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 success because I fear attention. I fear the opportunity of allowing people of studying me and being able to tell me something before I realize it myself. I honor my self- discovery. Success seem to invite a lot of criticism into that process when all you are trying to do is be true to yourself. It's stopping now. I will be on my "worst behavior" which actually mean my best. I'll find success for what it means for me & I will remain humble. It can be done; if it was meant for you to do. (Note 2 self: Cant wait to hear about it)

Only my disbailty, I need to work more on finding where my limits really are.

I have a fear of hurting someone. It was easier to be nice and give up my home and wealth than to tell my husband how I felt. I am still trying to be a good person to AG even though I don't trust her and feel screwed by her. I guess I'm less afraid of suffering than I am of being directly hurtful. This year I am telling the truth. I can be nice about it, I can be direct and compassionate. I am more afraid of deception than I am of being hurtful, so as long as I remember my priorities, I can do this. I hope when I read this next year, AG will be gone, or I will have moved on to something better. I hope I read this and rejoice that I am no longer in this flat, tired and angry space. I don't hope, I KNOW.

I am afraid of not having enough money. It keeps me working at my job, which doesn't fulfill me. I could just be brave, and take the leap, or I could come up with a plan to make more money doing something more fulfilling. I would like to do the latter.

I think I've had a lot of fear financially that has been holding me back. Fear that I might not make enough money or have enough, that I won't be able to provide for myself. Getting the money from my parents to buy/invest in real estate is a huge opportunity for fiscal freedom and responsibility and I don't want to squander it. I want to use this opportunity to get more savvy and literate when it comes to finances.

Dating! I fear the creeps who are out there And hope that I can find decent kind people. It's been a while since I was last dating regularly I fear I might have forgotten how to flirt. I fear the baggage that I might bring with me to the dating scene. I got six months plus a day before I can legitamately Think about dating. How do I plan to let go of my fears of predators ruining my dating experience.....I guess use a dating service or let good friends set me up or join meet-up art groups and find someone to date with a common interest . I guess practice makes perfect in regards to flirting and it would help to make sure I keep up,appearances in regards to health, beauty regimens and exercise routines.

I fear having an 'imperfect' child i.e. either health/deformity-wise or that the child will cause more pain in my life and in my marriage than good. (I can't believe I'm actually writing this all down!). I need to trust in God and live in faith, not fear. That if we bring a child into this world it will be the best thing ever for our relationship, perfect, healthy and bring us joy!

My biggest fear is something terrible happening to max. To be honest, it makes me more present and grateful for the moments we have together. And he is growing so quickly so I try to savor his beingness. 3 is awesome and already so much more independent than 2 was I fear losing my memory or my mind I fear letting go of important papers and so I always have an ongoing project of my accumulated stuff. It would be great to let this all go!!! To take time to keep going through it!!!

I have a fear of rejection. It makes me afraid to put myself out there business-wise, to do public speaking and to sell myself. It's meant that I have fewer clients and less earnings than I believe I could have. I am in Toastmasters to improve my speaking skills, I go to marketing events, networking events and push myself through my fear. I look for encouragement from those I love and follow the Four Agreements principles as much as possible: Use your word in the direction of truth and love (don't speak badly of yourself or gossip about others) Don't make assumptions (about what other people think or mean) Don't take anything personally (it's not about you, but their own world view) Always do your best (your capacity for what this looks like may change from moment to moment)

I'm scared of just being myself and that being good enough for other people. I am slowly stopping caring what other people think so I hope that continues.

Initiating conversation with new people. Speaking up about something in groups I'm unfamiliar with. I need to FORCE myself to do this.

I have a fear of not being able to provide for my family. This has caused me to focus more on business and making money and limited my ability to be invoked with my family and spiritual matters. I have dealt with the fear by trying to balance my activities and a greater reliance on God to lead me through it.

