work, we're not in this for the short term, one can't have a fling over long distance. I know what it'll take to stay together, because long distance won't work forever. It means moving from my home which I love, to live with her, and whereas there was a time this idea would have terrified me, if it was with her...it's not as scary. All I can do now is be what I have been for her, and continue to be in love and all I can for her.

i'm afraid of becoming my mother. she has a narcissistic personality; i've already seen the fallout between her and other family members, and i recall taking similar stances on "rightness" in the past, which has caused people to be distant from me. i minimize exposure to her negativity and unconstructive criticism whenever possible, and have learned that i am able to approach doing this with other things as well: news, politics, and lifestyle nazis.

I always have the same fear: being old and poor, together. It doesn't haunt me on a day-to-day basis or disabling way. I continue to try to overcome it by being a good and conscientous saver. I've developed a new fear, or maybe two: Now that my sister and her son are more in my life, I fear something happening to one of them. I think of my sister first: how in the universe would her son manage? and what would be expected of me?! To me, there is no "overcoming" these fears. They don't disable, they are merely present and sometimes have occassion to present themselves.

I have a fear of growing older alone. I have been doing everything I can think of to put myself in positions to meet men. I know no other way. However, I am also trying to expand my horizons and show myself that alone doesn't have to be lonely.

The only fear I have is that my money will either run out or not allow me to live the lifestyle that I wish. Careful planning or the lottery will solve the Problem.

My biggest fear is that people will think I'm stupid and boring. This is partly from not being up on current events so it's harder to make small talk. I'm going to check the online news a bit more frequently to see if that helps. I know of course I'm not stupid and it's just an irrational fear. I can rationalise it away, but hard to let it go really

my biggest fear....mmmmmm.....I guess leading an unfulfilled life. It is quite a self fulfilling prophecy. The thought makes me depressed which makes me hide, waste time, medicate and all that leads to an unfulfilling time. I guess what I need to do is get out of bed and my head and get busy!!!!!

I have always wanted to make a difference in the lives of others. I don't know how I am going to be able to do that as I step into this new life. I am going to still try to make a difference, even if it is as small as holding open a door. I hope that I can... I also hope that I can let go of some the anxiety that my stalker has left me with. I have take some very large steps in the right direction but I still have a long way to go. I hope that before I leave the country, I am able to go for a run, by myself, in the woods.

Failure. Criticism. Not measuring up. Having an open, supportive work environment is teaching me that many of my fears are situational. Medication helps too.

I fear that some aspects of my wife's and my relationship will not mend this year and renew conflict. I hope to gradually work on finding a way to deal with it this coming year.

Fear of Jared's deteriorating health is always on my mind. His disability causes constipation, which is increasing as he ages. he's also compaining and sleeping more..What happens as we get older? Who can care for him like we do?

I hate to call people on the phone unless they are family or close friends. To overcome this I am volunteering to make calls when asked by my temple and by other groups I support.

The fear of failure. In love and career and relationships in general. Fear of getting hurt. Fear of the unknown. This is my year. I am about to be 25 and it is time I do things for me. Move out, be on my own, struggle, thrive, enjoy life and be happy. I may fail or get hurt along the way but I never know until I try. I want to stop holding back and start living out my dreams, chasing my ideas and getting the things I've always wanted. I plan on jumping!

A fear? I have multiple fears. I live daily in fears. I fear being a failure. I fear success. I fear I will miss out on something. I fear I will forget something. I fear I am my own worst enemy. I plan on letting go or overcoming it by continuing to meet with Sal and working through it with the use of oils, reading and therapy.

I fear being stagnant and undeveloping. I fear that this is a comfortable expression of not living up to my potential. This fear keeps me driven so much so that I sometimes forget to slow down and value my youth. In the coming year, I want to learn balance.

I am afraid of what life will be like when my elderly parents die, even though they are quite distant. I am afraid of losing all sources of income, being a single mom. I wish to always provide for my children and it terrifies me to think that I will fail them in any fundamental way. I am learning that it is what we build in our moments together and not the food or shelter I provide that is what they need most from me -- a sense of safety, belonging and unconditional acceptance for them as they are and as they change. I need to let go of my own conceptions even more -- of what providing a home really means. My distress causes them distress - my peace grants them peace and space to be.

Fear of being overwhelmed by relationships... both friendships and romantic relationships... and, I think, family too. It's limited my personal growth... we grow so much in relationships, and I've been missing out because I've been opting out. I will overcome it by: strengthening my identity and personal boundaries, and by knowing that I don't need to be swallowed up by others. I can always be myself.

fear of being stuck in the same old situation and keep repeating it with a new person. focus on my career and find someone who is more decisive.

A fear I have is of loosing everything and possibly becoming homeless. This Fear has been paralyzing much of the time. I plan to overcome it by start making and following through with decisions from selling the house, to looking for a new job.

I think ultimately my fear is that I won't live up to my potential - either academically or creatively. I am scared that if I stay out of academia for too long, I won't be able to get back in. I'm taking time off right now, and I need this time, but I'm away from my peers and a stimulating intellectual environment. I have all sorts of creative outlets and projects right now too. I think what happens is that I get overwhelmed with all the possibilities to the point that I block myself from moving forward. I would like to overcome this - hopefully by making an effort to focus and think positively. Yoga and meditation will certainly help too!

I fear I want too much and thus can do nothing. My plans always seem bigger than what I accomplish. The process of doing what I want always takes longer than I expect. My fear is I will never have enough time to do everything I want and I will never get enough focus to accomplish even half of what I want. I can't understand how I can get so distracted.

Embarrassment. This one ends up on the list every year. Will I ever get over the terror of being embarrassed? So what? Who cares? Is anyone perfect?

My biggest fear is living a lonely life: no friends or family, or sense of community. My fears of people (rejection) are what keep me from a fulfilled life. On the flip side, I've come to realize that my immediate family aren't people I'll ever have a solid relationship with, and I need to let that go. I need to understand that it's not up to me to fix it. I should feel no guilt over that situation. I love them, but we are not meant to be that kind of family. Instead, I need to make my own family. I need to also make my own friends. To fill my life with people that I love to spend time with.

I have the fear of rejection and being under appreciated. It has limited me because I feel that no matter how hard I try it seems that my hard work doesn't pay off. For rejection, I feel afraid to branch out and truly be myself. Even though I am at JMU, I still feel limited because I would be judged for my actions if any are taken. So for this year, I plan to do everything for me and not for anyone else. I am here for me and for accomplishing my goals. For rejection, I will try to branch out and become more sociable.

I fear failure a lot, especially in terms of career that provides for material needs. There seems so much that I must conform to to get a paycheck that it causes me often to freeze. I want to be myself and true to my own values, but I honestly haven't eve had consist work. I've tried to change that by getting a paralegal certificate, but I still fear this need to conform, it makes living more difficult. I'd like to in the next year do what I can do better get involved in work to support those material needs for me family, so I can better focus on other things that matter to me.

My fear of death is all encompassing and ever present. It seems stronger now that I've past the point where I'm in all likelihood closer to my death than my birth. I don't think that's something one can let go of. I have felt peace in recent years in turning the fear into a reason to remind myself that I'm grateful for the time I've had and will have here.

I think I fear not being "heard"--not physically, but in the metaphoric sense. I think that fear drives me totalk too much, not listen as well as I should, interrupt....I'm getting better at knowing that this true and therefore getting better at overcoming it. Just gotta keep hearing myself and making adjustments. I dont know who said it be it is true---"sometimes you have to be silent to be heard".

I still fear the dark side! Fear itself...

I fear failure, rejection, debt, embarrassment. It keeps me from taking the risks needed to improve my life. I have experienced all of these things, but I fear more of the pain caused by them.

I fear being exposed as a fraud — not knowing as much, being capable of as much, being as intelligent as I "should" be. I want to learn to own my accomplishments and my expertise, while not being afraid to recognize and admit my limitations. I want to acknowledge my faults without living in them.

Fear that I'll NEVER have sex again in my lifetime!! That all of my "firsts" are long behind me...and I have more "been there, did that" and my "someday" column list is quickly moving over to the "never gonna happen" column... Overcoming all that...building on what has already been, moving forward toward other adventures that are possible with a lot of hard work and effort! Just realizing what I've overcome in the past 7 years and survived some horrific life experiences is the BEST way to overcome any fear of the future!

I guess the only fear I have is of not sucking all of the marrow out of life. My plan to overcome that is to live fully in the present, be open to new experiences, and to maintain communications with all of my friends.

I have a fear of reaching out, most specifically making telephone calls. I've been much better in the last year, but they still panic me. I have gotten much better at the work ones, but personal calls are still really hard. I will call my friend today!

It scares me that something might happen to my sister because she has a dangerous job. I can ask her to take care of herself, I will ask her to go abroad for a year, but besides that there is little that i can do

I have an on going fear of getting cancer. I have familial cancer risk as my grandparents, parents and daughter died of cancer, and now by twin brother has been diagnosed with uncureable cancer. I am going to continue being health conscious , exercise , and be thankful for the health I have. It is hard concept to let go of. It does drive me to be more health conscious, even if it does not fend off cancer it allows me to stay active in my older age and enjoy life.

I have a strong fear of looking stupid or silly in front of people I care about. It makes me harder on my family then I should be b/c I'm always being embarrassed by them, when I shouldn't be. I need to have self confidence and just go for it no matter how stupid I might look.

I am fearful of putting myself out there and failing. I've been dealing with this ever since I decided that I want to pursue writing, and in the last year, since I finished my novel and started sending it out, I've had to deal with it big time. But I seem to be coping. I did let it limit me (albeit subconsciously) for many years, but now I have no choice but to throw myself into the breach. Which I am doing and will continue to do this upcoming year...

Fear of letting the years pass by without making a mark. Without finding out what I love to do. WIthout earning my own money. I have tried so many times, I really don't know what to do anymore.

A fear that I've always had is never feeling like I could really be who I felt like I was born to be. That's probably the most amazing thig to me; that Angel loves my heart not my anatomy. So regardless of my exterior, she allows me to be myself. Which is pretty awesome.

I fear talking to my professors because I don't want them to think I'm dumb. This often leads to me getting worse grades because I may not understand an assignment completely. I am going to force myself to go to their office hours when I don't understand something (o at least ask after class).

As always - My fear of physical activities. I don't like them. I don't plan on overcoming it. Also, I don't like new places. Expecially where I'm wayyy out of my comfort zone. It's hard being independent when you're always dependent on someone to translate stuff for you. My fear of learning a new language has really hindered me this year, and I suspect it's going to continue to really hinder me. Am I going to get over it? I hope so. How? No idea whatsoever.

Fear of commitment. Fear of being trapped. I think these are fierce and self protective fears. I have a fear of being the greying lonely activist.

I am deathly afraid of failure. or at least, not being good enough for myself or my family. it keeps me from taking risks and really finding myself. I know that I need to just take life head on or else I never get what I really want.

Right now I am frozen with fear because my lack of employment. I have been actively seeking employment for 18 months to no avail. Not finding any work has me very deflated, my self esteem is on the floor and I feel worthless. My fear is not being able to find any type of work. I am not sure how to overcome this feeling other than continue to seek employment.

Fear of moving on to new things and letting go of the old. Fear of not really being a good person. Fear of not accomplishing much in this life, not being able to stick with the follow through. How to let go or overcome? I really don't know. Just do it!

The fear of heights. It has kept me from trying things like skydiving, mountain climbing and other sporting activities. I do not think I am ready to overcome this fear in the next year.

i fear that I'll never be enough for anyone.

I have a fear of my current relationship not working out. This stems from last one not working out, we were together for 7 years and he decided he didn't want to marry me afterall...guess he fell out of love. This limits me because I hold back in my current relationship, I don't allow myself to truly be loved, I don't believe that it will last forever, I want it to but it's hard to make myself believe that it will happen. We recently talked about engagement rings but I won't hold my breath. I know this is negative behavior but it is how I feel. Plus it seems like my current boyfriend shows more care and concern for his dog than me. I love his dog so much but at the end of the day I still know he is a dog, my boyfriend treats him like a son...maybe I just don't get it. I don't really know how to over come these fears I have talked to my current boyfriend a little about my last relationship but don't know how to get over feeling like he cares for his dog mor than me...oh well maybe it's a sign.

OH.... BIG sigh. That's the question of the year. What are the FEARS that affect my everyday behavior. Have recently listed a number of them. A fear of rejection has stopped me in initiating relationship, but right now that sounds shallow. A fear of my own unworthiness probably manifests in behavior that is perceived as superior, or dominating, or judgmental. That'd be a good one to tackle. How? You ask? Realizing that something I read in the service said I can thank God for putting before me those I judge negatively because they remind me and are shining a mirror on something in myself.

My fear is that when all is said and done and I am no longer among the living I will not be missed. In other words that my life instead of having been a blessing to the world will have proved to be insignificant. In the coming year, I am going to embark upon a serious search as to how to make sure that my life will have meant something to the world at large.

I'm in love and utterly happy. I fear that this happiness could one day end, or that I may lose the person I love the most. I just have to believe that I deserve to be this happy and all will be well.

Fear of disappointing is huge for me. I never want to do anything that could disappoint anyone. This in turn ends up forcing me not to do things, I want to or should do, just because of the possibility of disappointment. I have to let it go.

Failing financially with a new office or even existing ones. Become more financially sound.

I'm afraid of being alone, especially dying alone. I don't want to be on my deathbed without children or a husband to comfort & care for me. This fear has limited my ability to form fulfilling relationships. I stay in bad relationships too long, & they destroy my confidence & independence, thereby hindering my success in other areas of my life, such as my career. This year, I want to take a step back from my relationship, be honest with myself, & really decide whether I'm in it for love or fear.

The greatest fear I experience is that of losing family members and friends to unforseen tragic events. I plan on letting it go by coming to the rationalization that there are things beyond my control.

I have a fear of loss and abandonment. I know it comes from early experiences, but that is intellectual knowing. My emotional self still reacts. I am working on becoming mindful of my motivations and needs and working on determining if I am acting out of fear or out of love. Acting out of fear has meant I did things that didn't serve me ultimately, or left me feeling ultimately unfulfilled. Acting of of love, taking pause, and learning not to REact, helps me let go of fearful actions, and gives me a sense of peace, of quiet acceptance and gratitude. Fear of abandonment and loss is something I plan on continuing to let go in the coming year, and the rest of my life.

I'm afraid of so many things. Fear of failure at my job. I'm not afraid of being alone, but I'm afraid of being lonely. I'm afraid that I won't be able to help my family the way I want to. I'm not sure how to overcome or let go of these fears...

I fear making the wrong choice about going back to work and what to do about my daughter. I'm not sure if it's best for me to go back to work, but I fear making the choice not to, and then regretting it. I need to make a choice, and not allow the fact that there hasn't been a promotion make me choose not to stay home. Success at work, or lack of success at work shouldn't affect my decision to stay home, if I really think that's what's best for my daughter.

I fear that I am not living my life to the fullest - that I am always busy but not using every minute to its fullest potential. I hope to be more regular in meditating about being present and mindfulness and make each day full, joyful & meaningful

The ongoing fear is of being alone and not having the opportunity to become a mother and have a family. This is a work in progress as I am trying to continue to open myself up to opportunities to pursue these goals yet at the same time trying to come to peace and acceptance with the possible outcome of being alone. A delicate balance.

I think my biggest fear at the moment - and rightfully so - is commitment. Not because I'm scared of the idea, but because my track record is dismal. I recently found out, by accident, that my last boyfriend cheated on me, many times, while we were together. That's the third one to do that to me and I've only had 3 boyfriends. So I'm too scared to get close to anyone now, and I know it will take time, but I'm not even remotely entertaining the idea of bf - not really. And it is evident in my choices of boys to date. Ones that I know I wouldn't want to get I to a serious relationship with. I need to break that habit, because I could be missing out in something great. Maybe I needed to strike out before I could hit homerun.

I am afraid of flying. I got a blood clot after taking a red eye flight some years ago and now I'm terrified of flying. My husband is retired and wants to travel and I am holding us back. I don't know how I'm going to handle this.

A fear of being 'stuck'- too serious, frightened of offending people. I feel stuck in myself- can't have fun, enjoy life. I'm always frightened something terrible will happen in my life because it has so often. Just not wanting to go through it all again. If I let go I am afraid I won't keep it at bay. As it's an illusion and I'm not responsible for the whole world maybe I can allow myself to stop worrying.

I fear being myself, asserting myself because I think that people will not like the real me, or will get angry and walk away. I am doing a few things outside of my comfort zone now, hoping to discover, at age 68, who I really am, what I am here for and why acceptance is so important to me.

I am afraid that I'm missing something that everyone else has. It's not a consistent thing that I'm missing - sometimes it's work ethic, sometimes it's life experience, sometimes it's grammatical skill. But it limits me in that it puts me (in my head) in the place of "other." In the coming year, I need to learn to loudly confront that voice with both "no" and action.

how to choose? i have so many fears? the fear being sucessful- i'm letting go but daring bravely and doing good strong work the fear of allowing joy to flow freely (because something bad will happen) i will overcome by being present in the moment- by being honest & taking myself seriously (but not too seriously) & doing more of what makes my heart sing

I have often let shyness stop me from taking leadership positions, and I am trying to take leadership positions anyway this year, both at my school and at my temple. Perhas taking spiritual leadership will be next?

I have a fear of imperfection. This is what led to my anxiety issues and my habit of comparing everything that I do to the actions of others. I plan on overcoming this fear in the coming year by fully understanding that every person is unique, and it is our imperfections that make us beautiful.

This is a great question! I am afraid I have been quite fearful! Fear of failing in life. Fear that I am making the right choices. Fear that I am being too emotional. How I can overcome it? I just need to trust. I need to trust myself, trust that whatever happens, I have overcome incredible circumstances and at least I got that!

Fear that my attempts to lose and keep off my extra weight will not happen, ever. I plan on overcoming it by sticking to the eating protocol I chose (Dr. Joel Fuhrman) and keeping in touch with friends that will help.

I have a fear of others not liking me. I've slowly become more aware of the fact that I need to do what is RIGHT regardless of who likes me for it, and the people who stick around will be well worth all of the people who don't.

Spiders because I fucking hate them. It'll never go away.

My biggest fear is that nothing I've done will pan out - that the education and the unpaid internship won't get me anywhere. The funny thing is, now that I've started it, I wish I had done this years ago. My fear of things not turning out has kept me from doing anything productive at all.

Being a 3x cancer survivor my fear is always that it will come back and I might not be as lucky as in the past. I deal with it by saying to that fear' I know you are there!" but I am going to live my life with as much zest as I can muster !

That nobody will love me because I do not have full custody of my son. Or that I will not allow myself to trust any man after what my ex-husband did to us. I will try to seek out eligible men and be proud of what I have done as a mother, and not dwell on what happened years ago.

Fear of failing. I will try new things and explore more.

I am afraid of one of my family members dying, especially my husband. This irrational fear sometimes keeps me awake at night. I try to remind myself that I have no control over this and to force my mind to think of something else, ideally something pleasant..

I have a fear of missing out. Also known as FOMA. It sometimes keeps me from being able to really do what I want to do as opposed to what I think might be the most fun or popular. If there are two options for a Saturday night and I can't do both, I have FOMA about the one I don't choose. Of course, the grass is always greener on the other side, so it's probably not as much fun as everyone makes it out to be. What I'm doing might be just as much fun if not more. Mostly, this fear gives me anxiety while I should be enjoying whatever experience I chose to participate in. I am not able to be fully present for this experience and that detracts from the benefits it could provide. This year, I plan on focusing more on the present and living in the moment. I have to remind myself that I can't be everywhere at once and where I am is where I should be (most of the time). I don't have to attend every party or festival or gathering in order to have a fulfilling life. There are so many reasons why my life is fulfilling and I need to focus on those: friends, family, health, home...

My biggest fear is judgment, of not meeting the standard. Not smart enough, funny enough, pretty enough, good enough. It limits me in many ways. Primarily I often feel I observe more than participate. And I am so thankful when others participate as I see this as generous. I have worked on overcoming this for years, currently I'm not sure what else to do except step into fear. Recently someone said, "you must make friends with your fears" so instead of pushing it away I need to embrace it and walk with it. We shall see. But I do hope to make a shift in it.

I am so afraid of not being financially secure. It has made me refuse to take risks, to stay in stifling but safe jobs, to not express my full range of emotions and personality. I'm not certain how I can overcome it but to keep trying. I intend to get healthier and slimmer. Perhaps I'll save more money to protect me from the financial downside of a new position. I'm not sure what I can do since I've had this fear forever and forever it's been unfounded. Sad.

I have a fear of letting go of emotional eating. I know I use food to comfort me, and I don't have a replacement to comfort myself. I don't have a plan in place, I am working to find one now. That fear of letting go of emotional eating has kept me fatter than I want to be. I'm always shocked when I see pictures of myself, because in my mind I'm much smaller. I want to get back to that smaller self that is locked inside this fatter body, so I have to find a new way to comfort myself.

That my husband is addicted to several medicines and that he will accidentally overdose and die. Try to convince him that he may have a problem and may need help.

I am perpetually scared of rejection and not being valued. I think I respond to this poorly by retreating into myself, or, worse, growing angry and distant. I'd like to grow more and more confident in myself so that that gnawing need becomes less and less powerful in my life, and has less and less influence in my actions towards others -- but, ultimately, limit myself.