I am afraid of being judged, and also, of being hurt by others. Although I deeply believe that everyone is innately good, I've come to see how that when people are triggered, and unaware, they can easily do things that hurt others, and show a lack of care. I used to believe that when people acted in an unkind way, it was because I didn't matter. But now I see that often, they didn't have the capacity to act in another way. This leaves me pretty vulnerable, as it means I can't control whether people treat me, or anyone else, with consideration and care. And I have to say, looking that in the face, that's pretty scary. In the past, this fear has limited me by my taking it personally: I must be rubbish, as I'm not receiving consideration... This year, I plan to know more deeply, that it isn't to do with me... this won't be letting go of fear: because walking amongst people means being open to the fact that we are all mostly asleep, triggered, and unaware... but it means holding that fear, that vulnerability differently from before. Walking forwards, knowing that the world is a very narrow bridge.

I am afraid of letting everyone down, of being proven as worthless and lazy. Sometimes I have used this as a whip to drive myself on, but sometimes this fear freezes me into inaction and makes me incapable of doing more than staring at a screen, or worse to take on more projects than I should and drown myself in obligations. I manage it by talking about plans with loved ones, but a more calculated approach in which I set myself specific goals would be better for me.

Fear has stopped me doing an awful lot in the past, it's just a part of me. I think I have got better at acknowledging fear, better at not being ashamed of myself for it, and much better at having a go anyway despite it, and then managing to enjoy myself through - or despite - the fear. I'm just going to keep chipping away at it.

I am often gripped by the fear of not living up to what I have to give to the world. I think sharpening my goals, and making sure they are big enough, will help.

That I'm not a good writer. It stops me submitting poems. I plan to just get on and submit this year.

I want to start my own business, but I'm too afraid I don't know what I'm doing. I worry that I'm not experienced enough and don't have the leadership and management skills I'd need to launch something. I'm also afraid my industry is shrinking and moving in a direction I dislike, so overcoming my fear of starting my own business would--I hope--help me address my fears about the industry. But it's all scary. I'm going to keep working on concrete business plans. Planning is what I do to reduce fear, and to make myself more likely to jump at a good opportunity when one comes my way.

I have a fear of not being liked by people, or causing conflict. I often don't share my true opinions or needs with the people in my life because of this; I have a need to keep the peace and not experience conflict that often gets in the way of me being actually happy. I've been working on overcoming it by doing things like quitting my job and setting the intention to communicate more clearly and honestly in my personal life.

I have fears, but I do my best not to let them limit me. The fear that has gotten strongest is fear of heights. I have only had one experience in which I could not push past the fear, but I want to continue to fight my fears and face them in ways that empower me to return to taking reasonable risks without feeling extreme anxiety.

The theme that keeps coming back to my thoughts is the fear of uncertainty; i.e. lack of security. I need to acknowledge that there are external conditions that may change that I have zero control over. Acknowledgement means stop fretting about it. E.g. worrying about a coming earthquake doesn’t help me. OTOH making sure that my home is reasonably earthquake -proof is something I can work on. So my tasks is find the things I can change, attack the cause of the fear I can. On a more fundamental level I have to learn to embrace change. The opposite of uncertainty is not being overconfident, but realizing that (total) control doesn’t exist. Yes, planning is still important, including gathering the best information to base decisions on, but being attached to the plan under changing conditions just causes frustration. Plans need to change to eliminate the frustration from uncertainty.

Fear of dying, specifically in a car crash. Looking real hard for a job closer to home.

I have been afraid to even query my publisher about submitting a new textbook proposal for fear I would not have the time or would stretch myself too thin. Asking is not doing--I can at least take that first step.

I fear I will be laid off form my job, it keeps me from taking out a loan to update my house. I can let it go and get things done without being so expensive

Fear of not being successful in the eyes of others and myself. I plan on allowing G-d to remove that need from me and replacing it with the knowledge that it only matters what He thinks of me.

Need to think more about this.

I have a fear of unemployment and financial failure. Currently I'm in a job with a regular salary, that offers few benefits or satisfaction. While I've looked for other work and am going to grad school, I don't have the courage to cut this tie, which may be holding me back. Prayer is my current plan of action.