One of my biggest fears is getting 'stuck' professionally due to the circumstances of my and my husband's careers, where we are professionally and in terms of our family. I'm not sure how to let this go in the next year. I do plan on continuing to articulate my concerns and to work on changing my own position professionally so that I am in a position that is more "valued."

my fear has been my dylexia and mental health label would hinder my efforts at university this year, but i intend to work closely with all advice services within uni and use every support network along the way when it becomes obvious i need help.i also know there if know shame in admitting i need help, it is a strong and confident that gets help when it's needed, not a weakness

A fear that I have is my need for routine will put me in a boring rut, and life will pass me by.

I have a fear of doing too much and not doing each thing well. I hope I will be able to balance my life better and be able to work at my tasks for an appropriate amount of time.

Fear that I will fail in an athletic endeavor, such as a bike ride. I will attempt more difficult climbs, and work on my climbing skills. I fear the anger of my wife. I will do a better job of talking to her about my feelings, without putting her on the defensive. I sometimes hesitate to take on a task that I fear I cannot do well. I will try to be more objective as to whether the fear is of an actual consequence, or merely a fear that I will look bad.

September 24, 2012 I'm afraid of losing my friends. At the end of 8th grade it happened and it was a really hard time for me. Sometimes I worry that I'm saying the wrong things and it'll break our friendships. You can only make so many mistakes before people stop forgiving you. Hopefully I'll get more comfortable with myself in the coming year and know when to do things or say things and when to not.

I feel like I've suffered from a fear of success my whole life. Always being among the best yet choosing to slacken off to avoid any spotlight. This year I'm going to work harder in whatever I do and strive to be the very best! This will apply to school, exercise, work, and anything else I've been too afraid to master!

Fear. What a complex word...I fear my back and neck disabilities are getting worse. I've had more flare-ups in the past few months than I ever remember. Being home bound really bites. So, because of that...fear of not being able to do the things with my boys that I want, am used to, and love to do! I plan on taking meds on time and getting MORE sleep!!!

I'm afraid of not having a job and not having money. I feel that it keeps me from looking for something better. Today I lost my job, so I have to have faith that HaShem will help me though this.

I have a fear of dependance. Dependance on money, on people, on places, on jobs, on food, on things. It has made me flighty but fiercely independent. I have come to the point where I have built up enough faith in myself that I think I can start to depend on others and things which are external to myself and I plan to start practicing this year. Living in one place, being with the same people, having my own company (which I can't abandon).

I am afraid I will never make my novel wonderful. I am afraid I am incapable. I am afraid this "failure" will haunt me. I will let it go by meditating. By giving it a chance. By going away for a few days to focus only on my novel.

I'm afraid I'm losing my best friend. He decided to move abroad for the next several years, forcing us to mutually end our romantic relationship. I'm trying to move forward in life, but I still wonder if it was the best decision. My fears hold me back from dating other people. I have no idea how to overcome this problem as there is no way of knowing whether he is 'the one', or if that person is still out there.

Fear of failing and having my father see. He has never given me the help or support that I needed. I want to let go of that fear and him forever. My life would have less stress and more freedom to fail and get back up again. Because i know that you cannot succeed if you are not open to failure. If I can disconnect this year, I feel I will be more prepared to go out and get what I want!

I am often afraid of other people. I choose different ways and change my plans because I don't want to pass some people. I just have a few friends and I really can't make new ones.

My biggest fears are of spiders, dogs and loss. Spiders are everywhere, and I'm learning to appreciate them from a distance when they are doing their job in someone's garden. Dogs are everywhere, and I'm learning that I don't need to be friends with them. However, I am also learning that I need to have other people help my daughter learn to interact with them! Loss is everywhere. I am starting to remember that it isn't just that "you only live once" but the balance of that is that "you only die once." I want to work on not reliving every loss I've suffered, because what is most important is the resiliency and strength I gained through each loss.

Fear of not being able to support my family. As my wife and I plan to expand upon it, this worries me a great deal. Fear of not growing professionally. The economy did not help my job search and I took a small step backwards. I need to GROW, and I am afraid I may not have the opportunity..... or the drive.

Fear of unpredictable debilitating 3-day headaches caused by perfume or smoke or mold or various foods. This limits me socially and professionally. It makes me hesitate to plan trips or apply for jobs or visit people's homes or go back to school to get a job where I would have more control over my environment. I can control what I eat, but I have no control over the other triggers. I have given up on overcoming this, but I would like to learn to accept my limitations, work within them, and go forward socially and professionally.

I have a fear of meeting and being accepted into a new significant other's family and friends. I worry about that first impression, knowing my quietness does not always leave a favorable one. I need to accept my character traits as part of me and trust that new people will get to know me over time; it doesn't happen in one shot. I need to develop confidence in my own inherent worthiness.

I am afraid of failure/what other people think. I always want to be better than other people and do more than them. However, in the next year, I will work on doing things in steps, and comparing nothing to anyone else. Simply looking at myself. I will do this by journaling, keeping a record of what I am doing so that I am aware. Especially because I am that most important entity, not everyone else...

I'm afraid of my own financial illiteracy. I'd like to invest intelligently but feel too scared to make a decision. I'm going to overcome it by buying my kids some stock in google and seeing how it goes from there.

I have a fear of failure. I have struggled this year by deciding if not pursuing a higher education is because of my fear or becuase of other factors. I finally decided it was a bit of both. When I look at decisions in my future, I plan to take failure out of the equation and assume success is my only option.

I fear nothing. Hear that, Universe? And don't you dare try to say BOO! In any form. Thank you.

Lately, I fear wasting time. Both in a day-to-day sense (as I procrastinate by writing answers to these questions, for instance) and in a larger sense: am I really spending my time in accordance with my values? The answer is often no. I value cultivating relationships, being in nature, having new experiences, advancing understanding, enjoying myself, giving back, piecing things together, making music, helping others. These are necessarily vague. But I will feel much better once I have a clear thesis topic to work on, and a defined timeline with sane goals. I guess I also fear failure, because I am working in a technically challenging and increasingly competitive field. Grad school!!! Ugh.

I have an intense fear of failure. I literally won't put myself in a situation where I might be seen as to fail, this is from something as small as answering a question in class to keeping secrets from people incase I fail at a particular endeavor. My boyfriend accuses me of lying quite a lot, I don't feel that I'm lying I just think I keep things from him so I don't feel twice the bitter disappointment when I fail. I'd like to get past this and be able to put myself out there, take chances and deal with failures in a more positive way

Fear of being lazy. or the fear of diving headfirst into new things. I was never great at taking on big projects (the book is a great example) but I'm realizing that taking on the big projects, and focusing over the long term, is much more satisfying than doing the things that can get done in a day. I think its a serious psychological fight I need to have with myself everyday. If i want to write a book, its not going to happen in one week or a day. If i want to learn to program, or want to learn spanish, or play an instrument, it will take time, and I need to work to be able to complete projects over time.

No big cosmic fear----Fear of driving on expressways. I am trying to find the courage to take driving lessons for nervous senior citizens. In the alternative i cannot be afraid to ask for help and ask for rides when needed.

Fear of flying. I deal with it pretty well on short trips but don't like to think about flying overseas. I'd like to overcome this in the next year. Especially since all my friends seem to be having wonderful trips.

The only fear i have is the loss of my relationship with Adonai. He is pivotal in my life. I do not want to grieve Him or displease Him...i need Him and i want Him in my life. He is my everything and thats an understatement...im wide awake..no longer in slumber.

That I will not make the right choice in soul mates and I will be devastated by the resuts. I plan to move forwRD WITH MY PLAN of letting him go .

Fear of violence and war. Fear that it will increase or continue. Fear of the consequences of MY COUNTRY's hypocritical invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq. I live overseas and travel frequently for my work. I am afraid that being an American will put me and my family in danger even though I do not agree with any of it! Overcoming it; I will continue the work I do, about the value of diversity, promoting dialogue, equity and justice in communities. Maybe eventually enough people will understand that might is not right, and that will trickle into our leadership.

Being alone. Abandonment. My subconscious coping mechanisms have been jealous, control, anger ~ which only pushes my partner or friends away and leaves me feeling hurt and sad. I plan to overcome this fear by loving myself more. Dissolve the delusion with constant reminders of the truth ~ i am NEVER alone, and VERY much loved and in an amazing relationship (the past does NOT have to dictate the future) ~ and realize feeling that fear should be an instant reminder to love and take care of myself MORE.

I am afraid of being judged by the people around me. This has kept me back from expressing my opinions and thoughts and things like that. It makes me feel limited and stifled and sometimes angry. I plan on not giving a rip about what people think, in the immortal words of my psychology teacher. Life's too short to be confined by the boxes that people place on you.

I feel like I am doing the wrong things. I feel unmotivated and un-centered. Why do I feel this way? I am very capable and I am often accomplishing a lot, but I'm so often telling myself that I'm not right, second guessing myself. Not the best way to live. I will keep telling myself to live in the moment, go with the flow, keep my eyes open and stop judging myself.

I think I fear death more than anything. I'm not prepared, but I guess that's a common thread. I have a fear of being unemployed, and it limits me in the fact that I feel inferior in certain crowds. It's always been with me, and I can't even try to overcome it

I fear remaining in my job, for which the conditions are demeaning. It is emblematic of a tolerance for complacency and status quo in my life. Don't wanna go through life without trying to improve my main job and get out of this poor situation.

Fear of dying early and leaving such a mess behind for my husband and family to deal with. I am so out of shape and not healthy...I am sad and frustrated with myself.

I fear that I will embarrass myself I fear that people will look at me as a joke I fear that people will look down at me. I don't want to be "on top" or "the alpha" or "the dictator", I just want to inspire people. How do you inspire someone to be who they are when you're afraid to show too much of yourself? I guess I'll fix it by taking my own advice. I try to let people know that I'll accept them and cherish their existence no matter what-- because they really are just human beings like the rest of us. I think that if I keep on accepting people as they are, then they'll learn to accept me as I am.

I am afraid of holding back and not doing what I love. I have felt that I needed to fit into something that others expect of me so I have been holding back and trying to fit into their expectations. I hope that I can overcome that by working at something that I love to do.

My greatest fear currently is people believing that I'm ineffective. As a result I've given too much of myself to group tasks and those things which are more important for life have suffered. I however, will not try to overcome this fear just yet as it is still beneficial and required as a motivation for my own development, but it is something to think very seriously about in the future.

I am scared of failure. Terrified. I am only now learning that not achieving perfection is not failure. I am also scared of my weight. I am scared of the judgements of others, and that I will be a failure if I am to gain. Of course I would choose to let these things go but they have been holding me back for so long that I don't know how.

The fear of making mistakes. Scared to make decisions just in case I'll be wrong. Was scared to meet new people. Scared to be or not with my girlfriend Marta, I wasn't sure what to do and so I was still scared to say to her. I just let things go and let circumstances come my way, I didn't influence my life enough. I waited for Marta to say/ask if I really want to split up, I couldn't do that myself, I waited for her. Shame but that's how it was.

I do not have any fears.

My fear is losing control. I tend to over plan and not let others plan for me. I know this limits my ability to be surprised, flexible and allow others to give to me. I know I "like it the way I like it". I need to allow myself to trust others and that all will happen the way it is supposed to unfold. I will try to lower my need to manage things and allow others to shine.

My fear of failure has prohibited me from achieving all of the goals that I have established in my mind. I want to take more risks and strive for more achievements.

Getting sick and being alone. I don't travel by myself . I will take a trip by myself.

I have no fear, I will not allow myself to even consider the thought of fear. When I get apprehensive about something, I pause, take a deep breath & focus my attention on the joy in the situation.

I'm afraid of being a parent. I'm afraid of the lack of sleep, the lack of time, of always being on-call for someone else's needs. I'll have nine months to adjust, and I know that every parent has gotten though that time somehow. I also know I'll have a lifetime of getting to know my children to look forward to.

Fears come and go. Sometimes I'm afraid we won't make it financially - but then I realize money comes and goes and we have the potential of making a lot - just need to work on fulfilling that potential. I just started taking Bach flowers to help me withthat, and they seem to be working somewhat. I also realize that the worst that can happen is that we'll have to give up some of the convineinces we got used to, and that might not be that bad either. Sometimes I'm afraid someone close to me will die - but then I remember that we'll all die at some point and there's no use in being afraid of it.

I am afraid of not living up to my full potential, or feeling satisfied that I have. I am afraid I will go the rest of my life just trying to earn money, and never feeling fulfilled by what I do. I can't quit my job and go do something else. I actually have a really great job...it's decent pay, low-stress, flexible schedule and other great benefits...but most of the time I sit there wondering what the hell I'm doing, and why I'm even there. I will continue to pursue the volunteer and service projects that mean a lot to me. That's where my heart lives.

I have had a fear of not meeting/living up to people's expectations of me. Sometimes it takes me a long time to make decisions, and also sometimes I shy away from committing to things with a high level of pressure, responsibility, or expectation. I plan to let go of that and also to stop looking for external validation -- to do things because I want to, not on behalf of someone else. I will take full responsibility and ownership of my life! I fear that because he doesn't take care of himself, my dad doesn't have much longer. I fear that he won't ever care enough about his own health to do something about it. That's hard to let go of. I feel it limits my interactions with him. I would like to come to a place of acceptance, but I don't want that to be synonymous with acquiescence to the worst or giving up. I will overcome/let go of it by setting the example of creating optimal health in myself.

my role at work will be changing and i'm not sure how it will effect me - at the moment i'm just taking one day at a time

I don't feel fearful these days. I feel more like I have hesitations that exist for good reasons. I feel like I have been ignoring anxiety or discomfort too much in my life, and instead of 'overcoming' fear, I hope to learn to listen to the wise message in the fear. I suppose one legitimate fear that may not be useful is fear of letting people down, and therefore withholding what I truly feel or think. But even in those cases, I think that my hesitation runs deep and is somewhat wise-- those relationships are not as strong as they would need to be to withstand the disappointment.

Fear of not being able to find a job after college, or even before then for that matter.

I think that my biggest fear is fear itself. I try so hard to be strong for everyone, for myself. My strength is infinite, but fear makes me weak. And that's what worries me most. I don't like being weak. I'm going to stay with what I said last year in terms of overcoming it. I can't control everything. There are some things that I must just simply let go of, which is a work in progress every single day.

I fear being by myself and lonely. Consequently I sometimes spend time with people I don't really want to be around just to have company. I will also attend events or go places I really don't want to be just for the sake of having company when I could use my time so much more effectively. I'd like to try to overcome this fear in the coming year by getting back to the practice of meditation and learning to detach from what others might think of my being alone. If I can handle being by myself and loving my own company, I believe I can be more loving to others and be more successful personally and professionally.

Sometimes I am afraid of looking stupid in front of my peers. This has limited me asking questions when I should. Particularly in meetings where I may have lapsed in concentration. I have developed a technique where I request the person talking to repeat what they have said so I can understand it. In the coming year I want to make sure that I keep unpacking a statement a person has made until I (irrespective of who else is there) can understand it.

Honestly, I have no fears I wish to over come...I am 66 years old so bungee jumping isn't on my bucket list, neither is any other fear.

I'm scared of letting my family down by not being as successful as everyone expects me to be.

I have brought this topic up a few times during this years 10Q so I know it has been weighing heavy on my mind. I have suffered from a great deal of fear about having a baby. Fear that I wouldn't have enough time in my life. Fear of the pain of delivery. Fear of pregnancy itself. Fear that I will miss out on my career opportunities. Fear that I won't be able to handle the responsibility. Fear that my child won't get a good education. All around fear of the process. I know I will be a great Mom. There is no doubt in my mind that my husband will be a great Dad. I just had to get myself over the fear of the unknown. Now that we have decided to start trying all the fear went our the window and I am ready to work through all the issues that come up and I am confident that everything will work out.

Fear of being alone, and not having accomplished my dreams of sharing a life with someone, traveling and becoming financially independent. I plan to let go by continuing to be open, keep faith, and having the courage to change jobs or go back to school... and meet with a financial advisor.

I fear that I'm not fulfilling my purpose, whatever that is. I also fear daily that I'm not doing enough. This fear doesn't make me work smarter, it makes me work faster.....and I'm not sure that I'm getting anywhere.

I'll turn 25 in 3 months and I'm not going to lie it scares the crap out of me. I have been out of high school for nearly 8 years. What have I accomplished? Where do I go from here? I keep moving forward because I have no other option.

Fear of being alone; it prevents me from enjoying and accepting who I am.

Fear of not being able to rise to the standards of the professional world. Fear of not being able to handle college. Fear of not having the same level of professional success as the rest of my family. Fear of not being a good/hot/sexy/attractive/appealing enough girl-no-woman to get a boyfriend. I have my doubts about where I am and what I'm doing. Most days I'm very secure with what I want. Today is one of those days that I get frustrated. I'm tired--that's adding to a lot of this--and when I hear my professor talk about the implications of efforts and endeavors in the marketing world and how to understand this concept from asking that question, I don't know how she does it. I have a bit of the same feelings as I did when I started work at Panera; if this is overwhelming to me, how can I handle the greater challenges? I need to remind myself to be confident, like Tony's mom told me. I earned my spot at Emerson, at EmComm, at PRSSA, and at EmEvents. I have the drive to do great things. I have the awareness to be accomplished. I just need to take this all one step at a time and figure out what is best for me. One definition, one assignment, one response, one essay, one test, one course, one semester, and one year. I can't build a career in a day. That's why I'm here for four years; to learn a lot along the way.

I have an intense fear of public speaking, with the progressions in my work, i have to do more pitching and public speaking. The only way to get over it, is to embrace it and do it more often. I have the fear of letting people in and of getting in another relationship. i think ill get over it once i feel happy in myself, although i am quiet happy now in my life and in general, things like my weight and being naked gives me and adds unnecessary anxiety.

Fear that I'm not competent and capable

My mother, my best friend is 88 yrs old. She has COPD and congestive heart failure. I recently found out this disease will take my mother's life because it's . I know she won't live forever but this information totally shocked me. My plan is to love my mom everyday and enjoy her while I have her whether she lives one day or 1,000 or more.

I've always had a fear of failure, of tarnishing my image as the golden child and teacher's pet. I've spent a lot of effort keeping up this image, like the serene duck paddling madly just below the surface. I've worn my "own worst critic" badge with pride. But this year I've been forced (or given the opportunity?) to rethink this role and where it's gotten me. Perfect people don't leave their marriages. Perfect people don't fall in love with younger guys and move in with them before the divorce is finalized. Perfect people don't take a semester off from school because they can't get their shit together. The realization that I'm not perfect and won't necessarily follow all the rules--and the fact that the world hasn't ended as a result--has been very liberating. What else can I do my way?

My biggest fear is - enough. Am I accomplishing enough? Am I cleaning enough? Am I doing enough for my baby, my marriage, my partner? Is my relationship enough? There is so much I expect from myself and yet not enough OF myself. I think I need to focus on knowing that whatever I am doing is enough and that is good enough.

I do not want to end my life with tubes enabling my body to live but my mind to half function. I would like to die as my father did. At age 96 he started book on russian HIstory the night before, had some sort of medical crisis in the early morning, could talk but was not particularly lucid and died at 2:00pm.The staff still asked if they should do exploratory surgery to discover the problem. I have made it very plain to every Md and every friend and relative that I do not want to go thru the prolongation of life measures--just allow me to die--or if I am in pain be a bit helpful!

I'm afraid about not matching into a medical residency position. All the hurdles I've encountered up until now have been a serious blow to my already low confidence and self-esteem. Of course I am trying again this year, but my current lack of interview offers and rising amount of rejections is slowly hacking away at whatever little hope I had left. The only way I can let go of the fear is to have faith in God, but I'm scared despite that.

My greatest fear is that I will bury my son Ben. He has a drug and alcohol problem that he can't seem to overcome. He has attempted suicide a number of times, and only once with truly serious consequences (24 hours in Intensive Care). Even so, I don't believe he wants to kill himself, rather, he knows no other way of asking for help. I have resigned myself to do what I can without becoming his primary caretaker, because I'm sure that would kill me.

Being afraid to do what I want because I'll be judged. I think I'll try to do what I want, and not care what people say. It's corny, but you only live once. Why let other people bring you down?

My fear has always been to face the world and all its obstacles and moments of splendid grace alone, to have no one to perservere or gasp in awe with. I'm literally in almost the EXACT same place I was for last year's 10Q which is depressing. I've watched the women around me change into entitled flaky morons with virtually no standard of personal quality, imitating the vacuous mannequins they see on reality TV, incapable of loving or being loved with any longevity. Therefore, I'm overcoming my fear of being alone by being alone. Maybe, for now, all my challenges and reveletory splendors should remain personal.

I am afraid I wont live long enough to raise my last grandchild who has no one else.... I am trying to be healthy. And praying.

I have a fear of extending myself beyond my competent limits and then screwing up and disappointing people, including myself. Sometimes i wonder if this is actually a fear, or if it's just being cautious. But, in either scenario, it limits my connections to other people. It limits my pride in accomplishments. It limits my confidence. I haven't developed a plan for dealing with this. It's hard to see outside the box I've created.

I have a fear of having seizures. I try to let it go but when I think of moving on it freezes me up. I'm afraid of them eventually limiting my traveling abilities and having to rely on people to get around.

Fear of flying. Fear of returning to school and changing careers. I'll hopefully overcome my fear of flying when I'm on an airplane to India in 21 days. And since the process of changing careers is already underway, I hope I can overcome my fear of really carrying through with it and not be afraid to succeed.

Perfectionism. It's not exactly a fear, but it makes me act afraid of failure. As I prepare to become a parent, I know that I'm going to have to let go of perfectionism and just try to be the best person I can be - not the most perfect.

Fear of making the wrong choice often paralyzes me, keeping me from making any choice at all... I need to trust my instincts more.