I'm afraid of failure. I feel like this has made me play things safer than I really should. I don't really put myself out there and so I can't really succeed or grow in the ways that I want to. I need to get better about living in the present and just DOING.

1. Fear of heights. It makes me tentative when I'm in high places. I used to want to be able to fly like Superman, but now I'm afraid I'd be too afraid to fly! 2. Fear of guns. It doesn't limit me, but it makes me sometimes want to live in another country that doesn't have such a gun worshiping culture. 3. Fear of losing loved ones. Hopefully it makes me appreciate the time I have with them. For example, I spend a lot of time with my parents, and we get along great. I never felt like I needed to move out of the area like many people do.

My fear of financial ruin. I believe I am in too deep! I plan to control my spending, pay down debt and get this under control this year so I can no longer live with this fear.

I don't know exactly how this may be limiting me, but my fear is that my skills have gone soft; that I don't really have what it takes to do a big job. Maybe I fear that I never really did! That I've been faking it, or my successes are as a result of others...

I am afraid that advise from family regarding raising our baby daughter will create friction between my wife and me. I plan on sharing all my feelings wth my wife instead of bottling them up and trying to deal with them alone. Together I know that we will be able to reach decisions that we both feel comfortable with.

Fear I will not be a good mother, that I will lose my job and income and that ex and I will always be at odds.

My mother's death and the possibility that I might die alone both scare me. I guess separating myself from my mother, whom I live with, could help. She talks about her mortality constantly (she's only 59). However, I love her beyond words and the thought of her not living with me upsets me, too. That leads me to maybe getting married, which requires I date, which requires I lose weight for the caliber of dude I want to catch. I wish I had internal ways of fixing external issues, which I can through spirituality. I will always have God on my path, but it's easy to get caught up in the real physical realm, because that's what God blessed me with knowing. Anyway, yeah, I think it's time I start the whole family thing, though, as always, I just want the career thing to be settled first.

Anxiety. Wanting to do well. Not always knowing how to do things. Starting off and finding things/projects more complicated. Then, feeling lost. Breathe to Heart Center. Remember others will help.

I have always been afraid that I was unlovable and unworthy. The absence of my mother in my life has generally eased this, but now I need to wok on the parts of my behavior that were adaptable -- MORE HUMILITY. I can do this.

I have a fear of not living up to my potential and being worried that my best won't be good enough. It has limited me by giving up without even trying to do something, or shying away from a pretty daunting task. I need to take the leap and accept the consequences if I fail, but if I'm truly giving it all that I have, I would hardly consider that a failure. I think I just need to get my courage and motivation back to overcome this fear.

The fear is what I am asked to confront is about showing myself and who I am. I am in the process of making decisions that affect me and only me. I am taking back my power in regards to caring what I think and really believe is right. though others may think and believe differently. The fear is rejection, in those moments I plan to than recognize that is the path i must take. To continuely putting myself to shine the best I can. The thought is stupid. If i think it is stupid more reason to do it. That is one of the thoughts I was able to get and realized that was holding me back. Feeling others would think I am stupid. Leading to my discoveries about my over concern with others opinions though I also do what ever I want. Which is a dicotomy. I am using my new Macbook pro dictation tool because it was just so many thought that are coming together. The reason why I don't find myself comfortable with my own opinion is because a doubt, myself doubt though I know what I really want this was from a external source. I get the pleasure of separating what is me and what is outside me. The doubt is in my mind. Now what I am starting to recognize is that the doubt that is in my mind can be let go. It is also doubting my functions of my mind. The fears that I have about feeling stupid are just the story I have been telling myself so I'm ready to change that story. The story that I would like to tell myself or what my new story is is that my childhood brought me great experiences where I was exposed to different talents of ways of thinking and expressing in being with people that were at another level of empathy and sensory experience. And senses and gifts of intuition are great tools that provide me a different way of connecting and being. I now am aware of the tools that have been inside me but have not been put to use. Giving me a sense of whole and ability, and control. The logic that I am using is that my mind is my machine to be used as a memory bank as a function and not as my lead program. My lead program is my heart, intuition and body. The fear I confront is doing and working and functioning like myself and using all my strengthens and limits as a creative piece. Just like when you create a piece and sometimes they give you constraints which provides you structure to let go of all possibilities and you use what you got. I am using my limitations or current Level of how I function to provide me my structure to help me produce at where I am. All is well and morning glory keeps coming. Thank you.Claudia Keep planting the seeds. Our garden is our garden, lets take out what we don't need. and give room to what needs to grow.