The strangest thing has been a fear of losing weight and having to get rid of my clothes - or admitting that I wasn't this small. I know, it's ridiculous. I know that buying new clothes should be a great thing. If only they gave you an unlimited clothes budget when you were losing weight - or, at any time. I've also had some fears around my friendships and how those are changing/will change - especially in my micro-chasm of Seattle. I know that my friends afar are there for me, but it's scary to think of not having a strong network of good friends where I live. I have this compulsion to form a group, which I recognize doesn't always work. I'm not quite sure how I plan to overcome it in the coming year - I will have to reflect more on that.

I fear failure. I fear that people will realize I fear failure and that failure is possible. (Obviously I've failed and most people know that.) I fear that my fear of failure will cause me to hold back from really going for it all. I don't know how to overcome this fear. I hope that this coming year will unleash strength and confidence in myself, allowing me to go for it all.

I'm afraid of stirring up trouble by pointing out things that are wrong. I always tell myself that it's just my judgement and I could be misreading the situation, or that it's temporary, or a one-time issue and won't happen again. When I don't speak up and the situation does not resolve itself in a positive manner, I feel bad for keeping silent, but I'm afraid to speak up, too. I guess I need to trust my judgement a little more. Speak up in small situations so that by and by it's easier to speak up in big ones.

I have a fear of rejection. I have trouble putting myself out there and feeling confident about it because I'm always afraid of being turned down or failing. Because of this, I don't take as many chances as I should. I am going to seriously take YOLO into mind and keep it with me forever. You only live once, and that's that. One chance. You can't screw it up by being afraid.

I am terrified of letting anyone in my life down. It has brought me close to ruin as I have kept problems to myself until they absolutely must be dealt with. Instead of protecting those around me from tarnishing their image of me I have damaged their perception perhaps beyond repair. I will not let it happen again. I'm staying truthful about everything I do, the good and the bad, and hoping that they will forgive me in time.

I'm afraid that if I go looking for a more satisfying career or calling, that my family and I will have to make some serious sacrifices because of the possible financial risks involved. This quote sums it up quite well: “The only way to push forward is to risk something important.”

I have a fear of not fitting in. It has limited me because I have become someone that appears to be normal, however that is not my true self. I hope to allow myself to be me. To dress how I want. To act as I want. And most importantly, to be happy.

Money. Money has been haunting me not only this year, but for the last 4 years. Unfortunately, it has only gotten worse over the years, and it's starting to reach its limit. I am worried about money ALL the time. It's all I think about. I am over working because of it. I can't plan any kind of future because of the lack of it. It's now not only affecting me, but B as well. I still don't know what I will do this year to fix this problem and get over this fear. I'm always thinking about this, but haven't found a solution I feel comfortable with yet.

For the first time in my whole life i've had doubt creep in about whether or not i'm going to succeed here as an actress. I've already taken steps to getting my positivity back, identifying negative influences and intend to continue to work through that in the coming months.

Talking to people, walking in public, being looked at. My anxieties have gotten way worse than they used to be, that's for sure. I don't know how to stop it either! I'm hoping that making friends/having friends will help to make me more care free but who knows...

My fear is that I will never let go of/fully overcome my eating disorder.

Fear of succeeding and leading! Such a scary prospect, to finally acknowledge that I AM a leader and I AM good at my work and I AM worth listening to! I want to spend time this year acknowledging the little voice inside that says "you're not good enough, smart enough, etc.", feel whatever it brings up, then act anyway, knowing in my heart of hearts that I really can do it! Life is too short to thwart myself - there are plenty of other obstacles, my own internal dialog should not be one I pay attention to!

I fear my own sexuality, and how it is received by the outside world. I think it's going to take much longer than just this next year to overcome. Really, I'd rather just go about my life and forget about the whole thing, if that's possible. What the hell should my being gay have to do with my work life, my community involvement, or anything else?

the fear is of not being good enough...it has been reinforced in the last few years by an uphill custody fight for my grandson that I keep 'losing'...apparently I am not good enough, a stranger is better, even if said stranger has a house full of drug addicts and felons that all have complete access to him... but I digress. Not sure how to let this one go, or overcome it. I have begun to meditate and work on my spirit...we are all good enough. I know this logically, we are all perfect as we are, but to 'feel' this is the thing. It shall be interesting to see how this appears in a year..

Sometimes I fear that I'll say or do the wrong thing and people will label me as an outcast. I plan on overcoming it by being more confident and taking more chances.

Fear of being alone. As a twenty-year old who has never been kissed, I worry that I'll never find someone. But worrying doesn't make it better, and being with someone doesn't make everything purpose. I can't be happy with another person until I learn how to be happy with myself.

Fear of not picking up the pace of earning money so my partner can relax a bit. We're fine, but I don't think I'm doing my part to contribute equally and I'm afraid I'm not building the business fast enough to take some stress off of her. I hope to re-do my business plan and beef up the marketing.

Fear of disappointing my parents. They are very conservative and it's hard for me to share my beliefs with them because I know they would take it personally.

fear of intimate relations;hips. I plan on trying to keep my head in the same moment as my feet.

Getting over my fears has been a big push for me this year. Basically I plan to continue facing these fears ad putting trust in myself and the universe to guide me. My biggest fears include losing control, rejection, fatal illness, and being alone. Everyday I work with these fears to try to put it all in prospective and realize its all in my head. This next year I am going to continue taking baby steps to take control of my life and not be paralyzed by fear. Basically, I am going to try to fully embrace my fear but do the scary thing anyway.

I have a fear of letting my community down (I have been a member since birth), as I feel that there is a great expectation of me. It is like I am giving up on one of my own children. This year however, I think I am finally going to let go and integrate into a new community, closer to home.

Oh god, I'm riddled with fears. They can all be so paralyzing. Fear of spiders, fear of shame and ruin, fear of success, fear of failure, fear of my fears, fear of the unknown, fear of republicans, fear of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and seeing something I'm not supposed to see and then being whacked, fear of illness. They limit me by being so loud that I pay attention to them. I need to tune them out. Focus on the positive and go boldly into the light

Failure. It keeps me from completing little things or following through on the simple steps I need to take to do things. Big risks don't scare me, it's the little ones that I avoid. I need to stop taking myself so seriously. Most of the failure I'm afraid of wouldn't even be seen as failure by most people.

I'm deathly afraid of failing. I'm afraid of rejection. I'm afraid of not being good enough. I'm hoping therapy and my own inner strength and self confidence I'm hoping to gather will help me get through this.

Fear of failure. Fear of harming someone. Of making a mistake. Strategy: - relax - relax your jaw - breathe - laugh - it's not a big deal

I'm afraid of failing. I think I wrote this last year. God.... how do I get over this? I'm afraid that I'm not saying/doing the right thing and it's so inhibiting!!!

Even though my children are all grown, my youngest is 23 and has a child of her own, I still fear failing as a mother. My mom made motherhood look so easy, and it's such hard work. Even now, I still work at being a good mom. I go to counseling and my therapist is working with me on overcoming this fear. He tells me I was a fantastic mom when the kids were little and NEEDED me to a mom, now I need to let go a little and understand that I am not G-D in their worlds anymore.

I think my biggest fear is, losing the life I have, I want to raise my children right and be a great dad and husband, I know that if I do one thing wrong, drink alchohol, I could lose it all,I fear my alcoholism , I don't know if I'll ever overcome it, but working the program on a daily basis will absolutely help!

I fear that I'm going to let someone down, whether it's my parents and myself by getting a bad grade or doing something to compromise my future, or people in the clubs I'm involved with on campus, or my friends by not being there for them. I think I just have to accept that I can never bat 1.000 and not be afraid to get that A- or B+, or have an event that maybe doesn't work. They're all learning experiences.

I think I fear the same thing that most people do- the fear that there will not be enough. Enough money, enough love, enough respect, enough understanding. I also fear judgment from those around me. I believe that a combination of action and letting go on my part will help me overcome these fears.

I think my biggest fear is failure. I did not do well in high school so I'm scared that university will be the same, and i know it counts for more. I really have to try hard.

My biggest obvious fear is a fear of flying. I will fly once or twice a year if it's a long distance, but it is complete torture. I also have such a lack of confidence that I fear having to talk to people and, once I have, I fear I will disappoint them. This causes me to be very awkward and have terrible "foot in mouth" syndrome. I often come off as aloof and very brusque so I'm not one of those people one immediately likes or even remembers. This whole thing causes so many problems and I have quit many activities because I am totally unable to bond with another person or have problems participating. I force myself to take part in things to try to learn to interact, but I pretty much suck at it. Right now as I look for another job, I really try to be relaxed and be myself, with little success. I will keep trying and maybe I'll get it right. Or maybe I'm just a totally unlikeable fucked up woman. I'm really not sure. It seems like at 51 years old I'd have some clue.

I fear having ongoing hip pain again to the point I have to have surgery on my second hip. I guess, privately, I fear serious illness, disability and death. I plan on letting this go by living the best life I can live in the here and now

I'm afraid that I won't be able to earn money as an editor; that I won't be good enough. I plan to overcome it by doing it and building a good foundation of giving clients the best work I am capable of doing.

I have been suffering paralysing panic attacks that wake me up at night. I don't even really know what I am afraid of. I just get terrible anxiety when I feel like the choices I make at work might make people angry or that people aren't being genuine with me. I feel spread thin but so exposed to attack. Firstly I plan on changing my job and cutting back my work hours. But importantly, I am committed to incoporating mindfulness tools into my life to help me let stuff go and dedicate my energy to the things that matter, like my family.

I am afraid that I will use getting fired from my job as a reason to play small with my next one. I'm afraid to fail again; but I fear even more playing little and being bored and going through the motions. I am going to let go of that and find a fulfilling, satisfying job.

My kids are growing up too fast. I feel at times like i am just trying to guide them instead of really enjoy them. I want to spend more dedicated quality time with them.

My deepest fear is that I am unloveable and unworthy. I let go of it over and over -- a spiritual practice. Taking care of myself helps. Loving my child helps (for as well as being good for her, I seem to love the wounded child in her by loving myself). Connecting with the natural world helps -- remembering that I am part of the earth, too.

Fear that I will repeat the mistakes of my parents financially. I am trying to undertake change on a daily basis, even if incremental.

I fear that many of my peers are suffering due to the bad economy. Hope to support and vote for a candidate who will strive to improve our economy

I have a fear of not living up to my expectations. It keeps me too busy. I want to be less of a perfectionist this year.

My biggest fear is that I won't be able to please everyone or that people won't like me. I'm scared that I'm not pretty enough for people to like me or I'm not nice, helpful, or smart enough for them to want to be around me. The best way to get over this is to stop caring what others think and instead focus on my true friends and how they feel about me. I'm just not sure if I can give up caring what others think so quickly.

I have fears about not being good enough. Not becauase of anything anyone else says or does, but because I've started to set guidelines or expectations for myself based on those around me and I feel like I'm not where I should be on some of those levels. Primarily, I think a large one comes down to money and finances. I've been wanting to get my finances straightened out for the past few months. I'm finally starting to make headway on it, however my current love life and relationship situation doesn't make it the easiest to save. Fortunately the dynamics of my relationship are evolving and things are becoming increasingly easier. Hopefully he'll be moving here by May and that will cut our travel costs significantly.

My fear is that what I do does not matter. I guess that could be looked at as a good thing too. I am always fighting, it makes me feel less helpless. I feel that the fight for gender equality at work is an important endeavor and has gained some traction. I am also disappointed that we even have to fight this fight. I work for the City of San Francisco, and we should have equal opportunity

I have a fear of living. I have tried to kill myself 5 times. The most recent time this weekend (I thank god that I got help in time and that I am alive and ok) and for the first time in 10 years I WANT TO LIVE. I DO NOT WANT TO DIE But I am afraid of life because I dont really know what that means. I plan on doing lots of self discovery because I dont know who I am anymore because I have never lived. And I am not going to let life go, I am going to learn to live it.

Fear I am not good enough haunts me, even with all the affirmations, common sense, and just plain knowing its not true. It also seems to limit me at times, or in certain situatiuons. Must be like layers and I keep peeling off new ones

Fear of looking bad/dumb/strange/wrong to those around me -especially my family. Often I don't try new things because I don't want my family to laugh at me or roll their eyes at me. I think I need to get over what they think of me and live life on my own terms. So what if I'll always be the black sheep? *I* know I'm awesome, and obviously my husband thinks I'm awesome, so screw them and their judgmental assholery.

Today I learned that I'm not as healthy as I'd hoped. My doctor calmly recommended that I change medication to the next level of Immunosuppressants or Biologics. And while they do have cool names, holy fucking shit! What the hell? I am unprepared to be as sick as that level of medication warrants. Also, I'm afraid of the side affects. And overall, I'm afraid that I'll be sick forever. Because that totally sucks ass. Although I am a survivor by experience, I'd prefer to have a life just a bit more carefree. I hope to continue finding the positives in all the circumstances that come my way.

You wouldn't believe how many times I've been lost in the gears of bureaucracy. Between mistyped insurance #s, misplaced graduation or loan applications, people who forget to hit save at the DMV, lost attendance records--well, it's stupid, but sometimes I worry that I don't exist. It's happened all my life,wherever I've lived. You'd think I'd be used to this by now. Instead I totally panic. I deal by making double copies of important papers, always pay my bills on time, ask for receipts or signatures, etc. I don't know if that's going to change much in the coming year, but I think the best I can do at this point is try not to worry about it so much!

Fear that I worry about being "appropriate" so much that I really am just letting others walk all over me.

Especially in my relationship with my husband, I mask my fear with anger. What do I fear? Being misunderstood, looking/sounding foolish, not being smart enough/good enough. How to overcome it. Let myself be open and vulnerable, especially with him.

I am very afraid of the situation of the environment. I try to be a good global citizen, but the lack of concern, lack of immediacy, lack of mature thinking makes me very sad. I will continue to work for environmental concerns.

I am being harassed by a stalker who is insane. The police wont do anything about him. By this time next year I will be leaving this town and living full time in my RV and he will be ass out.

fear of not being wanted. Just do my own thing. Stay out of relationships.

poop

So many. I'm afraid of trying things. I'm afraid of getting up in the morning. I'm afraid of passing up an opportunity. I'm afraid of rejection and abandonment. I'm afraid of being boring. I'm afraid of failure. I don't think that these are fears that need to be overcome. I think they're very realistic and thinking that I can overcome them will just lead to the fears redoubling. But I do think that they shouldn't rule my life. I guess I just need to practice working through fear.

I fear making the wrong decisions: choosing the wrong job, not pursuing a traditional family, staying in the same city rather than moving halfway across the country. I spend too much time thinking "what if" rather than focusing on the life I have created and refining it to best make me happy. I don't have faith I can overcome this fear, at least not fully and not within the next year.

This year I took a job that's a stretch for me. I wanted the challenge, and it's been great, but I also spend a lot of time worrying that I'll be fired. This keeps me up at night. I need to let go of generalized insecurity and focus on the specific things I can do to be better at my job.

Submitting my work terrifies me. I intend to get over it.

Fear of falling .I overcame my fear by climbing masada.

What will peole think? Yes, me! If I can remember what Abbe said about my being "a lively little girl" when I was younger, and realize that lively is who Iam, I can relax more and let my true self out more easily and more often.

I fear that I won't be able to make money as an artist. That I will work and work at making an artistic career and nothing will ever come of it. I think the only way to overcome it is to keep working - to keep making pieces and keep putting it out into the world. And also, I think it's important not to worry about the money part. Just keep making art that pleases and fulfills me - that is where the real work is done.

Sigo con mi timidez, pero creo que ya empecé a superarla un poco. Espero que me permita desenvolverme mejor en lo profesional, y también mantener la relación tan bonita que acabo de empezar.

Fear of relationships. I am so scared of entering one because I don't want to be vulnerable and be rejected. I want to overcome this fear by being more open about my feelings and taking risks even if the outcome is not what I ultimately want.

I'm really afraid I'll do things to make people I care about not like me. I'm really afraid I'll fuck up and they'll hate me, so I hold back a lot. I am trying to be more active in my life this year, not so afraid of the consequences but trying to invest in people and hope they invest back, really spending time working on relationships and not being so afraid and anxious.

I fear that my true self is not acceptable in the eyes of others or ultimately in my eyes or God's eyes. As a result my interactions are often convoluted. I edit them. This causes me to feel distressed which makes the whole of my life frustrating and depressing. Overcoming it means coming at life from a place of strength inside myself looking out. I must create my own path through life using the tools I have discovered and taught myself to use.

I fear that I've peaked. That I had a chance to turn into a writer and I blew. To fight that fear I need two things -- one, the humility to be a beginner every day, but two, an unflinching eye towards my work, my process, the distance I have to go, and the daily work it takes to cross it.

I have a fear of being alone and it has limited me from moving forward from bad relationships in order to form relationships that I want. I am so scared of not being someone's life, that I forfeit my happiness in order just to have some love, which doesn't even make me happy in the end. I use this loneliness as an excuse to have fleeting moments, but don't bother to invest further than one lame encounter. I need to get more comfortable with being alone and not feeling like I need a man at my side to be complete. I want a man in my life because I am ready to give him a life worth building - not for any other reason.

Really owning my weight and eating issues. Addressing the deeper meaning. Focus on the whole person.

I'm afraid that I'm worthless and that I really mean nothing to anybody. I've abandoned myself over and over again, and the people I've had as partners and friends (though I hesitate to use those terms) have used me and treated me badly and I let them because of my beliefs and fears about myself. Hell, I probably chose them because they'd validate those beliefs, right? Because hurrah for the subconscious. :-\ I think I'm coming out of that fear a bit, just by examining it, but I think it'll always be lurking below the surface, so I plan to develop decision-making tools for myself so that I can evaluate situations as they come up and start building healthy, trusting, respectful relationships with other people.

The fear of taking the next step in my career. The fear of working long hours and meeting deadlines, not leaving time for non work-related activities. I aim to overcome this fear by giving it a go. It is a challenge to find balance between work and life.

I've been very bad with money all through my twenties and thirties. It's really been something that has limited my options in life, and Mark and my parents have bailed me out several times. I want now to stop being scared of money and debt. I want a pension and savings. I want not to have a knotted stomach at the mere thought of money. I am going to join my company pension today. I am going to start budgeting, and any spare money I have I'm going to pay my debts off. I want to be free of all debt, apart from my mortgage in 3 years time.

I probably still have fears about my career, being unemployed now I currently am starting to feel some anxiety about what is next. I'm afraid about expressing what I want because it sounds to lofty and dreamy and maybe I've let that hold me back. I think I'm just going to keep seeking and surrounding myself with inspirational people that are dreaming big and living it out. Being braver about opening my mouth and asking for help or advice. If I don't do it now, then when? This is my life and I have to take control of it and not just let it happen to me.

my fear is living/the future. I hate how out of control life can be. It makes me anxious to think about and I often get really scared about it. I'm basically going to try new things and just live in the moment and not worry about the future so much. And accept the fact that things are always going to be out of my complete control...and thats okay.

the deepest fears i have seem to center around change, success, and fitting in/acceptance. these are long-standing, and i plan to continue to work on the letting go by increased awareness, sound therapy, talk therapy, journaling, and pushing my own boundaries. as much as i have fears around the idea of sharing a home with david, i also want to move through that fear into the loving space that i know we already share. my ego gets in the way a lot.

I still fear losing my aging parents although this fear became milder this year.

I have fears surrounding relationships in my family, friends, and romantic ones. How can you be authentic in an effort to create joy in your life and there's? I also have a fear that what I do isn't meaningful enough. I wish I could break free of that mentality and focus on the joy.

i am scared of so much that i don't want to indulge those fears by answering this question.

I am afraid of dying--of not being. The closer I get to the age when my mother died, at only 67, the more fearful I become that I will, too. I still haven't figured out a way around that. But I'm also afraid of failure, of people not liking/respecting me. As long as I have a less than positive self image, I don't think I can overcome these fears. The solution rests in working to better my health,which in turn will lift my sense of self.

I have a fear of succeeding. I am a long time self sabotager, every time I get ahead I mange to find a way to ruin it. I think it comes from a long held belief that I am not worthy or good enough. It is something i am trying to deal with and overcome little by little. It is hard as it is mostly subconscious but I have been trying to overcome it by setting very small goals for myself and will continue to do so over the coming year.

I can't do anything,I don't deserve it,why would I succeed? Just doing it anyway...

Fear that I have... well, this one recently came up and I thought that I wouldn't have to deal with it again, ever, but I am afraid that I will have these depression and anxiety problems just follow me around for the rest of my life. I really thought the depression was gone, because it was situational and I graduated from school, but apparently it's not. Or maybe it's situational in a different way than we originally thought and I was really hoping it would just be gone. I don't feel like it's limited me yet, but I am scared of what will happen and how it's going to affect me while I'm in Israel. I don't want it to stop me from doing anything, but at the same time, I have to be really careful about taking care of myself, getting enough rest, eating well, exercising. I don' t know if I'll be able to or want to go on drugs again so this will really affect how I take care of me for the next 9 and a half months.

I am afraid I will never take the time energy and money to create the art and inventions that I am the only person in the world to be able to see. That limits nice synergy because I am caught up in other people's creations,, designs and desire. I hope to start talking to other people about my ideas and art. By becoming bolder in the chilling year, I meant coming year, maybe I will find the courage to finally invest in myself my time and energy.

I fear making a career choice based too much on money and "security" rather than based on what I should do with my talents. I fear returning to the US and getting caught up in the materialism. I wish I had a plan and I know courage is what I need. I would like to dedicate a year to using my talents and to give those endeavors serious attention.

I have a fear of my life becoming boring and I'm starting to fear getting old. I think taking better physical care of myself and aiming for good health is a powerful urge this year- being in regular contact with a doctor- and being aware of my health is going to be a key drive for me. I want to be in better health than i've been in ten years- by the end of this year.

I am afraid that becoming a mother will slow me down and will halt the great career & life momentum I have going on. And I am also afraid not to have a baby soon as I am getting older and don't want to deal with any unessesary complications. I am not truly worried about husband finding the right kind of work for himself and providing in the manner in which we both want. But It has been hard watching it falter a bit and not having the "right answer" in our hands or when explaining what he does to friends. I know the is superficial. and deep down I am not truly worried that he won't be able to get it together... but it has been over a year now without him having a specific project and direct income, and it is definitely waring on him & as an effect a bit on us. I feel confident that it will be resolved and on an exciting upswing by next year (sooner I hope) but I'd be lying if I didn't occasionally get frustrated or let anxiety creep in about it from time to time. I feel like with love and helping him ground into his power and get rooted, that it will all fall into place. My goal is to make sure to parse out special time for us so that he feels safe and emotionally supported -- so he can go out into the world projecting his best self.

Right now, I fear two things; the winter ahead and never finding someone who really loves me. As for the upcoming winter I know that I just have to reassure myself that I will be fine. That if I need help in any way there are people here that I know and that will be more than happy to help me out or give me direction. Just stay positive and adventurous. As for love, hmmm, getting out and about, meeting new people and not letting love be a focus. I always hear that love happened when you least expect it. So here goes, not looking for love but instead looking for inner peace and happiness to share with whoever or whatever comes my way. If love ends up as a by-product of a happy giving life then woohoo!, so be it.

Fear of approaching people my age, mostly women. Working on it with my psychologist...

I have a fear of making phone calls. Not receiving, just picking up the phone and calling almost anyone. This has prevented me from making friends, joining activities, and even sometimes hiring repair people. I do not know if I can do anything about this but I intend to discuss it with my counselor and friends and try to make some improvement.

I have a fear of getting sick, but it has not limited me

I have a fear of success - what if they (the amorphous "they") find out I'm not good enough. It's easier to fail. I'm working with my therapist to figure out specific strategies to overcome my self-sabotage and I'll concentrate on implementing these strategies, one step at a time.

I have few fears. I am afraid of fire, of dying in a fire. I do not like being embarrassed in front of others, and being told I am wrong. I do not like being told what to do. I have alot of confidence in myself and my relationships with others. I guess that comes with age....

I have a fear of losing my home. Things could easily go such that I will need to sell it to pay off debt. I could end up living on a friend's couch or in my car. I would be ok, but it would devastate my grown daughter.

I have a fear of feeling alone/lonely. I will look to expand my circle of communities this year, and be more discriminating about the people I truly want in my life.

my biggest fear is probably uncertainty. i like to be sure: that i'm doing the right thing. that i'll enjoy what i choose. that i understand everything involved. that i am as i seem to be to myself, and not greater (or lesser). the fear of not knowing, and being wrong, holds me back a lot. i don't always trust my instincts like i should, especially in love. and fear (of the uncertainty of discomfort or awkward conversations i don't want to have to finish) also keeps me from speaking, often. i think letting it go is going to take some time. but i could maybe start by pushing myself to acknowledge what i'm feeling. i can do that now, most of the time. but then after that instead of the default decision to stay silent anyway, i could validate that feeling by letting it meet the world. dancing in public, saying "i'm not ready for that" or "i really like you." i will try.

I have a fear of not being good enough and a fear of missing something. I know these stem from my childhood and college but I need to keep reminding myself that I am enough and that I am doing enough. I need to keep reminding myself that I am good enough and that I am loved. I'll keep working on it. I have a good team behind me.

fear of new people. don't really understand it, don't understand how it impacts my life fully. JUST DO IT! Be open minded, get out there and be proactive in getting to know people

Fear of asserting myself, being able to admit and correct my mistakes and fear of confrontation. I don't know if I can change this old dog's spots but I'm trying to believe more in myself and to take advice from those I love.

Fear of never finding my professional groove. It has stopped me from allocating my time more intelligently between work and family, and I see how much I procrastinate as a result of that fear. That, in turn, makes me feel like I am never getting enough done, and that I have to be running on all cylinders - this fall, at 3 jobs - all the time. I am exhausted. In the next year, I expect to have the teaching job issue more resolved, and the book completed. That should help me identify what I want to focus more completely on as my daughter starts kindergarten.

I work to face my fears when they appear. Usually it is just a story that I spin in my head. I do notice when I am doing it so awareness is the key and my ally in overcoming fear.

My fear is realizing my potential and doing what I would like to do. Is it weird to admit that I'm afraid of newness and the unkown? It would be great to "come out of my shell" and be who I want to be, not who I've been my entire adult life.

My fear is that I am actually an idiot and everyone knows this but me.

I fear: losing my job due to the company failing; gaining back the weight I've lost; using up all the LOC and having an emergency or losing my job. All these things depress me. When I'm depressed I procrastinate. I become unable to to anything. Then it do what is exactly wrong to do (not engage in work, eat, stop exercising, spend) My husband always tells me to stop spinning my wheels. It won't help and I'll use up all my resources for when I really do need them. He's right.

I an afraid of being too ugly and fat to be loved. In a relationship and in general. I faced my fear of moving this year by just going for it. I hope to overcome this fear by loving myself and rating myself the way I deserve to be treated.

I think the fear of failure has limited me. I fear not being good enough has prevented me from the introspection that will make me better. In fearing failure, I feel like I'm denying success. So, the solution? Start reflecting on lessons and how to make them better, keep written track. And ask for help, even if it annoys the people around you, but don't forget to give it.

I have a fear of, or maybe just an inability to justify, letting my family down. Doing right by them is important to me, but it's become clear that doing so is often at odds with my own health and wellbeing. I hope that in the coming year I can set better boundaries, say "no" when I need to, and not let guilt dictate so much of my time and energy. I also have a fear of letting my relationship limit me, hold me back from other opportunities, or just generally take up all available time and space because it's nice and comfortable. I need to start making time and space for myself, and trusting that everyone I love will understand.

I am afraid of letting people down. I am afraid of making mistakes at work. I am afraid of - I'm afraid of other people being mad at me.

I have many fears that limit me until I use them as weapons against each other/myself. Perhaps the worst is my fear of people, specifically that one that tells me I can't trust men. I don't have any plans to deal with it, though. I think that it's too big to defeat; the best I can hope for is finding exceptions to the cannot trust rule, but they are rare.

I fear not being able to retire. I guess it's not a fear, it's a reality. I don't have enough money saved, I don't have a savings account that amounts to anything. Medical debt and the high cost of living in this area, coupled with an unexpected car purchase have ensured I'll never get ahead. I really need to discuss my Tiny House plans with my brothers, they are the builders. During the course of the year I need to work HARD on downsizing. Getting rid of junk, keeping the important stuff, then sorting the important stuff and passing it on to my kids.

I've always had a fear that I won't be successful at something artistic. Now I am realizing I don't need to be, it's just life. If I wanted to pour 12 hours a day into some artistic venture, yeah I would be successful. But I like doing a variety of things instead and that's okay.

My fear is of grief..something happening to my loved ones before we've worked out our issues.

Fear of making the wrong decision or voicing my opinions at work is probably the biggest thing that's limiting me. I am already working at righting this.

I am afraid that I am not good at my job. I constantly feel like a fraud, like I'm just sort of stringing everyone along and that I'm not really good at it. I was employee of the year this year! I have no idea where this comes from, and I can't shake it. Hopefully this year I will start to feel like I'm not just hiding an incompetent person inside my shell.

A fear? I fear failing so it keeps me from starting things and makes me procrastinate. I'm just going to try let it go, slow and easy. No real plan.

My ultimate fear is that those around me do not see my value and that when they do, I won't be at my best. My eternal conflict is that I want to be wildly successful and I also fear that success. This coming year, my goal is to not be afraid, focus on the great work, and the partnerships that will help me succeed.

Fear of failure...that I'm not good enough, that I don't have what it takes. By taking on larger projects and initiatives I have challenged myself to step up to the plate. So it's sink or swim. Because I have been afraid in the past I haven't pushed myself; I've only done the bare minimum. Now that I have my plate pretty full, I have no choice but to succeed, because failure is not an option.

I do not think that I have fears in my life, although frequently have dreams of my young son being hurt (badly). These do not "overcome me."

I am afraid of not being good enough, of never having the things that I desperately want in this life; security, a family of my own, comfort and peace. I think that constantly thinking of what I don't have, instead of seeing all the blessings I do have has really limited me and made me angry. I need to have a shift in perspective and focus. I have a good job, a roof over my head, enough food in my belly, I am healthy, my family is healthy, I have my parents still and my brother. When I think about my blessings instead life seems better, when I focus on the negative life is pretty suck-y. I think, when I start going down a dark road, I need to look around me and see what I do have, not just focus on what I don't. It will be a struggle, but it is something that I really hope I can do better with in the coming year.

I still have a fear of spiders that inhibits me sometimes, but overall, it doesn't really factor too much in my life. And as for the future, I'm really not scared. I'm actually really excited as to what is coming in life here at CCM.

Many - but essentially fear of not trusting God to override me - e.g. not trusting myself and not trusting God to save me from myself - that I'll fall and fall and fall, whether it be health, hell, or homelessness. I have not trusted that it's okay to experience my journey fully and that I'll be okay no matter what.

My fear concerns health and being able to live my life to the fullest. I have had to find different ways to accomplish what I want to do. I have learned I can not do everything that I want to do and to be a peace with this. I plan on letting go of disappointment and enjoy all that am capable of doing. Finding time to just "sit" is valuable to a sense of peace. I plan to be mindful of living a "healthy Life" and try to exercise more.

Fear of being unloved. If I do my part as a devoted partner, I hope to inspire my partner to do the same. Fear of lazy parenthood. Put in the time to do what I know is best. Fear of personal failure. It's worth taking the risk.

Fear of having children and what that will mean in terms of putting my personal, creative and entrepreneurial pursuits on hold. I plan to overcome it by meeting and learning from others who seem to have both "lives" in balance.

I have a fear of making mistakes. More than that, I have a fear of making mistakes, and then being subsequently judged by others for it. I'm hoping that my method for tackling my social anxiety (which I answered in a previous question) will help me become more comfortable with not always succeeding. If I'm not obsessing over what people may or may not be thinking about me, then I'll have an easier time moving on from my mistakes.

I have a fear of speaking in public, I'm terrified that they will notice that I do something wrong or don't like me. I plan on overcoming it by taking the chance to really change my preparation mentally before class works, and really get it ingrained in me that everywhere you start from scratch, be it your work, friends or place to live, you will have to expose yourself and that most of the time you don't have someone to lean on. I need also to learn that not everybody criticize me as I do.

I think I have a fear of losing people. Friends, close family members. I've never had to deal with loss on a personal level, and I'm not entirely sure how I would handle it. Transitioning to life post-college has been a tumultuous roller coaster. It's not so bad, as I'm adapting to my current lifestyle, but at the same time - not everything is in place where I want it to be. Hopefully, over time I become more accustomed to the constant change that is life, and at some point I'm going to have to accept the fact that not everything can go as I want it. I need to just control what I can control, and go about my business. Things I can control include: The shape my body is in, my attitude, my work-ethic, and my overall outlook on life. I have been blessed with a great many assets and qualities, including my sharp mind, my intellect, my ability to pick up new things, and my ability to meet and relate to new people on a meaningful level. I should not take these things for granted - because the moment I do I will lose sight of the important things in life.

Fear of growing old alone. Never meeting anyone, never having children. It doesn't limit me but is still scary. Plan on getting over it by meeting someone...not the baby bit yet though, that's for the future.

MONEY. It has always been a scary part of my adult life. I hope to take control of my finances and start building a solid credit rating and maybe even a savings. Baby steps.

I have an ongoing fear that I my husband will die before I want him to (which is after I die). It's not really a "fear", it's not something that preoccupies my thoughts. But I think about it. Someone I know lost his wife to cancer this year. Someone else I know is dying from cancer and will leave behind her husband. My husband's father died at 47 years old; my husband is 45. I don't take our health for granted and it feels very real to me that we are blessed and fortunate, and also that it might not last.

I have of success and being abundant. I am not sure why I have this fear - I think it stems from feeling unworthy. Ridiculous, I know! Now that I have admitted this fear and see that it is doing nothing but holding me back I can overcome it. I am reading more books, talking to more mentors, and really getting clear on what I want and how success and abundance can help me get there! I am worthy and I can do this!!

I am afraid of disappointing people and living for myself. I often feel I need to behave as someone else would like me to, and to make the choices that others would want me to make. As much as I don't like it, the reality is that it seems so much easier that way, at least in the short term. But taking the leap, and living the way I want to live, going against the grain -- wow, that brings up serious fears for me. Fears that I'm going to fail, fears that I won't be happy, even if I do live my way, fears that my way won't work out, etc....really scary for me.

I am afraid of getting too close to people because I am afraid of rejection or simply being ignored. I want to find ways to connect with others in meaningful ways during the coming year.

I have been afraid of fish since I was 9 years old. As an adventurous young girl and now, a fledgling cook, this has inhibited me in a number of ways--fear of fishing fear of snorkeling or scuba diving, fear of the fish aisle in grocery stores, fear of Fish Day in cooking school. I missed out on exploring underwater creatures, I missed out on learning how to filet a fish, and I missed out on staring at some of God's creatures. By next year I want to be comfortable staring a fish in the face.

I fear that I am doing the wrong thing as a parent. I know what I want for me and I know what I want for my baby, but I struggle to know what is the right thing. And to remember that sometimes its ok that everything isn't perfect or how it was when I was little.

Heights is my biggest fear and I am already overcoming it, i have the top bunk on the top floor of my building.

I have a fear of failure at times. Expectations feel high from others, but particularly high from myself. I fear letting others down. My fear keeps me from acting, which often causes me to let other down. I plan on improving how I communicate and how I set expectations. The latter for myself so that I can break my patterns; the former for everyone else.

Fear of looking back and not being satisfied with the types of projects I have worked on. Accepting work just for the money and losing the passion.

fear of failure. fear of rejection. fear of failure has made me not want to explore my options more fully in the professional arena. fear of rejection has prevented me from dating and moving on with my life. fear of failure has made me want to play it safe and secure so that I don't fail. it makes me want to push off marriage until I have super-hero financial stability. because if i am successful career-wise I would be less of a candidate for rejection. talking it out with someone and taking stops to switch my mindset and thereby change myself. learning to like myself and appreciate myself.

I fear irrational fears. It's silly. I am afraid of heights, but will force myself to go places where I am uncomfortable (skiing with my kids) so I am not limited. But I am intentionally miserable the whole time. And then I later retract into somewhat of a cocoon and do nothing. I'm afraid of public speaking, but I don't take myself so seriously that I can't live with humiliation. Mostly I fear disappointing my children, of not being someone they can trust and respect. (which is why I push myself again and again to fight my fears)

Over the years I have become much less fearful and I now view past fears with some amusement. However, fear of financial difficulty does haunt me on occasion . But this is only when I'm feeling negative. I know my financial situation will greatly improve in the near future. Having experienced significant financial, material and familial losses in the past, I've transcended these losses and moved on without feeling diminished. Reliance on the material world can be insidiously diminishing to my psyche and an encumbrance to my spirituality so I must seek the right balance.

I think sometimes I am afraid to admit to myself or others that I am not endlessly ambitious. To accept that where I am in life, in my career, is rewarding and satisfying and enough. I've always been a striver (though sometimes lazy in practice) and I want to feel secure enough to know when enough is enough for me and not answer to anyone else's sense of achievement or status.

I fear being homeless again, addicted to drugs, broke, friendless. I work hard everyday and try to better myself so my pay will increase and the financial stress that I feel will be less.

I have realized that I am afraid of being selfish, but my dad has taught me that sometimes you have to be selfish and do what you want. If you are always trying to please others, you will lose sight of yourself. I need to let the fear of disappointing others go, and learn to care for others while still making decisions that I know are right for myself.

My fear is I don't have the stick to it ness to lose weight. I feel so badly about what I have done to myself. I don't want to let go of the fear, I want to prove myself wrong by losing all the weight and recapturing my real self. This fat lady isn't the real me!!!

I have a fear of driving our new car. I have not driven for five years because we had bought a 3/4 ton truck to pull our trailer and I did not want to drive it. So, now that we have this brand new 2013 car, I am leery about getting behind the wheel. What if I have an accident? What if my failing eyes cannot see well enough to navigate the streets and highways? I plan on taking a refresher driving course to regain my confidence, courage and skill.

I am afraid that my continuing anxiety and inability to take action will return. I am taking medication for it, and trying to modify my behavior and way of thinking.

One fear is being annoying and another is being boring. Sometimes I find it hard to find a balance between the 2. I fear saying on the safe side and being quiet at the risk of annoying, but then quiet can be boring. I think this is a pretty stupid fear, so I should just let go and be this coming year. Not worry so much about this, or worry about things in general.

I am so shy. I am always afraid that people won't like me. I will just stop being shy. I will speak to everyone and just be myself and screw the people who don't like me

I am always afraid of disappointing others. I think it limits me to following a very prescribed path that I think people will approve of. Sometimes what I think I "should" do is not what makes me the most happy. I have no idea how to overcome this.

My only fear in life has been that I would be boring to people. I sometimes didn't go out to events or would limit who I spoke to (i.e., didn't talk to strangers) because I was afraid they'd be yawning. I think that because I'm working harder on my own spiritual being, that this fear will become unnecessary because I'll be more at peace with who I am when I'm feeling like I'm a better person. So if I start to feel like I'm boring? I'll ask the person to tell me about themselves....that's never boring!!

I have a lot of fears. The biggest one is the fear of something happening to my son, the fear of my marriage falling apart, and the fear of losing another pregnancy or worse, a baby. I try to chase away these thoughts when they pop up. I guess they're just part of being a living, loving being.

I have a great fear of loss, of someone so close to me. I have a fear of failure and disappointment which has influenced my graduate school career and has kept me frozen many times from doing something great. I also have the fear that I will not make a difference and will not utilize my capabilities to the best of their potential. I want to make a difference and leave a mark on this world. I plan to think positively, to be open and communicative, to remain determined, and just to accomplish one task at a time successfully.

This year is so baby related so it's predictably the fear of losing our baby before we get a chance to meet him/her. I thought "getting pregnant" would be all of the fear i.e. can I get pregnant, am I fertile but then getting pregnant (and having never done it before) means I'm worried about getting twinges/not getting twinges and a myriad of other symptoms or non symptoms. I guess it's good practice for parenthood as I'm sure once we have a real live baby there will be a billion other fears I never knew existed!

I have a fear of not being perfect, or the best at something, which usually leads to procrastinating or avoiding.I plan to continue to try putting myself out there and taking risks.

I don't have any fears to speak of. I would like to retire, but I'm not convinced that my retirement savings and pensions will ever let me do that. I hope I'm wrong.

I have a deep fear of engulfment that can limit intimacy. When I feel overwhelmed I pull back, which sometimes causes my partner to fear abandonment, which causes her to cling to me, making me further fear engulfment... I want to respond in those moments with more compassion for her, and for myself.

I am afraid that I don't know how to handle stuff with finances for my business and even household fincance. I have been wanting (or pretending to want) to get more involved with working with our household finances, but just have not have the kick in the butt to to it. This year I have to get in gear and do it because I am launching my business on my own sooner than later . . .

Sometimes I don't swing for the fences, I suppose for fear of striking out. I wish I would be more ambitious, instead of putting off what I know would be a great project.

My fear is now that I have no idea what my future holds I mean I never did but I had a plan for the longest. Now it's up in the air and I don't like it. I do like spontaneity for stuff but not misdirection. I just have to actually start pursuing things that I want.

I fear that I won't be able to "do it all," and it has limited me because I try to do it all but don't do it all well. Instead, next year, I seek to let go of doing it ALL and instead, do whatever I do and do it as well as I can.

Fear of intimacy and fear of my power - I often hold myself back to be "safe" which is Not satisfying. I am going to get out there more- more power team meetings and more connection with others. Finding my place with a group of friends again.

Fear of failure. Fear of being a slaggart, a lazy bones, a no good non-doer. Fear of not being able to keep my commitments. Overcoming it in the coming year? I don't know yet. I've been too afraid to think about it.

That I am not enough, that my lack of success in acting will define me. That is something that I am learning about even now. Even in this last week, I am beginning to learn about where my identity is in fact found, and how in that place, there is unimaginable freedom.

Fear of failure. I keep tightening up in my work and the resulting art is shit. I need to learn to relax and let things form organically.

Rejection is my biggest fear. When I become confident in myself, this will go away. This will be built over the year.

I have a massive fear of failing. I can't bear the thought of failing professionally, personally, or with my boyfriend. I'm going to fix it by not giving up. Keep on keeping on.

Fear of being forgotten. By friends my colleagues my former lovers fading, vanishing I have to let go of this fear, by either accepting that it is inevitable and i cannot fight it or re-finding faith, that that is not the case and that people have different ways of loving and remembering than I do

I'm scared of messing up. I'm often so scared and overwhelmed that it renders me entirely helpless, terrified to make a move at all. I don't want my fear to hinder the rest of my high school if I forget to do things--apply to college correctly, submit all of my appropriate papers, meet all of my deadlines, answer essay prompts properly--and I don't want to miss out because I was worried that I wouldn't do it right.