I think I let fear of failure overcome the process or journey. It limits me from just sitting back and fully embracing or enjoying. Right now, I do what I can to get by, to over prepare or overthink. I have recently come back to my faith. I fear that I will fail to see God's work in everyday life while I am just going through the routine of each day. I want to be this carefree person, but I can't seem to let the anxiety of planning what's next go. I hope to take small steps: find something to enjoy or be proud of each day, take 5 minutes each day just to be or feel embraced in God's love.

My fear is overstepping my boundaries. I'm a line crosser. This year, I'm trying to find out how to push the lines without crossing them. I have no idea how yet.

I am afraid of not being good enough and messing up. I try and tell myself i am ok and its helped plus ive had tons of support from friends. Hopefully it wont be a problem in the future i will keep working on it by helping myself with realizingim good at what i do.

I a so afraid of becoming my mother (how cliche, I know): she is out of touch with the world, scared of everything, and unable to stand on her own but tries to anyway, which puts other people in the role of caretaker. Now, I've never been any of those things, but I'm so afraid of being a burden that I haven't been willing to strike out creatively and be myself, for fear of failing and having to rely on someone else. Any emotion or fear taken to the extreme limits your life and your options; this will be the year I decide to create a life of my own and not compare my what-ifs to her do-nots.

Fear of upsetting you. It limits my actions to ones that I think will be less upsetting to others, limits my ability to speak my truth. This often ends up upsetting people more, because the hard things will come out in other ways. I don't know how to change that behavior other than holding an awareness that that is a tendency I have. If I am anticipating having a challenging conversation with someone, I can practice in advance being more direct than would come naturally to me, in ways that feel loving and appropriate.

I see my amazing (an entrepreneurial) friend RK doing amazing things - she seems to decide to do it and crack on. I over think and sometimes my ideas don't go far at all! I have a bit of a fear that I am not good enough at what I do. I know that I am good at the event design and facilitation, no doubts there, but in other areas of my business, despite evidence to the contrary and positive feedback, I worry that what I have to offer is not enough. I need to find a greater focus and use some of my time better to simply try progressing some ideas and seeing what happens. What is the worst possible outcome?

Realize I had a fear of being hurt in a relationship just this past week. Didn't know this.... thought I was looking and open to finding someone, but really I wasn't. So, have felt bad being alone when could have embraced it. Real fear this past year was empty nest coming (youngest left in August for college). Feeling of no anchor, direction. Fear of being alone. I always have been fine alone except for being lonely and feeling alone in the global forever alone, vs the alone this moment. Rather than fear alone could have embraced opportunities that can appear now that children are launched.

I have a fear of not being Abel to do what is expected of me and I plan not only to do what is expected of me but go above and beyond

My shame, lack of self-esteem is my Achilles heel. I am too loaded with other stuff to have a plan for the coming year. I plan to continue living with it for now.

I fear that as I get older I will become more and more dependent. I value my independence but find as I age I have become less agile. Things are harder to do physically and take longer. It scares me. I plan on doing more yoga and making sure I'm exercising enough to remain as strong as I'm able.

I have a fear of talking to a lot of people. I just get shy and don't talk to anyone. I plan on talking more and interacting with people more. I plan to break out of my quiet shell.

I fear a lot , but the most apparent and revolving fear is my parents dying before I get a chance to fully come the grasps of who they are and the history of them. I plan on spending more time with my parents somehow to overcome the fear of this happening.

I have a ridiculous fear of using my cane in public. I know it's silly, I am just anticipating their response to me. When I have used it, I have not experienced any problems. Nobody seems to notice it. I plan to use it on my bad days a little at a time.

That I cannot not make it on my own, and that I am unlovable. I have been stagnating in a relationship for a decade because I didn't believe I could manage to get out of it and survive on my own. This has been my biggest fear. I plan this year to get out of this relationship and make my own space in the world. As to the unlovable part, I'm starting with loving myself enough to take risks, to be open and vulnerable and risk being hurt because of it.

Fear of being serious about things in personal relationships. I'm always more comfortable being the goofball and I'd like to try to take relationships more seriously.

My fear of flying keeps me from doing a lot of travel. I'd like to get past that. I'm doing better and and have now flown overseas but I still resist making plans that involve plans. I think the only way to overcome it is to just keep doing it. I'm thankful for friends who plan fun trips and invite me.

I'm afraid that my business will fail and that I will struggle with this greatly. How is this a test for me and what should I be doing to overcome this issue in my life. Am I letting my loved ones down or do I need to embrace this as the path God has set me upon. Do I need to embrace what happens or fight it. But I believe fighting it might cost me dearly, I would need to dedicate more time to the store then my family. What would that cost me, could that possibly be worth it? I would not think so.

I have a fear that I'm not self-sufficient enough, and that because of that, I'm not a "real" adult. I'm not successful, and not doing anything right. It becomes self-fulfilling. In order to try to become "successful" by that definition, I spend more money than I have, trying to meet everyone else's needs, to live up to a standard that I have somehow defined as "successful." But that standard is beyond my means as a single mother. And then I feel like a failure because I have no savings, and am living paycheck to paycheck. I want to let go of that, to stop signing the kids up for expensive activities, to just be happy with being at home..and I need to figure out how to do that this year. How to define what's really important, in the long run, and live within our means, and have that be enough.

I have worried that I'm not pretty enough, thin enough, charming enough to create a lasting, healthy relationship with a man. But lately, I've noticed that I'm more willing to see myself as an equal, to believe that I'm the right other half for someone and to meet new people with optimism, instead of caution. Same thing with the career. I had all these limited beliefs that I didn't know how to shake about being successful. But lately, I'm more comfortable with doing the next thing in front of me, being curious about the process, celebrating everything and having some fun without being attached to - where's all this going? I'd really like to see both of those new parts of me continue to grow and flourish and see how that manifests on the outside, in my life.

Not being in control of many things. The way I will deal with it is by doing my best and understanding that there will always be things I cannot control.

Fear of commitment. Don't know.

I don't generally allow fear to limit me.

I worry that I won't be the mom I want to my daughter. I want her to be so happy and full of life and I want to be very present for her life. I am trying to work on being more present and less distracted or worse, even lazy at times. I'm human but I can always do better for her.

I fear not regaining the trust of others. I fear I will not be able to travel and enjoy life as I would wish. Keep being the best person I can be and pray that others can see the truth and not what they perceive as the truth. Knock down some walls by persevering!