I fear losing my daughter & my dog. This fear has caused me to literally keep their leashes very short! I hope for their sakes that I will be able to relax a bit more so that they can live alittle. I wish I could bubblewrap them but I know I can't...

I have a fear of never finding my way - always wandering. Wandering is not so bad - I have come to realize that I should embrace my wandering more - I have a t-shirt that states "Not all those who wander are lost".

I fear that I am not good enough to be what my parents want and need me to be. I guess we'll see if I can do better in my academic field this year.

I have a fear that I will not be able to retire and do the things I want to, because of Medicare going bankrupt and not having enough assets to retire.

My fear is that my daughter has a serious issue. I hope to get to know her better and open up a dialogue between us either to allay my fears, or to get her help, if needed

Fear of letting my wife down or making her angry. I feel that is the only thing I know how to do perfectly when trying to do the opposite.

Write a book Susan. I can't. Why? I'm afraid. Afraid of what? Dust. Why dust? No one would buy it, no one would read it.

A fear of being heart broken. That sounds like the words of a 13 year old. But honestly i cannot truly let a person in, i can't help but every day question their feelings for me and every day convincing myself they don't like me at all, its so stupid and honestly i'm just making myself miserable. Honestly i don't have any words of wisdom because the thought of being heart broken again makes me never want to fall in love ever again.

I wonder if I fear succeeding in some of my ventures and getting busy and losing time for the the simple reflective life I now have. I have so many ideas to pursue - I always fear having to choose.

I'm often afraid that I've done something that I'll get in trouble for or that I have a behavior that I must hide, or...ooooh busted! I guess the more openly I approach situations, even (or especially) the ones where I have the most to lose, will take me out of "hiding," and give me greater peace of mind.

I am afraid of not being "perfect." My perfectionism has paralyzed me frequently by making me expect more from myself than I can give. Rather than going part of the way or doing something I want to do in a less hardcore way, I will sometimes just give up because I feel that if I can't do something the right way, I just shouldn't do it. This fear makes me feel like I am not enough; it makes me feel bad about myself, and it makes me feel like I am incompetent and incapable, both things which are not true. I want to be able to talk to myself differently, to give myself credit for the ways I am doing so many things well. I want to recognize that there is more than one path to healing the world and fulfilling my values, aspirations, and visions. I want to use journaling, affirmations and therapy to overcome my fear of not being perfect. Doing affirmations and journaling will help me do work on myself between therapy sessions. I also want to open up more to friends and families about problems I am having reaching my goals. Making myself vulnerable will help me to see that I am enough, and it will help me accept my own limitations. I can also use my yoga practice to help me let go of my perfectionism by using "I am enough" as mantra during yoga practice.

Fears aren't really an issue, and hopefully that is still the case a year from now. Future self: You should already know this, but just in case you've wavered, never be scared to be completely you. You're the best thing about you. :) :)

The fear of failure. Of letting those I love down. It has kept me from being honest with myself about the areas that I need to improve and it has kept me from speaking up when, maybe, I should have. I am trying to let things in the past go and work towards dealing with things as they come up. I am holding myself accountable and making sure that I make time for family and myself.

fear of asking actual other people for actual specific help. what is up with that? hopefully can get some forward movement on this one this year.

I'm constantly afraid I'm doing all the wrong things... that I'm wasting my time. I think I need to do small, consistent, useful things while I try to figure out where I belong. That way I know I made some sort of positive impact, no matter what. And I just need to learn to set realistic expectations and let go of my pride.

I have persistent fear that I am not giving enough to any one thing. That my commitments at work, at home and in the community are too "light." This year I am going to try to do a bit more and expect a bit less, to see if I can meet myself in the middle.

I think my fear right now is that of being static. I fear that I'll be physically static here, in this house, and I feel that I'll be static the starting of my "career". I think these fears sometimes cloud my practical reasoning and raises my expectations too high up so that when I fall, it's a hard hit. I'm also nervous about this thing with Kris...everything is so new, I want it to be a good experience. How can I overcome this fear? just fuck it all. Thoughts only go so far without actions to back them up. How does the saying go? "There's nothing to fear but fear itself." I fear all of these things, yet the other side of me knows that these fears are all nonsense and only work to do me greater harm than good. These fears prohibit me, and therefore I must not subject myself to these fears and just go, and do it. We bounce back one way or another and the universe unfolds as it should. Life throws punches at you, but what kind of life are you living if you don't throw any back? Just have to look fear in the eye and put up one heck of a fight.

I often fear I will let people (family/teachers/etc) down if I am not the best. I need to remind myself that I will still be loved and respected for whatever I accomplish.

This question paralyzed me last year. I didn't have much of an answer but given the events of this past year I think that I've identified the fear holding me back. I guess it could be characterized as the fear of being alone. After having my dog around for the better part of 3 weeks the house feels completely empty now that she is gone. This translates to human interaction as well. I'm fairly introverted in the beginning and have a difficult time letting people in. Given that I'm now single, this will have to change if I don't want to spend my nights alone in my apartment. I'm okay with being a lone, just not permanently. Which is obvious of course, but I plan on letting this go by not being afraid to show people who I am.

A fear that what I have to say isn't good enough. I shut down so frequently for fear of saying something that won't be okay-- both in a public and a private sense. I plan on spending more time telling the truth, tactfully. Telling the truth of myself, without reservation. Sharing who I am without hesitation. If it scares you, do it.

My fear of not finding love. Although I try and not focus on it and I certainly and purposefully am not defined by not being in a relationship, it still plays on my mind. I need to start opening myself up to possibilities and allow myself to be loved. I also need to put myself out there and not be so scared of getting hurt.

I have a constant fear of being judged deep down inside me. It stops me from going into new coffeeshops, new yoga classes, and even the gym. I plan to keep forcing myself out of it every day, because I always feel happier once I force myself in. I'm gonna try to not fall into the pattern of being afraid anymore.

I realized recently that while I am overjoyed about my partner and our personal life, I don't walk around feeling happy except about that. While that's big, I sometimes see other people in a public place (i.e., the bank) who look really happy. They make others feel happy by being around them. I'm not like that. I think it's because I'm afraid, in a subliminal, habitual way, afraid of I don't even know what. I'm going to practice letting my happiness about my relationship spread over to everything else!

I have faces a very new fear this year. I am very happy with my life. It is a life that I didn't even dream of. So I am frequently scared that so much happiness can't be real, or it won't last for long and something somewhere will go wrong. I need to get used to being happy.

Fear of change. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of failing. I know that things have to change to help me to be happier in my life so staying scared is not an option. I'm not sure the other fears will go away but it's about how I deal with it. What is the worst that can happen?

of not being good enough. relationships that don't go where I wanted them to go. choose people who believe in me to be close to me.

Failure. I wish that I didn't struggle with this fear because it is SO very hindering. It prevents me from doing things that I may even succeed at, simply because I am too afraid of the tiniest risk to fail at them. I've started to put myself in situations where I have the possibility to fail and I am working my best to succeed at them. I am trying to remind myself that if I do fail, it will be ok.

My fear of not being fully my best self. I hope that participating in Mussar will help me continue to grow into my best self.

I hold myself back with my creatvie side. I play things safe + make excuses for why I can't do something. I am going to slowly put my work out to the public. I want to create a website of my photography that I can be proud of. I have to give up my luddite status + embrace technology. Buy a computer, learn how to shoot on a real digital camera, etc.

There's no good way to put this, but in a sense, I'm afraid of myself. I'm absolutely terrified of not being good enough; not being good enough to get a guy, not being smart enough, not being pretty enough, not being talented enough, funny enough, popular enough, nice enough, you name it, I always feel like I'm never enough, there's always someone better, I'm never the best at anything. But I'm also scared of not meeting the expectations that people have for me, of setting the bar too high. People say they see so much in me; I don't wanna let them down, and I don't want to feel like I'm faking myself out, like they pretend to believe in me, but know that I won't go anywhere. I always feel like I have to prove those types of people wrong. Even if none of my friends are like that, and I doubt they are, I have to prove myself wrong, convince myself that they do have a reason to believe in me, but I know that the only way I can do that is if I give myself a reason to believe in me. I hope that this year I can just let go of that and do whatever it is that makes me happy to the best of my ability because I love it, not to impress people, family, friends, and especially, not myself. I am who I am, but I am only human, and I want to learn to embrace that.

Anxiety, depression, fear of failure, fear of being alone forever, fear of the most precious people in my life, my parents, becoming unhappy or ill. Taking one day at a time to improve my body, mind, spirit, and connection with those n my life.

I have a fear that if I don't jump at every opportunity, then another one might not come around again. This limits me because rather than coming out of choices for myself, I run off of whatever comes next. Although I do find myself being offered many wonderful opportunities, they are not always what's best for ME. I need to say no a lot more often, and make decisions about what is best for me, and go for that, rather than any good thing that comes my way.

I don't know what I've feared, but now I fear that time has passed my by and I've not lived life as I wanted it to be... I plan on living the dream I've created for myself.... at least taking the steps to get there! They say, "just do it" "be it" until it happens", fake until you make it" and that's what I plan on doing... ;-)

i fear that i am broken and worthless. it has limited me by making me avoid perceived risks. i plan to let it come and go as it will, doing my best to move towards my cherished goals whether i'm experiencing it or not.

I'm afraid of dying young or having Alzheimer's disease. I think I may have to take more anti-anxiety meds until I can figure out something else. I'm so afraid of not being on the planet and aware of my family and friends for the next 30 years or so.

I have many fears. The fears I had before, flying, heights and lightning I've overcome. Next fears: - I'm not good enough to act out of my profession - I'm not good enough for my boyfriend - Afraid of what people think That are things I need to be working on coming year.

Fear of failing. Fear of discovering I'm not good enough for grad school. Just...everything.

Fear of failure. Fear of embarrassment. It comes from a chronic lack of confidence and has been the number one hinderance to just about everything in life. God bless Sara she has to work with this! but it's been damaging in the past and I don't want it to get in the way of my career or my life in general. I need to be bold, to speak up, to use my instincts and to just fuck up life everyone else does and learn from it. I'm also scared of getting old and irrelevant but that's normal apparently so there's nothing I can do about it.

i fear that i am not good enough at motivating myself to do hard things. i have been so lucky at having so many great opportunities but i need to take initiative and make my own opportunities. i fear i wont live up to the person who i know i can and should be. I fear being helpless and having things out of control. I fear doing the hard things, because it forces me to face them and that has had detrimental consequences.

I am afraid that I won't follow through with my goals. It is scary that I might lose momentum and fail. So, I have to just do the things I aspire to do. One thing at a time perhaps. But, I have to DO it.

I live with insecurities, plain and simple. I have limited myself because of the faith that I once had in myself but I see that cycle changing. I am learning to be comfortable with myself and my hope is to get myself to a place where I no longer doubt myself.

I think I've been afraid of getting stuck in one thing and at the same time failing at something new. I think it is holding me back at trying new things and getting what I want.

I wrote about this in Q5; My biggest fear is not being good enough. I think it has slowed me, even paralyzed me in the past. Now it just slows me, but I hope my new knowledge will build more confidence and I will scale mountains in a single bound!

Failure and opening my heart up to love and a relationship. Speaking my mind and sticking to my decision. I hope that by surrounding myself with positive people, I will grow to be a better person.

I've long feared financial insecurity. It's limited me by dictating educational choices and choice of living environment, primarily based on short-term financial viability. I've decided this year to seek accommodation I like (and where I'm productive) even if it costs a bit more, and to investigate vocational directions with good financial prospects, as either a substitute or a complement to the academic stuff I'm principally involved in. I've also started listening to my mother about buying a home. I'm blessed that she's willing to help and advise.

I fear ... the unknown. But that's all there is. I will keep utilizing my resources to work on my anxiety, and I will try to be okay with the uncertainty. I also want to find ways to live life more moment-to-moment, which I think will take away the fear of the unknown future.

I have a concern is that this life I am living, is all there will ever be. Over the last year I've allowed my own spirit to become boxed in by someone elses fears and out of support for them I've stopped doing many of the things I find meaning in. My life has become very small, which is a death knell for a creative. My fear is that if I keep allowing myself to live this way that I will forget who I am (again). I've already started bringing myself back by doing small things that I enjoy (on my own) on a regular basis....I'll continue stepping out of the boundaries over the next twelve months. By the time I return here next year, I will be living big again - that is my promise to myself.

I'm afraid of... gracious, I am afraid of a lot of things. I am afraid of failing, I suppose. That doesn't keep me from trying new things- it keeps me from admitting that old things aren't working. I'm afraid to give up on something that's clearly a failure, afraid to let anyone else see that I can't make it work out. I don't have a plan, really. I need to learn to let go of my failures, though, if I want to find new breathing room.

I am most afraid of vegetating and being completely happy with that. It does seem to keep me from starting projects and from finishing them. I need to make a schedule for myself for my off time.

I feel that if I lose weight and get in shape - it will kill me. I know this is backward and stupid thinking but that's what happened to my brother. He got fit and healthy then died of a sudden massive heart attack. It happened to my seemingly fit sister as well. I am not fit. I am obese with arthritic knees and high blood pressure. The odds are not in my favor. The only thing I can think of to combat this thinking is to remember that I can either die fat and lumbering or I can die fit and healthy and what kind of life do I want to have till that happens? I get to choose that. Yet fear is what stops me and I need to take action in spite of that. For myself.

Because of early childhood events, I trust no one except my children. I have been consciously trying to overcome this predisposition for the last 10 years. I am much better and plan to be better next year. My mantra is "Better" -- attitude, life choices, everything. We cannot control what life sends us only our reaction.

I'm terrified of being a bad dad, of being a bad husband, of letting Jaci and my family down. It paralyzes me when I make decisions, and I'll admit it has led me to some bad decisions. It is a pressure that pulls in many different directions all at once, and swirls around me. Unfortunately, I think the only way to overcome it is to survive; to rely more on my family for help, and trust that they will love me no matter what mistakes I make, and to be open and honest about those mistakes.

I'm scared of being alone and that's caused me to stay in relationships that don't grow me anymore. I'm just not sure if the bravery of leaving is really all it's cracked up to be. We aren't designed to be alone. Maybe I should have stayed?

not being good at it. it's a perfectionist thing. it stops me. i prefer to wait, to keep practicing, to just not do it because the time isn't right. ugh... no more. not sure how i'm going to let go of this crutch but i will keep trying...

I don't get overanxious about unnecessary things. I think my terrors are all realistic - airplanes and my kids comprise 99% of what makes me anxious these days. I get on planes no matter how jittery I am, but re my kids? I can't let it go - that would be utterly irrational. I won't overcome it - I need to worry about my kids so I can protect and guide them. I am actually totally okay with living with those fears.

the political and social climate of these times make me shudder. the hate, the lies, the acerbic nature of politicians talking to and about each other is more than i can bear. the destruction of the environment, lack of water, fukushima's ongoing pollution, loss of wildlife habitat, endangered species, greed, consumerism.....ugh.... maybe i just need a good anti-depressant???! or a new planet....

My biggest fear is over my health and getting sick or sicker. I would hate to do that.

I have many fears: - my health - my stress - my father's health - money - not doing enough, not being engaged enough What I am doing about: - I am exercising - exercising - worrying - worrying - trying to become engaged, trying to meet people, contemplating going back to school. Sometimes I feel completely stymied and very depressed. I want to find more things to become engaged in. I have moved to a new city and state- it is pretty here and parts of the country that I have never visited are nearer- I need to explore.

I am not sure if i still have the ability to really excel. I feel like I am great with the first impression but can't follow through. This has kept me from really committing or risking failure and so I've felt stuck and bored, doing the things I am already sure i am good at and being with people who don't really challenge or excite me. I need to keep doing things that are hard. I have taken on a position that is more involved than most of the things i have done recently and I have to see it through. I have to be ok with the possibility that it will be disappointing or that I will not be the best but there is value in doing it.

The fear of the unknown and making the wrong decision. But I don't have that fear with my future husband...we work as a great time. Have the fear with my job, future job, economy, buying a house.

Fear of being a failure. I think I need to learn to really respect & embrace failure. And I need to fail - many many times. Starting as soon as I can. It's the only way to success.

a fear of failing has haunted me forever.. im such a perfectionist and everything has to be just so.. i never ask questions if i dont know what to do.. Just yesterday i cried because i got a B. But.. deeper than that.... fear that my parents wont like me, or wont be proud of me if they actually knew me. or my past.. its just.. Its work in progress. as My amazing Wonacott says, Perfection is a myth!

I have a great fear of not being a dancer. It causes me to panic and to have little imagination regarding what I might actually do to make my life good. I have fears that when I get older my husband won't live me as much, and that when I'm not a dancer then there is less to value about me. Essentially I fear losing my value. To overcome this I have to practice talking to myself and believing what I know is true.

Fear of failure, of ridicule of fiscal disaster. Fear of being forgotten of being inconsequential, of not having a legacy. I plan to leap and see what happens - by leaping I face the first set and fight the second.

I am very scared of being alone, it turns out, and this causes anxiety for me every day. I can't believe that I'm 35 and without a partner and family. This is what I want more than anything and I hope that it is in my future . . . and that I can find a way to not allow the anxiety to consume me in the meantime.

Fear of setting and inforcing boundaries. I really have to find MY limits, the ones I disabled yrs ago from feeling so completely alienated from all around me. turns out I'm just a highly sensitive introvert. But I have to learn to set limits before I feel violated, not after and to be ok with supporting myself while doing so. I am accepted even if I hold a different opinion.

just saying fuck it.

Fear of failure. Same as my fear last year. It prevents me from beginning anything which would prevent me from knowing whether it would succeed or fail. However, what I've learned this year is that often times the things that scares us most or downright frighten the shit out of us are the ones that are truly worth it. Every photoshoot, I am anxious about how photogenic I am, I am nervous and doubt myself however I'm always pleased with the end result. It teaches me to accept myself, my flaws and my weaknesses. Going to Europe was scary but it was worth it. Lasik was a frightening experience, I wanted to leave the operation room but I went through with it. Quitting my job, even if I hated it was scary in the sense of looming uncertainty about the next step but it was so freeing once it was done. A lot of things I fear usually turn out alright or better than imagined. I understand that rejection is a part of life and I'm trying to embrace it instead of let it overwhelm me. When I started writing my fanfiction, I was worried about the reaction but confident that the fans would love it and they did. They adore it -- and the confidence I receive from that is enough to inspire me to make it into a book -- or write a book because I know I am capable. I plan on letting go that fear in the coming year simply because to act well, you have to be fearless. You have to make unattractive noises sometimes and act ugly if needed -- and if you let fears hold you back, you'll never experience your true potential. YOLO.

Fear of getting hurt in love. I don't make it an option to let anybody that close, as a result, I shut out the possibility of love by all. In the next year...I think I just need to be okay with being vulnerable.

I fear of being unmarried and staying single when I reach 30. To be honest, I don't want to be alone. But I don't want rush things and then end up regret of choosing the wrong person as my husband. And then I realize that I'd rather bear the humiliation of being an old maiden than being a divorcee. So nowadays I try to enjoy my life. I don't rush myself into a relationship. I believe that something will happen at the right time. I just try to enjoy my everyday life, make the most of it..and if a right guy comes along, then it's a bonus. If there isn't anyone who cross my path, I'll still be happy and fulfilled no matter what. :) I'll just try to be my very best, help to improve other people's lives and leave my unique mark in this world. :)

I fear being alone. I really want to not worry about that and believe that there really is someone out there who will love me as much as I love them. I just need to be patient. I'm young and there is time.

I have been afraid to try out for a play. This is my year!

I fear judgement. I plan to just do the best that I can in life, enjoy it as much as possible, be light, laugh, avoid drama and toxicity.... and if anyone has judgement of that, it's theirs, not mine.

I've had such a crippling fear in the past of embarrassment or messing up or being judged by strangers. I can't let that get in my way every again. The only thing I have to offer to the world is my true self. I cannot change or hide that, nor should I need to. I want to let myself be free of the fear that I am not good enough. Just by being a positive person I have already proved I am good enough.

I'm anxious about flying, and I will have to do it on occasion for work, if nothing else. I don't really have a plan for overcoming it so much as not letting it affect what I do. Sometimes I can calm myself when it comes to actually getting on a plane by reminding myself that everyone around me is acting normal about it, and so I at least can fake that. Then, when I'm in the air, sometimes it helps to literally add up and count down the seconds until the flight is over. Maybe I should just memorize the Bene Gesserit litany against fear and deal with it that way.

Fear of the unknown, fear of action, more important, fear of failure. I need to remember that failure is not completely the end it's a time to correct and move on.

I'm afraid that I will never be happy in my work. That I am not a person with a "calling". I need to give my current profession one more try, then, if necessary, accept that work is not where I will find fulfillment, and figure out where I will.

Fear of getting emotionally involved. It stops me from seeking and forming intimate emotional attachments.

I have the fear of living an 'independent' life full of constraints. You have to earn to eat and survive, act according to some norms and then in the spare time think!:( It hinders me in my thought process a lot.. Well, I want to understand 'independent' life more clearly so that I may just be fearless and accomplish my motives easily.

The fear I have is not having enough money. It can scare me so much that I avoid the issue or don't do enough to plan my budget properly. This coming year I hope to really have achievable goals for my money and meet them.

I fear rejection. Deeply. It has really slowed me down in my past in big ways. But it has also happened to me again more recently and I feel better equipped to deal with it. I hope I can face this head on in the coming year. I won't let rejection (professional, romantic, etc.) slow me down or bring my life to a debilitating halt. Life comes with rejection and we must be able to face those demons to grow into a bigger and more whole human. I know I only have control over.. well.. what I have control over. I need to remind myself of this when rejection feels heavy and know that what I bring to the world is worthy of someone and something very special.

Fear of not being liked by everyone. It keeps me from taking bolder steps in representing my clients; it hinders me from being the fully present and boundary setting boss I should be; it keeps me from living the life I want to lead. Not sure how I am going to overcome it. Hopefully the 2013 me will have some ideas.

Fear of approaching people, of making a nuisance of myself. I plan to spend a lot of quality time and money working with a therapist to get over the low self-esteem that makes it so hard for me to speak to people, even friends.

I'm afraid of leaving the company that I no longer want to work for. 25 years of a guaranteed paycheck is tough to give up even though I've been in grad school to change my future. I worry about not being able to pay my student loans and I KNOW I've borrowed too much. I plan to let it go by trusting myself to work hard at my finding a place in my chosen career path. I will make the necessary sacrifices (place, personal time, luxuries, etc) to achieve a new path.

The fear, or rather, the resignation that I will not make enough of my short time on earth. The sense that things won't magically get better if I wait for them to. This has held me back because I've often felt like if things were too out of my control, there was no point in even trying. How do I plan on overcoming this? Acknowledgement is a start, but the only way to rise above this is to start being aggressive and proactive in the way I control the path of my future.

I fear letting my eating disorder take over my life again. It keeps me from trying to be the best me possible because I'm so anxious about it. I plan to keep seeing my therapist and focus on things that don't have to do with weight and image.

Fear that one of my loved ones will suffer some ill fate. I move forward - cope by staying present, being in the moment with my most precious people. forgive, as much as I can.... I get overwhelmed by my projects - I spin and accomplish nothing. I am lazy and procrastinate easily...I have to continue my internal dialogue that urges, edges, nudges me on!

I've definitely had a lot of fear surrounding top surgery. I think I've let go of a lot of it, but there must still be some there that's preventing me from really doing the research I need to do to get the ball rolling. Talking to people more and calling some surgeons will help me get through it. I think I've also had fear about jobs. Fear of not getting a job, so why even apply and get my hopes up. Fear of getting a job and it not being perfect, of making the wrong decision. In the situation I"m in currently, I need to go with my gut, to persevere, and to remember that I have options and to keep doing the work to make those options happen.

I have a fear of not being successful. Usually in something related to being in public or starting a new job. I'm planning on learning how to fall back on my humanity. After all I'm not a superhero and nobody expects me to be. I've been told that the only failure is failure not to try. For instance successful athletes only succeed a percentage of the time. If you are a tennis player you cannot win every match, in fact you probably lose more than you win. If you stop trying you'll never win another match.

A fear I have is letting myself be too reliant on others or become too attached. It has limited me because it puts a limit on my relationships and has hurt my relationships. Slowly I am working on letting people in but it is difficult and scary

Pain. I've been crippled by it for ten years now and I can't face it anymore. The narcotics have been stealing my mind in exchange for being able to (sort of) live another day...one day at a time. This year I want to FINALLY overcome the pain or to learn to deal with it's inevitability if it can't be controlled. I simply cannot continue to merely exist while my family lives life around me. It's time to live or die trying. So it's tme, once again, to try physical therapy and to try a neural stimulator. Perhaps with my newly-stabilized spine I can achieve pain control sufficient to leave the house and LIVE.

I fear selling myself short . I want to use my gifts in the best possible way.. at the hightest level possible.. so I can move others and feel complete

A fear that I have and will I let it keep going or will I overcome it. Well, we all fear failure, but according to a TED Talk- so I know it's truth - no risk, no return. The talk was about relationships which I have been soul searching about this whole year, and taking it slow has allowed me to find out more about myself and proclivities, but by pointedly not committing (in part because I wasn't sure) I wasn't allowing myself the return of meaningful romantic relationship(s). It's not risky to just sleep with someone. To let yourself have feelings and acknowledge them is risky. OK well sex can be risky but that is why we use two forms! In the past couple of months I have been trying to decide what I want and allow it to happen. I think this year I will be more comfortable with emotional risk. The loss of losing out on potential is great, and allowing myself to get to know myself this year and becoming more jaded but realistic about what they offer leads me to believe that I won't get lost in something stupid or damaging. The other fear I have is not getting into a top law school. Sub fear: not owning the LSAT. Overarching fear: law is not perfect for me. My biggest fear is choosing wrong, biggest weakness; indecisiveness. I am working on making decisions part of the path of least resistance, like buying a real desk to study on. This refocus on action items will be good if continued, and I think by this time next year I will have taken the LSAT. Last year I wanted to "take a grad school test" but I hadn't decided. Now I have, and though nothing is certain, based on what I know about myself at this time, it is best. Just do it. ( just don't overwork children in your supply chain)

Fear of not communicating correctly. Keep reading, keep believing I can and most importantly, keep praying through action.

I have a fear of basic confrontation. I don't like it. I hate it between me and my kids. I can't even perform doing the confrontation. I must get stronger and learn to stand up for myself. I need to understand that I am an adult who has feelings who are legitimate and are understandable and correct and have every right to express them as I see them.

More than being afraid of being alone I am afraid of breaking someone's heart. A fear of leading the ones I care about down a path I cannot follow. A fear of giving too much and keeping too little. Overcoming it by loving myself, and keeping open communication with those I let close to me.

I have been afraid of concentrating on my music yet it is probably my greatest gift. I love singing but do not value the power of my voice. I love playing keyboards and I can come up with endless improvisations by ear but I do not know how to write and save them. To overcome my fear, I (am afraid) I need to ask for help and support. It has been offered countless times and I have not taken the opportunities. I need to develop a body of work, show up at jams, volunteer, share my music in any venue I can. I need to take advantage of the recording opportunities which present themselves to me. I need to come out as a musician and stop hiding my creativity.

I don't know. I feel anxiety, but have rarely felt "fear"--but I know it's there. It is not one thing, although one fear does dominate: That the success I crave will not be enough. It will make me feel more empty,, rather than less. This is a new thought, so I have not decided how to deal with it. But even just thinking it has made certain things easier to do--redo my resume, for example (about to start)... Further introspection and perhaps understanding will take care of banishing this fear.

I have a fear that I won't live a fulfilling life before I die and that I will live a life full of regret. I don't want to look back on my life when I'm old and think about all the numerous regrets I have about "woulda, coulda, shoulda". I just realized that I have this weird fear of chasing my dreams....I honestly don't know where it stems from but it honestly makes me depressed and makes me feel like I'm not good enough or that I'm inadequate. It's weird because I have a fear of not chasing my dreams but I also have the fear of actually chasing my dreams so it's actually quite the dilemma. I have a fear of not being happy....or growing old and never feeling happy. I have a fear of not having fun as I grow older....living a dull and mediocre life...living an ordinary life....not being able to do what I want to do in my life. I don't want to grow up to be one of these bitter old men who never have an ounce of enjoyment in their lives because they think it's impossible at such an old age to be free spirited and full of life. All of this has limited me because it has prevented and has been preventing me from living the life that I truly want for myself. I don't really know what it's gonna take to let it go or overcome it in the coming year but I guess I'll just have to take it day by day and see what happens....just step after step and hopefully it'll just come to me in an epiphany or something...I dunno, just keep living life and keep truckin along I guess.

Lately a concern has been my balance in life. I left consulting because I worked way too much and traveled out of state each week. Then as I looked for a job I became involved in some important civic activities, which I continue now that I've been employed fulltime. So where I need the balance now is just my downtime - time not scheduled for a meeting, or with friends, but just free time to do what I want without looking at the clock and rushing to the next thing. How to overcome - hmmm, good question. I've started to draw better limits around things, and also calling to some meetings, and have tried to be more mindful of needing the time, and then enjoying it when I have it. Let's see where I'm at in a year. :)

My fear is to stay at Designit as I don't feel that this is my place although I still have many limitations to go anywhere else. Another fear is to have a violent and dramatic break up with James, right now I growing convinced that we are not going to last much longer but I just really don't know how we are going deal with break up, I don't want it to be that ugly.

I am permanently, chronically disabled because of my migraines. The pain, coming when it does, limiting my life, makes me fearful of further strictures, encumbrances, and limits. I am working on mindfulness...and other practices to try to minimize...and accept...

I think I fear my own success sometimes - this keeps me running away when I should push through challenges. I live with limiting beliefs that keep me back. This year, I want to say more yeses and throw myself in even when I think it's too hard. I hope to grow!

I'm afraid of gaining weight. I'm not sure I can overcome it, but I know that the secret lies in trusting my body and its processes.

The feeling of failure. It´s ok if you don´t pass the first time. This will be an experience so you can do better next time.

Fear of being alone has made me desperate in the past. I want to embrace that I have family, but also be willing to let them go and do their thing, from my toddler to my partner.

Fear of getting majorly ill/dying. I think this has been happening in the last couple of years, and I have not gotten over it. This is why I tried to lose weight, but now that I've gained half of it back, the fear is up there again. I am planning to lose weight and exercise more again. It won't take care of the fear, but it will eliminate some of the causes that could lead to the fear happening.

I fear being perceived as dull-witted or unintelligent. This has made me timid in public situations and too likely to let others articulate what I think or feel. This has been an issue all my life. I probably can't change it too much, but I do work hard to find the courage to speak up

A fear I've always had was thinking but not doing. I've always thought something that was right but my body wouldn't react because my mind wasn't motivated enough to approach the action and move my body. I plan on just doing instead of over thinking in order to overcome this fear.

I am often afraid that I won't be successful in my career or that I'm not meeting my own expectations for being a professional go getter. I want to feel more comfortable in my own skin professionally. I am doing a better job I think and I hope a year from now I'll see even more change. I am trying to feel confident in what I bring to the table - my talents and gifts - and also feel comfortable in the fact that my top priority now is being a good mother and that's not only perfectly fine but really great in a lot of ways. It's appropriate for the stage of life I am in and doesn't in any way diminish who I am or will be in my professional career. (It's easier to say these things than to believe it).

I fear of not being perfect. But mostly, I constantly fear I somehow screw up at work, and get fired, and then I have to leave the US, where I've lived for 20 years. I fear of having to start over in the country of my birth, where I never wanted to live in the first place. All of this is irrational, because I am very good at what I do, but I can't stop feeling inadequate.

I worry about balancing my knowledgeable, active, and vocal self with my crazy, overwhelmed, panicky self. The only way I can let go of this fear is by taking small steps keeping myself in check so that I can manage each one. Who knows, at this point, the fear may not even be rational.

One of my fears has been, like many people, a fear of failure. I am not sure if I can ever completely let this fear go, but I think I can try by not overthinking everything. Sometimes it's okay to be spontaneous. Sometimes it's okay to say no. Saying no does not automatically mean failure.

My fear has always been of rejection or failure. It has prevented me from taking chances. I've always played it too safe. I think playing it safe has kept me from some harm but it has also limited me from experiencing some true joy too. Take chances. It doesn't hurt too bad. The lows make the highs feel even better.

I get a fear everytime I hand in an assignment, the fear is that I will fail and that I'm really no good at anything. That I'll never be a good artist and that going to uni will all have been for nothing. It can be really worrying. But having Lenny with me, having faith in me and knowing that I can do it helps a lot. I also am putting off starting a blog and etsy store, even though I know I could do it, I'm scared it won't be successful. who cares if I make mistakes and it doesn't work anyway?

I tend to not be as brave as I want to be. New situations and people make me uncomfortable, and though at the deepest level I find them fun and exciting, its hard to wade through that fear to get to the point where I seem them in a positive light. I'm facing that fear on a big level by coming to Israel, where I don't know the language and am constantly meeting new people, but that's only half the battle. Pushing myself to seek out new situations and experiences when it would be easier to stay at home is something I definitely intend to work on, and will be a big gage of how successful I consider my year here to be.

I fear I am not good enough to finish my PhD, that everything I've been working on for the past five years isn't particularly useful/significant, and that I am not truly "academic". I'm going to work a little bit every day in the next year, writing and reading, without placing these huge expectations on myself. I'm going to share my work, however mundane, more often with my peers and professors, to release the pressure of producing a perfect PhD all by myself.

My biggest fear is that I am not good enough- not a good enough mom (lacking patience and flexibility). -Not a good enough therapist- lacking skill and inventive thought. - Not a good enough Jew- without effort or desire to reengage on a spiritual or social level at Synagogue. - Not a valuable member of any particular team I enter into- lacking the social skills to engage others. This next year, I want to be able to stop and breath and take in situations without judgement or worry about my performance within each situation. Yet, I also want to be more aware of the social environment I am in so that I may engage others easily within that space.

Fear of loss... It's senior year and everyone is going to be leaving. It's scary to think about. But I know that it's part of graduating and moving on to the next stage of life. I definitely want to make sure I stay in touch with certain people, because they made me who I am today and I don't want to lose them.

The fear of judgement, of being perceived as less than whole by people. I need to let go and simply be content with myself.

Fear: not having enough friends to continue; or fear of future, or fear that specific people will reject. Don't ask "are we okay, and similar situations, unless necessary" e.g. don't do Yom Kippur restore integrity lightly. Do what I think is right over what will make me liked. Also, accept that it is okay to make small or medium blunders, and trust that it is okay to me human and in general people accept me.

My greatest fear is rejection. Whether it's from edits made to a design, harsh criticism, or a general lack of social acceptance. However, I've experienced little rejection of note in my life that hasn't been fixed by some alternative. I must keep in mind that no matter the outcome, there's always something good to come.

I am so afraid of making other people feel badly that I often sacrifice my needs for people who don't even notice/care/expect that I put them first. I don't ever want to be selfish, but I do want to make sure that I am considering myself a lot earlier on.

My biggest fear is of reaching my deathbed filled with regrets. I have lived so much of my life for others and have let many of my own goals and desires go. I want to try harder to live some of my own goals instead of living for others.

That I will fail and get kicked out of graduate school and not finish my masters. I will overcome it by just getting it done!

Up until recently I have been afraid of losing my job, and the overwhelming stress has been stifling. With that behind me now, I simply want to be at peace, work hard, and play hard. That way I can not only be a good employee, but a better husband and father. And soon, grandfather.

I can only think of a couple of enduring, long-lasting fears, but the one that's most critical in how my life is going and has gone is the fear of doing something poorly. This fear has become so perpetually infused with the rest of my life that for a long time I didn't recognize it. It manifested in the difficulty with which I got started on a task. Or I should say, the difficulty with which I actually worked on it. I was perpetually in the process of making a beginning, of gathering the information required to start, thinking: I am not ready yet, I don't know enough yet. I'll just think about it a little more, look into it a little more, and then get going. Now I realize how widespread this attitude is; and it seems to come back to fear, fear of not living up to an ideal (an Ought self, using the SDT terminology.) And you can never fail to live up if you don't actually produce anything or try anything. This is so so so true for me, the truth rings in my bones. I know there are other formulations for procrastination. Those others are not true for me. I'm going to overcome it by pecking away; and by remembering what's working underneath the veneer of the machine, and trying to route around those failures. I know enough to do it; now it's a question of remembering what I know.

Fear of not getting control of my life (my finances, love life...etc...)

I have a fear of losing connection with my daughter. I don't expect this will happen but I know that taking the time and energy to remind her that I love her is necessary.

I am fearful about my health. I don't have the energy I used to have. I feel lazy. I've had a chronic cough. I'm very overweight. I am also worried about my husband's health. I'm concerned about how the stress of the commute and my job are affecting me. I plan to work on all these things.

I have so many fears. Fear that I did all my interesting and important work in my 20s and 30s, and that the past decade was for naught -- and that I don't know how to be creative, fruitful, and productive in my 50s. Realization that this past decade in which I don't feel like I've done much has been the precise time I live in NYC. Fear of leaving NYC. Fear of staying in NYC. Fear of staying immobilized for too many more years. I don't have a plan, but I have a strong desire to let them go over the coming year. Well, maybe I have a plan. I am in therapy dealing specifically with my fears -- I don't know how to make it work better, but I have a place to try.

Again, disappointing people. I'm actually going for what I want, but if I don't get it I'm not sure what I'll do. I plan on just taking things as they come. I know I'll end up doing something with myself, I just hope that I don't end up disappointing people. I suppose in some ways I'm also scared of taking full responsibility of my own life and what happens in it. Regardless of whether I get this thing I want so bad, just taking the step to try and achieve it has boosted my confidence a little, and hopefully it means that no matter the outcome, next year I'll be able to go after something I want, something that makes me happy.

The fear of letting go and no longer planning and controlling to ensure safety. Knowing that I am safest when I am not worrying and holding on to how something was or what it needs to be. I plan to step into each moment and release, release, release. And when I am stuck, release again.

I'm scared of really going for things I know I want to do because I'm scared of failing. I've failed at so many things that I'm not sure I could face it again. I hope I learn to just go for it, take a leap of faith and really stick to my decisions. Decrevi, and all that.

Fear of my student loan debt and facing it. That is one thing that I definitely need to confront in the coming year because it causes me anxiety and fear.

I fear not finding the right partner, being lonely, all that jazz... "Do your practice and all will follow". Not sure how to overcome.

I have an extreme fear of making huge decisions that impact my career and the potential result of said decisions. I'm always such a planner and need everything to be in perfect order before I rush into anything, and that has placed limitations on all the change I want in my life. Inherently it doesn't seem wise to quit a job without another one lined up. But at times I feel like I'm allowing my mental anguish to build and build without doing something about it. Because I'm afraid that I will fail if I don't have the rest of my life mapped out. I have to start taking the leap in several areas of life without looking where I'll land. In a way, I need myself to hit the ground and get a little injured; realize that sometimes those leaps work and sometimes they don't, but the main point is just in taking them to begin with.

I have a fear of being closed in, whether it's in my country or another, whether it's in a closet, or other small or large space, I fear this, and think it may happen sooner than we think. I fear for the poor and homeless in the U.S. and around the world. I fear not being able to get out of homelessness myself. I fear dying long before my time. I fear that life will stop, at any time.

I have a fear that i making the wrong decision with my future, and that i am not with the people i should be and who won't be here for much longer. I guess the only way i can get over it is either experience it, or learn to love where i am.

One of my fears that doesn't seem to ever go away is being trapped by an obligation. Either a convention, festival, event, visiting someone, etc.... I feel like I need to have freedom to leave when I want to go. If I'm not at home, it is hard to break away from anything. I did ok in New Orleans, but I certainly didn't do as much as I could have either. I'm trying to be more social and have managed to let go of certain worries about being with people for too long. But, more than a few hours, and I start to get uptight. All I can do is keep at it. Try not to become secluded. I have a lot of alone time as it is. But, it seems as if I don't ever crave being social that often. I'm trying to invite people over and visit with people more often. It's just something that takes me out of my comfort zone.

I am very frightened of my sexuality. And I am frightened of being alone. These too things have made me contained as a person, warm on the outside but cold in the middle like a baked alaska. I want to relax more and feel more free to be who I am.

fear of loving myself. it has always been easier to hate myself because then i knew what to expect from the world. bad things were going to happen, because bad things always happen to me, so there was no need to feel let down. there was always an explanation for all the shit that happened to me, and it was all about how much i sucked. but really how boring. i would rather believe in myself, that i am an incredible human with gifts form god sent here to make the world a little more beautiful and nice. so heres my plan on overcoming it. im going to start treating myself nicer. stop smoking, exercise, stop putting off that 1/2 marathon, eat good natural foods, drink water, make the art i want to make. im going to do that things that make me feel good, that are the truest to my existence.

I fear that I will be unmoored by not having a standard career (office job) any more. I fear that I will piddle my days away without direction or accomplishment. I will try to set goals, practice discipline, and use external structures and routines to help avoid these outcomes.

I have a fear of failure and of other people seeing my failure. I have so many balls up in the air that I am constantly juggling- kids, finances, job search and more. I am constantly spinning my life so that it appears fine to other people instead of the train wreck it actually is. I hope that next year my life will be at a place where I can share our actual situation without fear of appearing like a failure.

Fear of failure. I am terrified of failing out of school, failing at work, failing at being a good friend all because I cannot find the balance. I need to be organized and find strategies to keep me balanced.

I don't have just one fear that limits me, I have a day or two of fear of failure, fear of sucess, but with my faith I'm learning to not let fear limit me, but walk thru it.

Fear of what other people think of me. I have always been very influenced by how others see me and how I compare to others. I end up stifling myself and not being open or honest with other people, which deprives me and them of a genuine relationship. I need to take more risks and stop protecting myself and others.

I have a fear of blood (and things associated with it), It hasn't limited me particularly but I want to to work on overcoming this coming year. Maybe give blood at some point. Help people.

I realized I have a major feel of vulnerability, especially when it comes to relationships (of all kinds). I've found that I search quick gratification without fulling investing myself in a person so as to build a real, lasting, friendship. I'm very scared. I'm going to try really love my friends, not just love the idea of friendship. I'm going to be more selective with who I share my thoughts with and dedicate time to special people, rather than spreading myself seeking popularity and superficial friendships that boost my temporary self-esteem.

I have a fear of speaking in public still and opening up still. I have combat the public speaking fear slightly over the past year, I have done presentations and I have attended interviews. God damnit those interviews are gruesome. I will go into things with an open mind and well pre-pared. I think that doing those things will help me in the long term. The fear of failing. The fear of being disliked. The fear of asking for help. The fear of being alone forever and not having anyone who I am so comfortable with opening up to is another fear, possibly my biggest. I don't want to die alone. I don't want to be alone forever. It hurts just thinking about it.

I'm always afraid people will judge me harshly. It makes me say/do things that I don't actually want to do. It keeps me from being confident. I talk a big game about not letting what other people say or think affect you, but I seem to have a hard time listening to my own advice.