I think my biggest fear is not being perfect. I'm naturally a perfectionist and I know that all throughout my childhood, my worth was wrapped up in my sense of perfection. I strived for it in school, with grades, assignments, art projects. I remember the log cabin I built with my dad for a school project. It looked like it could've belonged in a museum. I strived for perfection in my relationships, in my appearance, in who I presented myself as. Undoing a lot of that need to be perfect has been a challenge and I don't even think I've really scratched the surface. I think I've started to do the work, and I'm at the very least aware of it, but there's still a long way to go. I think of how things were with John this summer, how accepting he was of me and how wonderful that felt. I think that was because feeling accepted despite meeting him on a day when I had terrible sunburn and wearing yoga pants and generally being honest rather than "perfect" went straight against that terrible nagging feeling of need to be perfect, need to be perfect. But in other ways, I did still want to be perfect. I was so anxious sometimes that I wasn't eating as much as normal, and I liked that. I was smaller, my stomach was so flat. I started juicing religiously, which did make me feel better and did clear my face up as it always does, but the fact that I was suddenly doing it a lot more that normal after having met him was no coincidence. I wanted to be perfect in some sense, still. I remember when I was down at his place 4th of July weekend, our first real weekend together, I had my period, but I was afraid to put tampons in his trash can, so I wrapped them up in tissue and snuck them into a plastic bag in my backpack and threw them away when I got home. That's how afraid I guess I am of being "imperfect" – which, hilariously, in this case, means just being human. HUMAN. And what's so interesting about that is that I don't find beauty in perfection anyway. I don't find it in magazines, airbrushed billboards, caked on makeup. I don't even wear makeup. I find beauty in the ways people are most human, the small idiosyncratic ways people show their desperation or their need or whatever it is that hurts them most. I think this fear limits me from having a real relationship, because it keeps me from being fully real. I was so much better at presenting my real self with John than I've ever been with someone before, and that felt good, but still, I know there was something about me that was withheld and secretive and perfectionist. I don't know how I plan to overcome it in the next year. Being aware is a good start. Therapy and yoga will likely continue to help. But I still don't know how you finally break over into that place where you don't mind that your stomach may not be perfectly flat, where you don't mind if you have a pimple, where you aren't afraid to put a used tampon in a trash can. How do you learn to accept? How do you learn to self-forgive?

I am scared to talk to people that I don't know. Start going out of my comfort zone and talk to people more.

I fear that I will never have a family - that my infertility is too big a stumbling block. I hope to have a family, through my own pregnancy, or perhaps through other means - and I pray I can live in the hope that I feel, and not only in the fear of that dream's impossibility.

I fear others' opinions of me. I wish I didn't. It keeps me from speaking truth in love. It keeps me from enjoying life. It keeps me from trying new things. It makes me a slave to other people, when they don't even know that they have this power over me. It makes me powerless and it makes me feel like I have to answer to everybody else for things that they don't even know about. I think it is good to try things outside my comfort zone. Last week I started taking singing lessons. I don't sing well. I am afraid of singing in front of someone else, but I guess if I'm paying her, she'll listen to me. It is totally uncomfortable. I need to learn that I have worth, I can be loved and accepted and even if others do not - I still have value and I can try new things. In my job I'm a supervisor. I had a mindset when I started that I'm not here to make friends - to have people like me. I'm here to work hard and be fair. If they like me, ok, if not, I still do my job the best that I can by treating others well and looking for ways to improve. I don't really have a plan for improvement. I think it is a fine line between not being dependent on others' opinions and being apathetic. I don't want to disengage or think less of others - I just don't want my choices to be shackled to "el qué dirán".

Whew! Fear of failure for sure. I essentially failed at my last job, and it's horrible, but a year removed, I'm gaining some perspective on it, trying to learn from it. I'm still scared of striking out again when I'm ready to move on professionally, but in a year I would like to be more ready for it. How? I'm not sure yet, but I know continued self-discovery is a part of it, self-confidence, and honestly just letting go and accepting that failure is possible but I shouldn't let it rule my life.

I am scared that I will not be "good enough." I am a perfectionist, and I always want to be the best that I can be. But I fear that even my best is not enough for the next step, the next job, my boyfriend, or my friends. People praise me, but I never take them seriously. I am afraid that I'll begin taking myself too seriously and become a workaholic and drive myself into the ground. I need to start more self reflection, meditation, and focusing on the successes I have in my life. I am my own worst enemy. I need to push myself to be more appreciative of all that I have accomplished. This is an uphill battle, but for the sake of preserving my own self-love, I will try.

I have had some injuries and am scared that I won't feel like myself again. I plan to push on and get my strong body back!!

I have to pick just one? I have an intense fear of gaining weight. It leads me to hypercontrol my eating, which leads me to starvation, which leads me to binge. It's not a pleasant cycle. I'd like to get better. I'm working on getting better. I have a feeling it's a long road. I have to start with accepting that gaining weight and losing weight are a normal part of life--not something to be ashamed of. That's the hardest part for me to accept and get into my head.