I have always had a fear of heights, but I would really like to get over that.

I am sometimes afraid that I am not good enough. It has kept me from showing my true self. This coming year, I need to keep telling myself that I am good enough.

A fear of dolls that fall into the uncanny valley. This fear is entirely justified.

Fear of not being able to live my life to its fullest potential has often frozen me into a state of inactivity. Rather than worrying about the how and when, I am much more concerned with work in the present moment, so that I can learn to appreciate every moment and not worry about what I am not doing. I want to be less afraid of having an exciting life.

I just for a lack of a better word, need to have more confidence in my abilites that I've learned outside the "workplace." Things that I have learned due to my own passion and run with it. I'm hoping & planning to start my own business doing it & hopefully it will help.....I don't expect it to make me rich, but just fulfill my dreams.

I fear I won't publish significant work -- which is probably why I don't get it done! I plan to write. But I also fear being alone the rest of my life. Here, I don't think I sabotage myself as with writing, but I could probably do more. Get out, get involved, find someone with the same interests. But in both cases, it's hard.

I fear ulterior motives when someone tries to invest their time and energy in me - romantically. It is paralyzing in social situations, and I'm sick of it. I'm working on letting it go because if I can't trust then I won't let myself be with someone. I haven't figured out quite how yet. "Just do it!" doesn't seem to be quite the best solution!

I am terribly afraid of being afraid. This often limits me from doing the things I want to do, or enjoying the things I am doing. I need to let go and realize it's okay to be afraid. Sometimes the fear of not knowing is half the fun.

I have a fear of the unknown. For that reason I always plan things out way before and try and schedule my life to the point where I have no free time. I am going to try and "just go with the flow" and not try and plan everything out. I know it will be hard, but I eventually have to do it.

Fear of new things, fear to go out alone, meet new people. It keeps me from making new fiends, experiencing areas, and getting out of the house. I hope to keep getting myself to be more social and sociable over the next year.

I have been fearful of living with anger and tension. In allowing this fear to guide my choices, I have ensured a pleasant day to day, but moving forward I don't want to let it all go. I need to learn how to fight and when to fight and how to hold hands while fighting.

I am afraid of offending family members by making decisions (life-decisions) that don't account for their lives. I plan to commit one entire week next year to visit my family. I hope that will soften the fact that my husband and I don't plan to live near them.

I have had a fear that people would learn about who I have been in the past and that it would change or destroy relationships with them. I am learning that is part of who I am though and you cannot hide forever. If they leave then maybe we weren't as close as I thought.....

I'm afraid of dying. Afraid of not making the most of my life, living every moment, making the most of my potential. When I'm not panicked, I can see that I do try to live every moment and enjoy it as it is. I do contribute a lot of things to the bit of world I live in. I need to appreciate that about myself more often. I want to explore what living up to my potential means to me, and then start at it, bit by bit.

I am very scared of other people. It has limited my relationships, both friendly and romantic. Right now, I'm with a guy who is unlike anyone I've ever known, so maybe it will change.

fear of failing - of not being good enough - of our not making enough money to cover everything - of not being a good enough mom, wife. i think it is mostly letting go of it, but also working harder to understand where and where not I can be a better me

I am afraid of my own irresponsibility and my own incompetence. i really just have to keep fighting it and not be afraid to fuck things up once in a while. i am afraid of how other people see me but i really want to just not care... i am afraid of caring too much. i just have to... not

That I'm doing the wrong thing. That I'm acting from ignorance about what is real to many people. That I am disconnected, disrespectful, ignorant to the way that people live and to the relative privilege and ease in all of my life. I can let it go by staying connected, by asking outright, by fostering leadership in everyone around me and sharing.

I am honestly offended by this question. No one would ever ask me how my joy has limited me or imply I need to let go of my happiness in the coming year or overcome my bliss. The difference between fear and joy, happiness, and bliss is that it’s easier to feel those and they are considered more socially acceptable. I really don’t like the concept that fear is an energy that has to be overcome and released, purged and rejected. So my fear is that fear and other uncomfortable emotions and reactions are going to continue to be marginalized and dishonored by our culture. I have learned that the most expedient way to quote-unquote release an emotion is to acknowledge it’s existence. So to let go of this disturbance, I plan to actually speak up on behalf of the emotions that are expressing and flowing through us human beings. I believe that there are healthy ways to express fear and anger and we can learn how to do that and teach our children how to express them as well. I don’t believe suppression is a healthy option in the long or short term. So instead of remaining silent and afraid to speak up on behalf of the unpopular emotions such as fear, I will honor their existence and listen for what they are telling me about certain situations and circumstances. I will advocate on behalf of these emotions and those who feel them. I believe that human beings can actually embrace their own humanity by embracing their own vulnerabilities. I believe I have a lot to learn from my diverse palette of emotions and can express them in ways that promote harmony, balance, and choice and if we can begin to hold those parts of ourselves as natural and informational, we can actually reduce violence amongst and between ourselves and others.

I am very afraid of failing (failing with my family, my friends and especially my learningthings and my relationship to Luc), but with the help of Luc I hope I will manage it.

Fear of speaking in public has limited my ability to be effective in several spheres. I would love to let it go, but don't know how. Perhaps I will research this... find out how to go about overcoming it.

My biggest fear is that I am not pulling my weight at work and that my co-worker doesn't feel that I am able to do the work as well as she can. I need to remember that we all have different talents and that I am doing the best I can every day.

I think I have a fear of becoming very emotional. I fear than if I let myself go somewhere very emotional, it will trigger my anxiety. However, I think it's important for me to feel emotions and I don't want to avoid situations and thoughts that will make me emotional any more. I think I will try to be more conscious of when I am avoiding someone or some situation for that reason and try to expose myself to it more.

My big fears lately are all wrapped up in the mortality thing. I also have fears of how people perceive me, and I think it leads me to be more closed off and shy than I probably should, especially in my professional life. I worry that I come off as annoying or that I might say or do something that sounds dumb, so I just try to avoid people or keep quiet. I need to get over that if I want to succeed. Overcoming that will be tough, but hopefully I can have experiences with the people I work with that will bring me more out of my shell.

Rejection. I have such an irrational, nerve wracking fear of rejection in every aspect of my life and I just need to let that go, need to be able to exhale and free myself from always being afraid. I'm so scared so much of the time.

A fear I have is the fear of water. I love seing water and I love the affect it has on me when I see it. It is my dream to swim with fish and be fluid. But my fear of drowning has cause me to not learn how to swim, and worse not allowed me to not get baptized. I would really like to at least keep myself calm under water next year.

Underlying is not really a fear, but a profound sadness about dying one day and not being on earth to see and live Michael and see him happy. I guess I just have to make the best of my time on Earth.

I fear people. I fear attention, especially of the wrong kind. I get paranoid talking to strangers - even if its just someone who is sent out to help me. I can't talk to people on my own, I always at least need moral support, even if its just to talk to someone about photocopying. I hope to overcome it, somewhat. I don't expect to fully recover from my social paranoia. But I hope to not let it limit me the way it has this year. Especially in reference to people who are there to help me, I need to not be afraid of talking to them.

The clutter in my house, and also losing the house altogether. If i lose it, i have to do something with all this STUFF. Valuable, meaningful, useful and used though it is, there's TOO MUCH of it for the space I have. So i have to get rid of a lot of it. And THAT is incredibly stressful.

I would like to get past my comfort zone in terms of talking to strangers. I am going to start by saying hello to people.

I fear getting caught between the needs of others I love and not making wise decisions because I am freaked out about disappointing anybody. I need to breathe and center, say out loud that I am feeling caught, work to focus on having an opinion of my own

I am incredibly afraid to graduate Vassar. I don't want to leave what has been, truly, my home for the past 3 years. I cannot think of a place or a time on earth where I have been happier than I have here. At the same time, I feel as if I have not done enough. I am trying to cherish my last year here, and hope that by the time it comes to a close, I will be ready to move on.

I fear that I won't be able to have a baby because I may have PID and the pituitary tumor factor. I plan on keeping my nutrition straight and healing myself through food so that the tumor will go away and I can be healthy enough to create little monsters.

I've been afraid of the future upheaval—the trifecta of climate chaos, economic collapse, and resource scarcity we're now emerging into. And I am now deciding to meet that future with a brave, curious, and playful heart! I know I won't be alone in trying to figure all this stuff out, and moments of joy will still be present in the chaos even when it feels overwhelming.

I fear that I am not enough. That I am not talented, beautiful, energetic, smart, lucky enough to be, have, do what I want to do in life. Which is to live happy with great friends, a partner someday, in a beautiful place, financially secure and create art though music, theatre, and dance.

I have a fear of rejection, so badly and I apologize way too much. I have this fear of being alone, that my boyfriend will leave me and I'll be crushed. I plan on becoming more independent and hopefully moving out of my parents to help let go, I feel that if I can be on my own and make it that I won't have that fear of being alone anymore. I also want to, not push away from my boyfriend, but not push so much. Be more easy going like I used to be and not so clingy.

Im afraid that nobody will ever love me as much as my mom does. I think it is keeping me from being as free as I can be in new relationships - more guarded against disappointment, more cynical. I dont know how to overcome it - but I would certainly like to.

My fear is that my son will not come to gripes with his mental illness and drug use. It is all consuming. I feel this reflects badly on my as a parent, to not have found a way to reach him. I want to keep trying but not be an "enabler."

The fear of not being accepted for who I am and where I come from. This fear has held me back from overcoming my insecurity and barrier in meeting new people and pursuing my interests and issues of importance with an active sense of importance. I'd like to be able to overcome this fear by joining a group or class in the community and exercising interest in the individuals in the group and the purpose of that group. I'd like to be able to trust the process and accept that I am who I am because my unique set of experiences and it is okay. I can overcome my fear by recognizing it and working to honestly understand what has limited me or held me back from being courageous, compassionate and loving.

I am afraid of everything. I need to move through it.

getting a 5. "failure" realize that there are more important things...like family, friends and love.

Fear of coming out. I know my friends are fine with it, but the whole world isn't. But things are changing. I was way more open this summer. That's a start. Let's see if I continue the trend.

I have anxiety atacks that limited to me so much I been with this problem like 5 years is hard but i am doing my best to hang on and live my life. Doing yoga, meditation and be happy will be my solution that help me in the past So I hope that help me in the future...

The fear of making a foolish choice based on my addiction and failing to honor my wife who has supported me through my recovery. I plan to continue to connect with my accountability partner and continue to be transparent with my wife about those potential stumbling blocks.

I am afraid that my mental illness (depression) will interfere with my life and achieving my goals. I plan to increase my time in therapy and address this fear directly.

Fear of not feeling like I am healthy- the fear I will wake up and regret missing opportunities in my thirties. This year, I've got to discipline myself to create more time for social gatherings that don't involve alcoholic beverages. I wish to really know more of my friends, and that means presenting myself in a very real way- a healthy way. I hope to embrace all of the weaknesses I fear relating to my health and relationships, and then blow them away.

fear of being fully myself. it has limited my career and my marriage. i don't know yet how to fix this.

That I'll fail -- won't be a good enough minister, won't be a good enough writer, won't find another life partner, won't lose weight, etc. I keep putting myself out there - doing what's in front of me and doing it the very best I can.

Fear of losing a person or pet I love dearly. All I can do is take things one day at a time and try not to let the crazy out too often.

I fear judgement. It can sometimes limit me socially, and my development professionally. This year I will overcome it by learning to mean it when I yes or no. Yes to experiences, no to being taken for granted.

I don't have all that many fears left. I asked a girl out much sooner than I've had the courage to do before. I even made it explicit that I was asking her out on a date. I've also become less afraid of my boss at work. I no longer assume I've done something wrong when he asks to speak to me. I guess I'm still sometimes afraid to speak to my brother, Gregory. It's hard when he doesn't respond. Am I afraid of him, of what he might say or do to me? Am I afraid of learning the details of what he's done to other members of my family that I've been protected from? Maybe I don't want to break that barrier. Maybe it's better not to know. I don't have many fears. Maybe dancing is one. Not sure if it's a fear, but it is certainly a hang-up, something I'm self-conscious about. I could get over it by asking if someone like Bethan could take me out for a night of dancing. Maybe I'm afraid of drinking, too, of what it would do to me if I started drinking. I'm pretty sure that if I did start drinking I'd probably be able to sleep with women. But for some reason I'm reluctant to let my guard down that way. I want to get to know people the right way, for the right reason. Maybe people don't trust me enough when I'm sober. I don't know about that and how I feel about it. Not sure if I ever want to drink. I'm stubborn.

Fear of not being successful in work. Fear of being taken advantage of. Fear of not living to my potential. Fear of settling in life.

I fear being afraid. I don't like it. I often find myself doubting myself, failing because of fear, not because I can't do something... time after time it makes me feel that I'm not good enough for whaterver task I'm at at that moment. I live in fear, which is quite counterproductive. Being left alone, failing, not being there for the people I love, not doing enough, doing too much, letting people down, loving too mch or too little... seems like I spend my time worrying I won't be good enough... and because of that, I'm not good enough.

Being seen as too full of myself. It limits my ability to step into the limelight or self-promote. I'm not sure how to let it go...

Fear of not being able to financially support myself as a freelancing entity. I've just gotta LET GO of ego and HUSTLE with all honesty, integrity, and diligence. Also consisently recognizing that my efforts and energy DESERVE to be recognized and my time and efforts/energy are so incredibly VALUABLE!

I've had a big fear of doing astrology readings, and in the past few years I've joined groups that have encouraged me to achieve my goals. It has helped me immeasurably to have the support of peers. I guess I have a fear of being financially self-sufficient? Of taking my views of Judaism seriously, putting them out there, and allowing them to sit at the core of my being? Well. One thing at a time. I need to make some money and start paying the bills again! In the immediate future I want to give a lecture on Judaism and astrology. And of course I want to do enough work that I can graduate from my astrology class that I'm taking right now! (Or if not, get certified to level 2 and maybe level 3 under NCGR.)

Fear of failure. So I continue to fail and continue to fear. Fear of judgement. I am just now starting to realize, even in all my intelligence, how important it is to live the life that will make you satisfied and happy. I'm getting there one step at a time. I will have to make an effort to give less of a shit and decide whats best for me in my life.

Self Consciousness is something I just have to forget about. If you want to wear a kippah then do it, don't let judgement get in the way. Be the person you want to be, ALWAYS and EVERYWHERE!!

Failure. It has always been my worst fear and the reason I have held myself back for so, so long. I also fear humiliation, to the point that I refuse to take part in activities that I KNOW that I enjoy. It's ridiculous. In the next year I hope to cast off the bulky weight of shame and sing/scream/wear whatever i want and DANCE the fuck out of my life.

I have a fear of not finding a husband and not having children and it limits me in venturing out to become a rockstar and feminist. I don't want to make the proverbial 'him' feel intimidated or be too desperate when I meet him. I will try to overcome this by channelling the energy of my sisters, friends and feminist leaders and as long as I really have them and I don't go it alone, I think I will remain human and loving and therefore not intimidating or desperate, and the good men (ie. the ones who aren't competitive and jealous of my success) will find me and we'll live happily ever after making music and babies together ;o) The other fear I have is that I'm too old to be an artist and feminist. I should have done that in my 20s. I fear rejection. I will overcome this by getting satisfaction in the means, not just the ends, of the process of music/feminist wave-making. I mean if I'm having fun, who cares if 'they' accept or reject me? There are enough old musicians who don't care how famous they are, they just wanna play, like me!

I’ve gotten really scared of being on the train, I don’t like it when its so crowded, when you have to be standing up, when the train stops. It makes me think I can’t live farther away because I don’t want to be on the train for that long. I don’t know why I get so scared, I know that I’m not really going to die, I’m not really going to loose my air. I think I need to start going to therapy, I’ve tried reading on the train and listening to music, so that sort of helps.

I have a fear of working out in front of other people. I work out a lot -- and I do it all alone, at home, in my basement. I have friends that want to work out with me, and I keep inventing excuses as to why I can't. I need to stop with the excuses. I have no idea how to stop with the excuses.

I often don't do things I want to do because I'm afraid of disapproval. This year I'm gonna fuck it. I'm thirty. I am who I am, now. If you don't like me for me then that's your problem.

I fear people's judgments of me, which stops me from saying and doing a lot of things. The words will stick in my throat and I'm judged before they're even out. I hope to overcome it by remembering that I am the one who's doing the judging, and that whatever anyone else thinks of me, it can't make me feel any worse than I can make myself feel.

Fear of failure. Fear of the unknown. I plan to keep putting myself in situations that are beyond what I think is possible.

I have a fear about the decisions I make and am scared to make them because then I will blame myself when it goes wrong. I need to understand that usually there is no wrong choice and that there are many options that can make me happy. Another fear is exercising in front of people mostly because I am afraid of judgement. That has to change.

Fear of connect/opening up to people. Fear of depending on people. I'm not really planning on letting go of it... Also, a fear of ending up on a path I don't want to take. I will think very hard about any decisions and try and get as much experience and information to help work out what I want. A fear that I cannot make the difference or my dreams are too big for my abilities.

I fear human intolerance and rigidity of thinking. I fear bigotry and the duplicity of freedom vs control I can only change myself and my own behavior.

I have a fear of acceptance & rejection, of success & maybe a few more & a fear of being let down. I plan to work through these & let go of my fears as they are only an emotion & I have been given the tools when I had hypnotherapy in order to do that. I do not have to find the causes, only to let go & free myself from them, so message to self "Let Go of them" "You Are Loved" x :)

I have a fear of being alone and of being rejected. That has always been the fear that has defined my experiences, but my decision to move to France on my own has already made the world of difference to that attitude. Being alone will have to be okay, because that's how I'm going to achieve my dream. This year, I want to open up to people, let them into my life, and also let them go again without fear or desperation.

Fear of something happening to my children. I've probably answered this question (or one like it) the same way since I started doing this. I don't even know if its rational for me to be as fearful as I am. How to I plan on letting it go? Or overcoming it? Is that even possible? I suppose continuing to realize and acknowledge that it exists is the best place to start. And then going forward from there.

I've had a fear, for most of my life, that people won't like me if . . .if, if, if. If I have a different opinion, if I can't support my opinion, if I use Jewish words, and Yiddish expressions- all three that I know- in conversation. NOt that they won't like me, but that I won't fit into my predominantly non-Jewish rural environment. I'm better than I used to be. And I continue to work at allowing myself the freedom to show who I am, which is a pretty cool young (65) old person. And that's another thing I am really having a problem being officially not young anymore. See, I can't even say the word "old". Maybe I'll get used to it by next year. Peace.

ZOMG BEING ALONE! Perhaps turning 30 turns something on, but I'm not actually very good at having perspective about myself. I'm working on that by talking to my friends alot--they help with making sure I don't go mad (or that I am actually mad). I will learn a lot from that, I'm sure.

fear of being hurt = very cautious in putting my emotions out there; always thinking that the other person will "realize" how crazy i am and will leave me one day. i can try to start overcoming by just putting myself out there and not taking it personally if someone doesn't accept me or think i fit with them. fear of not being good enough = always critical of myself and not confident of things that i'm actually good at. i need to realize that i'm the bomb and that other people's opinions do not mean i'm not worthy!

Fear of dissapointing people. I need to do what makes me happy and not other people. Fear of failure. Sometimes I take on too much.

Procrastination continuing problem. Is it to late to write?

I worry that cigarettes and wine are part of my "creative" self ... not in terms of how I find day-to-day solutions, or write effective business letters, but in terms of how compellingly I can write creative material. I will make an effort to give up both crutches in the coming year.

I am afraid that it just won't work out. That everything has been a big "learning experience" but nothing more and that eventually I'll have to accept reality and let go of the dream.

Fear of being an imposter. Fear of not being good enough. Fear of failure. I guess my plan is just to make things and to hold myself responsible for the quantity, the regularity of that activity, but not the quality. But in this share-share-share online culture, that can sometimes be a big leap of faith.

Not having control over certain situations. Fear of my kids not making the correct choices in life. I need to learn to have faith that they are on the right path in life, because I gave them all the things they need to be great adults. They just need to have their own free will to use that information. No one said life would be easy and instead of looking at mistakes as something bad they need to be viewed as a learning tool to help us grow. It is a work in progress

Fear of standing up for myself in my relationship. Speaking out and working for a resolution. Perhaps some counseling too.

i am very affraid that when i have to move out of my grandparents i wont have enough money and i wont have any place i can afford to go, it has made things very hard for me and has kept me from being able to do the things i need to do. i dont really have a good plan right now, the ones i have tried have all failed.

I lived in fear of the future and of financials. The only way to overcome those is to forget them. They are not important. Health, family, and love are the things that should be in my focus.

I fear for my children and I worry about money. I would like to approach things from abundance, to be wise about spending, but also believe that good things will flow. I fear that my business partner will die, or become incapacitated from her cancer. Every piece of good news feels like a blessing. We just had a recent scare, which turned out to be another false alarm. Love the false in false alarms. When I look back on business for the past 20 years the work has always come and sustained me. It will continue to do so, so I need to take more risks and try more things. Educate myself, share, be generous and confident.

I have a fear of judgement. Because of it I strive for perfection, I worry that I am not perfect at my job, or at parenting. I worry about what other people will say. I know I am pretty good and a lot of diverse things, but not perfect. I don't expect perfection from anyone else so why do I do this to myself. I want to not be perfect this year and it be ok. I want to be good enough at work, at parenting, at everything. I guess my biggest fear is that I won't let it go!

A current fear is the fear of success. I plan on addressing it by: 1. Succumb to it. Stop fighting it. 2. Coming to terms with the inner part of myself that I think the fear comes from. 3. Accept what will come to me after fighting the fear is over. 4. Enjoy it!