Is it a fear or a kind of virus? It isn't a heart-palpitating kind of fear. It's low-grade and almost constant. Every morning that I'm at home, working, and I'm not completely overwhelmed by some deadline, I feel afraid to sit down in this office and do what I most want to do. In the past year, I've gotten into a lot of trouble with a string of online affairs with brain-teaser puzzles, because when I feel that fear, I just want to stifle it IMMEDIATELY, before I even ask what it is, try to debate it CBT-ly or engage with it or "feel the fear and do it anyway." I have no particular plan except to notice it in the year ahead. I may end up stifling it or numbing it or whatever, but before I do that I'm just going to sit still and look at it. Pause. I shut my eyes and looked at it. It was a 7-year-old's type of fear. It said nonononono. I thought okay, I get that. But it's also worth noting that I did write some things last year, some things I very much wanted to write, and I like this blue desk, my office with the plywood panels painted white and my black yamaha piano and i like the blue painter's tape on absolutely everything and this fear is an integral part of me, but so is the part that designed this office and chopped a hole right through the wall.

I fear I won't live long enough to finish my journey. I will live each day to its fullness and what comes will come.

I fear letting someone get close to me due to my past experiences. To work at changing this, I hope to practice interacting with people more through dating. I haven't dated much in the past few years. I'd love to be more intimate with someone again.

I've had a lifelong fear of not being good enough to pursue my wildest dreams. I've noticed this in the past few years, so at least I know about it and have been doing some work on myself (and have been achieving so much more than expected!). I have finally understood how to meditate. I believe that through meditation I can learn how to focus my thoughts better, and turn negative thoughts away and replace them with positive thinking. I already believe in myself, which is the first step of overcoming fears of inadequacy. Now, I need to build upon that by growing with love and understanding for myself. And believe that I can do anything!!!

Most of my fears stem from my main fear which is being too old to do something as far as what my body can handle, or running out of time in my life to do the things I want. I'm 35 and I see people in their early 20's doing things that I wish I had done at the time, but I was limited by money, or not knowing what I wanted to do, and/or not knowing what my priorities were or should have been. I'm worried that if I exercise too hard, I will break a bone or need a joint replacement. I seem to get more and more small injuries and minor aches and pains every year. I should probably not sign up for a kickboxing match (although it's not totally out of the question). But what if there are things I can still do that, 10 years from now, I will regret if I don't do it now? I have to identify what those things are, but in some cases only hindsight will tell. For example, in my 20s, kickboxing was not on my radar, part of that was that I couldn't afford classes anyway so I didn't let it be on my radar. I have a fear that once I stop looking so young and pretty (I look young for my age and many people think I look like I'm in my 20s) people won't be as interested in dating me, and I'm worried it'll confirm my hidden fear that maybe that's why people like me, not because I'm funny or fun or whatever.

I worry about getting sick with a disease like cancer. Or that one of my loved ones will. No way to overcome this- just love life every minute and be grateful.

I fear not being good enough or that people will "find out" about me and not like the "real" me. It limits me in how close I have wanted others to get to me. That pressure of them finding out and the need for me to take "breaks" from them so I can recuperate and "just be me". It makes for relationships that do not progress beyond superficial or getting to know you. I plan this year to overcome it by getting "ok" with me. Loving me for who I am not what I aspire to be. Forgiving my self for mistakes and accepting the ups and downs I face daily. It is a challenge but since I have began, the feeling has been awesome.

Fear of joy and things being "too good". My plan is to relax into the moment more often and take in the good, simple, moments as often as I remember to.

I'm paralyzed by the thought of my son being hurt or killed. In particular, I have a vivid recurring dream of him being run over and dragged by a car. It's hard to shut down the panic when I'm with him near roads, and I feel I'm not teaching him how to be independent and safe because I'm so terrified of the split second mistake that there would be no coming back from. I haven't the faintest clue how I can get past it, other than to hope time helps.

I don't believe in fear, I work through any discomfort I feel in my life & always continue to move forward.

I do not have any fears.