Again, as with last year, my fears about health have been pretty pronounced in the past year and have interrupted my full enjoyment of life. I've spoken with my doctor about these anxieties and she assures me that it is natural and normal, given my jaw problems last year and as a mother. I believe that good diet, exercise and prayer will help me maintain good physical AND mental health.

I'm terrified of being judged, with the assumption that any judgement will be negative. I plan on letting it go by getting back out there and being fearless, following my red-headed, leopard-spotted friend Missy's example of doing silly cartwheels on the beach.

Fear of failure freezes me. Just do it. And then try again. Fear of rejection. Just do it. And then try again.

My fear is of dying. It has limited me by not being able to attend funerals or cemeteries. I plan on visiting cemeteries more this year to see family members who passed away.

Fear of not doing enough, of letting someone down. I need to learn to put myself and my needs first (or at least, not last), so that I am satisified with myself and content that I am doing enough for others.

I have a fear of financial instability. I'm looking at new work, and hope to also come up with some alternate sources of income to help supplement my career. I should also work at learning to live more within my means...

Fear of being left alone. Not sure how to overcome it except to have some fun and enjoy my parents and loved ones while I can.

I fear death. I try not to think about it...what's the point? There's no way to avoid its eventuality...I can only try to postpone it.

I hope to continue to listen to the scared places in me - fear of seeing hatred, fear of disapproval, fear of being rejected.... and to hold them in caring listening spaces where they can connect with their deep soul longings underneath them.

I am afraid my husband will leave me. Every day I think about it and every day I work to be a better wife so he will stay with me.

My fear has always been people getting to know me. I keep them at a distance and share very little. I am careful with me and have been so disappointed when I put myself out there and get mistreated. I see. I learn. I walk away. I must accept true friends are hard to find.

Regret. Make it worth it.

I have a fear that I won't find the man I'm supposed to marry or be able to have children of my own. I plan on continuing to overcome it by taking things one day at a time and knowing I can always get out of a relationship, no matter how difficult or awkward, rather than settle for marrying someone I shouldn't. If I can or can't have children, being afraid or worrying won't change that. I will overcome this by knowing that adoption is always an adoption or just maybe God has bigger plans for me than I can imagine.

Plan on letting it go? Fuck you 10Q! You think people with fears can choose to let them go and move forward? I'm not even aware of most of my idiocincracies before they become an issue. I know I have a fear of letting people in to my life because they often just leave with my still beating heart in the treads of their shoes. I'm working on that though. I want people to want me. But there's no book so I have no way of knowing of I think I can do it correctly so I don't try very hard. It's a viscous cycle. I may beat it. I guess we'll find out together next year, right?

I think I am most afraid of screwing up. Hurting my husband, screwing up at work, hurting my friends. I could overcome it by keeping my head and not letting myself get nasty just because I'm frustrated. Better still would be to keep my head and not get frustrated. But I wouldn't call that a plan so much as a hope, a dream, an ideal.

I am afraid of people not liking me or approving of me. I am afraid that I am not talented, that I have no special gift. I am afraid to quit my job.

I'm afraid to be open with my feelings. It takes a lot for me to open up to somebody I care about regarding that fact. Often I wish I could overcome it, but I don't think I can.

I've been afraid to really try to lose weight that is endangering not just my health but at this point my life. I'm afraid to try because I'm afraid to fail. I plan on overcoming it by using my desire to be there for my son and the rest of my family for a very long time. The idea of not seeing him grow up is a powerful motivator. The idea of seeing him suffer taunts at school when he starts next year because of his morbidly obese mother is possibly still stronger. I don't want him to suffer for my failings.

Fear of not being enough. This is something I have worked on for years. I don't know how to overcome it, but I'm going to just keep working on it. Perhaps if I spoke or wrote about it more, it would help.

The only fear I can think of is getting ill or incapacitated and not being able to take care of myself. (No signs or indications of anything like that yet.) I intend to take health and fitness more seriously and try to get in better shape . . . lose weight, improve strength and flexibility.

I always feel like I am not good enough or smart enough. I tell myself I can't do something and I sell myself short. I need to realize that I am smart and capable and I can do anything I want to.

I fear that somehow, someway, my partner will keep things from me. Partly this is because of his own family of origin conditioning - they don't communicate directly and there's a lot of triangulation. I see three of them talk regularly about the fourth who isn't present (it's always a rotating cast of odd man out), but usually it's three of them keeping secrets from mom. My partner is averse to any kind of conflict, and so when it arises, I think his natural reaction is to avoid and hide the truth because he's afraid of hurting me or of my reaction. And my suspicion that he's going to do that I think perpetuates the possibility. So I want to work on trusting him fully - trusting him to learn from our relationship and his own fears and to be the kind of partner that is approachable, understanding and flexible.

Sometimes I think I'm afraid of nothing, sometimes I think I'm afraid of everything, and sometimes I don't know if I'm afraid at all. I think I am most afraid of being all that I am, of even knowing all that I am. It's really time to let that go-I'm 64 and I don't have that much time to learn who I am and what I was put here for.

I fear a major life disruption that would cause us to lose our financial foothold. I want us to get a real hold on our debt and financial situation.

Basically, I've been afraid of rejection based on a general feeling of unworthiness. This has impacted my whole life--I have not shared my ideas and inspirations, for fear of being ridiculous. On the academic writing front, I've been paralyzed. I hope to create a daily system for writing to make it less scary, and to validate my own intellectual opinions and share them with others, to see where it goes. I also hope to be more forthcoming and honest with others, to open up the possibility of warmer and more intimate relationships. Which will entail continuing to work on my self-esteem, so that I can handle life with openness rather than defensiveness.

Fear is currently ruling my life in 2 areas: Taking the next step in my career and education, and in actually enjoying our new house and our life. With the former, I plan to take a step in faith within the next year. Take the GRE, apply for some grad programs, and apply for a new job. What door opens to me will be interesting. I trust that, when I need to take another step, I will be capable of deciding that one, too. With the latter, it's taking willful control - acknowledgment of my problem, and determination to be more thankful to turn this around. The more I thank The Lord, I believe, the more he will help me be thankful not afraid.

My fear is that our environment is changing rapidly and will effect humanity's ability to survive. Worse than that I fear that my children will be deeply effected during their life time and will face suffering. My fear is that I am not able to prevent their suffering. I hope to focus on my life day by day, as opposed to worrying about humanity's overall survival.

I guess a fear that I always have had is being judged. I hate being judged, because people take the way you look and just make an opinion about you. I probably judged too. I just want this to all go away. But my biggest fear is, failing. I hate to fail, That's why I make plans, I don't want to end up without internet, tv and food. I just want enough to make it.

My biggest fear is talking to new people. I have a hard time making friends and going up to people and saying hi. I want to become more outgoing.

Fear that there is and will be no response. Fear that I will never love or be loved again. Fear that I am alone. Fear that what we do does not matter. Fear that people do not understand each other or even love each other. Overcome this by constantly dwelling on the good, on evidence to the contrary, and acting always as if everything does matter and that anything is possible.

Fear of not getting into the university that i want. I think it is influences EVERYTHING that i do and i would just like to find out soon so i can stop worrying about it and get on with things.

I fear what people will think of me when they see me in a wheelchair. I perceive it as a loss of power and internal strength on my part, as well as vulnerability.

I'm afraid of committing to NYC. Afraid to let myself be happy here. To find a more permanent place. To adopt a dog. To establish ties with the people here in case I move on. But this is my home now, and it's where I want to be for some time.

I fear that I will not succeed in breaking away from my parents' financial support. This has kept me from moving out of the house and forging out a life of my own. I have to remember the teaching of Stuart Smalley: "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me."

I have spent a lot of years in fear based thought. So grateful that I'm learning to be aware. And just feel great. I just got news that Kimberly has to move. I am currently looking for a place anyways, but I'm consciously sending out beams of joy an feeling so grateful that I'm gonma live in the cutest little unique place. Very affordable and located in the perfect spot. : )

Fear of failure and rejection. I'm not getting out of my comfort zone enough with work. I've been doing a decent job of that with poi, though! But I need to not rest on my laurels, I want to keep performing (which will keep me out of my comfort zone). I'm also not getting out of my comfort zone enough in dating. Or maybe it's more in *meeting* new people, rather than pure dating? I think my best plan to overcome it would simply be: talk to more women.

I fear I'll be forever in pain because of my uncle's sudden death. I have no idea on how to overcome it, I have no idea if it's possible.

Fear that trying something new may not be as remunerative as my current job. Thinking about systemtically allotting time to do something different even if in the same line. Start as a part time gig and see if it will blossom into something bigger.

Fear of failure. Fear of being known. Fear of being successful. Plan on just witnessing, being mindful, being aware of the fear and... moving on despite it! Rock on and say "Hello Fear - stay as long as you like!".

Fear of financial problems in retirement. Trust my entrepreneurial spirit..

I am afraid of not being good enough. I don't think I believe enough in myself, despite all evidence to the contrary. I am so judgmental of myself. I am afraid that I am not a good enough actress, wife, teacher, writer. God, I want to believe in myself more. Be kinder to myself. I don't quite know how to let it go, actually. I just need to believe that I am talented and deserving of the very best. And good enough to be considered among the very best. I need to have a full confidence in myself as an artist. I guess just believing that EVERY truly great artist has doubts and always wants to improve themselves would help me. I want to be able to actually think of myself as a truly great artist. But somehow I don't believe that. I feel like there is a way, with humility, to believe in myself much more.

The fear of believing that I am becoming too old to try new experiences. That I don't have enough time left. There are so many things that I want to explore in life, but I just don't feel like I have the time necessary to complete this task. This pretty much leads me, to not trying the things I want to try. I need to begin to understand, that being 18 means that I still have plenty of time. I just need to set aside the time necessary to do whatever I would like to do. Its all about time management. I still have time to master/experience new things.

My fear of being accepted. I have self confidence issues, and while it has gotten better, I still fear that people don't accept me. I really want to let go of this fear. I think that this year if I be confidence in myself and try not to let it get to my head I will be fine.

I am terrified of being poor again. It has limited me because I haven't even made much of an effort to get licensed as an MFT because I can't figure out how to do that and still have a decent income, health insurance etc. The place I work now is already itching to replace me and I am going to be out of a job soon. I plan to NOT take a job that doesn't get me closer to my real goals. I plan to NOT allow fear of being poor to stop me.

I suppose I am afraid of failing, of not being good enough. I think that voice at the back of my head saying 'you won't be able to do this' has held me back all my life. I want to squash that voice. By doing more things that terrify me. By keeping a list of the things that I'm really proud of. By listening and hearing when friends say something nice about me - and believing them! I had a realisation this week after giving a presentation, that I wasn't nervous at all - that was a first, so I need to bottle that confidence somehow!

Let go of being too old to try something NEW NEW NEW ---- or too old to take a new job ----

Fear that I can't survive alone. I don't want to. I really really really really really really don't want to. But so long as I am, I'd like to be better about it. Accept it as what it is -- at least for now -- and try to move forward in spite. Instead of being paralyzed. As sad as it is.

Fear of failing at marriage. I stand at the precipice of failure now, as I prepare to move out next week, so I guess this time next year we'll have seen if I let it consume me or if I pick myself up and realize that the earth keeps turning and I can let this define me or not.

I have a fear of confrontation. Instead of rising to defend myself, or my ideas, I will shrink from conflict and sometimes grow bitter. If I don't grow bitter I may in some other form grow to resent my lack of self defense and mull over what I should have done or said at the moment. I think this aspect of my personality is what I fear most fails to align with my idea of what a politician should be and why I may fall short of achieving my goals. If I want to be a preeminent politician who advocates on behalf of others I must first master the art of advocating for and defending myself. If that is not something I am comfortable doing when necessary or appropriate I fear it may not be realistic to expect me to come through for others in a timely manner such as will likely be necessary in the career path(s) that I have dreamed for myself. The results of writing to not always come quickly enough to save. Words spoken. Deeds witnessed. These things combined will cause Progress. I need to Advance myself, for the sake of myself and others. I am coming to understand the truth in the idea that you cannot serve others until you yourself are taken care of. It's time to repair these insecurities of mine.

I'm fearful of tarnishing what people think of me through actions and/or lack of, when really it's about beliefs and all I can do is worry about and act on my own. This has affected me since I started playing competitive tennis, and I'm intending to overcome it by, well, simply overcoming i with a change in mentality for how I approach things; an altered mental state that we'll lead to different actions and likely different results.

I am afraid of trying, which is why I stay in a job I should move on from, but I am scared of putting myself out there and failing or not being able to find anything better.

I'm scared that career wise I may be at my peak. I get really frustrated at a lack of creativity and worry its never going to come back. I also worry that if I can learn digital design adequately, I shall just be a glorified artwork for digital aswell as print.

Fear never being financially stable, professionally stable, or personally stable. I think a new living environment and job would help me overcome these fears, I feel like I'm getting kicked in the teeth a lot (because of my own actions) in the place I am, I think I need to be somewhere I actually like or with people I actually like doing a job I actually like. I fear never being competent enough for a good job, I'm overcoming that by trying to apply for things I might not get but really want.

My fear is that my pain will limit me so much I'll become miserable. That I can't take care of children because of it. Won't be able to dance, to get my everyday work done, to be with others walking, and it will hinder my exercise so much I'll just get fatter and fatter. How I attend to it so far: getting orthotics, new shoes, streching, getting massage, reiki, meditating on being grounded and on self-healing. While my feet bones spread out upon the earth perhaps there is some pain in letting the constriction go. Detoxing my feet. Asher Yatzar prayer.

I'm afraid of looking ridiculous, of claiming to be something and not living up to it. This has made it hard for me to jump in and get my childbirth classes started. I'm afraid of being wrong, so I hold back from stating my opinions. I plan to speak and act from my heart, not with the intention of being right, or having others think I'm right.

I find that I fear engaging in new conversations. Be it with sales people, or with service calls, or just with others. I will do it, of course, and when doing it, it is not that bad. But if given the choice, I will avoid it like the plague. I am not sure why I have this fear - and i am not sure how to get rid of it.

I have a number of fears, but a commonality is the fear of opening up to what I want, and of exposing this to others. The fear of judgement and/or having another reject or be dismissive in the face of my vulnerability, makes it hard for me to ask for or go after what I want, to open my heart fully, or share my full experience with others. I plan to continue to work on this, both holding my knowledge that I can bear disappointment and that my fear gets in my way of my being able to have more of what I want.

Fear of not being healthy and unfocused.

I have felt the need to make a bunch of money. Or I guess to reword, I am afraid that i'm not making enough to support my family. it has limited my ability to be happy with the job that I have. I really need to let this go because sierra and I will be able to make do with whatever we bring in. and she is going to make a bunch of money so that will be cool. I really need to let this go and recognize that making even just a little more then I make now will be good enough to support our family.

1) Fear of flying. I am dying to go to the Dominican Republic. I need to learn how to get on a plane. Being that this is a combination of a lot of fears: entrapment, escape, lack of control, heights, breath, and my own mind, it might take a lot. But I should tackle some of those. 2) Fear of love. I am getting to know myself, and love, intimately so I can become less afraid of them. Love is nothing but feeling good and causing another to feel good. But I am terrified of it. Because genuinely feeling good means you have to be open and honest, with yourself first, and then with another. And you can't just do it when you know nothing will go wrong, because, that would be never. So, I need to learn to let that go : )

I fear doing nothing to better this world. that I will just end up living a life of waste. I plan on overcoming it by not letting that be true.

I fear that I have so many dreams, many won't be followed. I want to become yoga certified for children and teens. I want to live abroad in Israel. I want to go to grad school for Holistic Psychology. I want to live on the west-coast during this period. I want to stay deeply involved in GOTR. I want to take healthy cooking classes. I want to explore my hobby for photography. I want to run a half marathon. SO many dreams and aspirations - I have set the bar so high, that I fear it's unattainable sometimes. This fear keeps my plans from turning into action - they simply remain words on paper, or silent ideas in my head. However, during the next year, I plan to plan (better)! By planning ahead - I can make these dreams possible. I have mentally created a timeline where I place these goals/dreams - and hopefully with helpful planning, I can achieve all that I've set out to accomplish. I need to stay motivated, positive, and organized. This I can do.

The fear I have is that I might not perform up to someone's expectation and build a bad name for myself. In order not to do that, I will have to put in my hardest. I am also afraid that my sister will not find a job that she is happy with. I will try and help her find her true calling.

Fear of not making a difference in the world, or not leaving my mark, and the fear that because nothing catastrophic has happened in my life, that something tragic must happen soon enough. How do you overcome these?

I am afraid that I won't make time for seeing my friends this next year. I'll overcome it by making sure I don't always stress over school.

I have a fear of disappointing people, or making them uncomfortable. This has led me to skirt around issues that are very important to me, and limits effective communication with people I care about. I don't know how to overcome it.

That I will always be stuck living on the edge of poor. "Middle-class poor". I don't want that. I want to live comfortably. I plan to continue to let things go while I cannot control them and roll with the punches but never be apathetic to changes I can make. If I have the opportunity to take on projects that will net good income, I will take them. I won't be afraid of success.

I'm self-consciousness about speaking out in a group even when I have something I really want to say. Have tried to overcome it for years but maybe this will be the year.

I always talk about being anti-social but the more I think about it, the less it really is. I guess it's just a fear of failure and not failing. I haven't failed much lately so I don't know why I'm so concerned about it.

I am shy and fearful of approaching people. That has caused me at times to not engage in some activities that I feel are worthwhile or would enhance my life. I am trying to push myself to engage with others more.

I fear my own greatness. I fear that I wont know how to survive completely on my own out there. This has paralyzed me and held me back from being true to myself. The way I plan on overcoming it is by building self-approval, self-esteem and trust in myself and in the universe. I have to keep building the faith that will enable me to live without fear and doubt, especially in myself. This begins with meditating and praying everyday, keeping promises that I make to myself, achieving small goals and taking responsibility however possible. Proving to myself that I can and do take care of myself and really genuinely loving myself, by providing the nourishment and attention I need. AND, probably above all, being compassionate with myself as I move forward and make mistakes.

Fear of losing corah. I have to let her ho but be there at the same time. I am going to focus on the people that are here now.

Fear of failure - overanalyzing things - as a friend of mine once told me, thinking too much. A few years ago I used to be a loose cannon and would lash out first and think about it later. Now I've swung too far the other way - I get so wrapped up thinking through things that it slows me down. Sometimes I wish I'd just feel more comfortable throwing caution to the wind and just picking a path and following it.

I fear me. What happens when I let go? I fear that my stupid ideas are really stupid ,like failure stupid. They say fear is the mind killer. They are wrong. Fear is the life killer. Jump

I am afraid of hurting myself physically, like falling off a bike speeding down a hill or skiing or the like. It's a lot to do with my weight, I want to get fit, injury would hinder that. But with practice and routine ill develop the confidence to keep at it and overcome this silly fear.

Fear of intimacy. Interestingly, I'm not afraid of physical intimacy. I'm desperately afraid of letting people in. I have known this for a long time, but thought I had gotten over it when I dated Justin and Kyle. Realistically, I barely avoided it. I think those breakups actually pushed me further to reject intimacy and to avoid getting close to people.

I fear that I am not worthy or lack the mettle to achieve the details and power that this business will require. I fear accepting myself as being complete a beautiful person and not making others happy. Fix it by meditation and. Focusing myself on learning, committing to more work outside deadlines and learning on my own instead of feeling alone. Engaging and sinking into how to become a my own brand of entrepreneur. Fix it by focusing on what I am grateful for and seeking help when I need it. Learning when I truly need the help and when I've got it covered.

I just completed my 4th step inventory process and completed a list that included 21 fears. Some included fear of never heaving a healthy relationship with a man, another was fear of my son getting a girl pregnant, and a different one was losing my job. What the answer really came down to in all of these fears was writing them out, and then seeing where they stemmed from. Then, I figured out if they stemmed from self-reliance. And then, the answer came down to what part of the fear I could control (and some of it was none of it). And then, the next part was learning how to trust God. Let go and let God. I just plan on recognizing fears when they come up, seeing what I can do to alleviate them, and then turn it over to my Higher Power. I'm so happy some of those fears have been alleviated already! :)

Fear of inadequacy. I have so much potential, and I know I do, but I just can't seem to muster up the effort that it's going to take to get to where I want to be. I'm going to live by the line, "Every day, try a little harder to be a little better" and hope that I get there.

Fear of being uncomfortable. I hope to learn to look into the darkness and face it down. I hope to understand on a deep, deep level that I am love, and that love is greater than fear. And being uncomfortable often leads to great change.

I'm afraid of people liking me for just who I am, so I make myself unhappy by trying to make others happy. The fear of not pleasing people can be overwhelming, and it makes me angry, and then it becomes depression and inaction. I will always take a moment to ask if what I'm feeling actually reflects my situation. Then I shall remind myself for that which I am grateful.

that people think i'm a 'loser'. that people will judge me for being a deviant. that no one will love me and i will die alone. i plan on letting it go by focusing on maintaining my health and realizing that even if all of these fears were true that is not the worst outcome in the world. i should strive towards being my authentic self even if the worst case happens, which isn't likely.

Fear of loosing momentum or respect in my career. I've done really great things and I am afraid of loosing that ability... And opportunity.

I am terrified of graduate school. I am afraid of failing. I am afraid of not getting my license. I am afraid of letting other people and myself down. My life plan is riding on me getting my masters and then a job. I am also afraid of teaching. How ridiculous! To get over it, I need more practice.