A fear... that I'm not stable / not capable / not enough. Which is BULLSHIT. And I will spend the rest of my days proving that belief system WRONG, and internalizing self-care and healthy boundary setting and supporting myself being in healthy relationships and situations so I can be HAPPY and feel really AMAZING about my inherent self-worth, and learn to take true pride and joy in my behavior and strides. My job is to support my talent but more so my job is to love myself and be happy. Slow down and learn myself and my happiest, healthiest way of being in the world. 💗

Fear of failure/regret. That whatever I choose will be the wrong thing. And then confirmation bias helps me see only the negative consequences of my choices, when almost always things are much more gray, with good and bad coming from each choice. As for overcoming it? Geez. I have no idea. I am scheduled to start working with a life coach in a couple of weeks. Maybe she can think of something.

I have a fear of things being too difficult, too stressful. I'm inclined, at times, to stop trying so hard, to stop setting my sights so high, to stop reaching for the stars, because it's hard to breathe in space. Maybe I would be happier in a simple job, a simple life, less stressed, happier? But I don't think so. I think that's the fear talking. Because I like working hard, and I can handle stress, and I know that I can achieve great things.

I fear, as I age (I'm 78) that the independence I worked so hard to achieve, and by which I define myself, will no longer be possible. I try to understand that co-dependence (not in the addiction sense) is as valuable as independence, but I don't quite believe it. I'll keep working at it.

I have finally met someone and have been getting to know someone for the past for the past three months. When I met him he was not a Christian. Well he says she was but he had walked away from his faith. He has become reconciled his relationship with the Lord and has even been water baptized. He is a little cocky, quirky, needy and wears his heart on his sleeves all this time. Now my biggest fear is that the will walk away from the Lord. Since I want to be with a Christian Man, that will be a problem. I plan on over coming that fear by praying to the most high God in the name if Jesus. God is the only one what knows every thing. So He will put everything in its right place. If he and I are not supposed to be together I trust that lord will reveal that and more to us.

I guess I worry that I won't have enough $ to retire on and that I'd prefer to retire sooner but that I won't be able to because of $. I know from experience that it's expensive if you get sick, especially if you're on your own, so I'm feeling like I will have to work past when I'd like to, just to be sure of enough $ to pay for life/illness. I'm not sure how I can get past this fear unless I win a lottery LOL I guess I'll refer back to the previous question of learning to and applying meditation to my life!

I've always had a fear of animals, especially dogs. It's been very limiting as far as my being outdoors.I love to run/jog. Running on a trail is fine if it's extremely enforced to keep dogs on a leash. I'm not sure how to ever overcome this.

I am afraid of getting sick and/or dying before my daughter is old enough to take care of herself, since I am her sole parent. I haven't made a will yet, and I have put off some medical tests, simply because the fear is irrationally holding me back. I think about it all the time, but I also have money constraints. I need to deal with this stuff.

Anxiety - breathing ,smiling, sleeping, exercising, eating well, prayer, mitzvot

It's not exactly a fear, but I have always felt like there was something better waiting for me. Some hotter chick, some bigger gig/better job, some fabulous party to attend or adventure to go on, etc. That "fear" has limited me in the sense I have always found it difficult to fully invest in current projects/girlfriends/jobs. I would like to say I have a plan for how to let that fear go in the next year, but the truth is I have no plan. However, I suspect that "fear" will just naturally subside as I continue to get older as the simple reality is that my current wife, my current job, and all the other things that go along with them, are not going to change any time soon. Nor would I want them to. Plus, kids, as always, change everything. There is absolutely no sense that there is a cooler kid waiting for me right around the bend. The two I have now are perfect.

My spouse has dementia I fear having to the time when I can no longer have my spouse at home or need to get a guardianship. I am immobilized right now and need to get support from physicians therapists and support groups

I fear the future a lot. I feel overwhelmed thinking about leaving Namibia, where I will live or finding a job or if my relationship with Nduezu will make it past a few months of super long distance. I fear culture shock and feeling as alien in America as I sometimes do here in Namibia. I am afraid to learn that I no longer fit anywhere. I am trying to let it go by choosing to focus on what I have the ability to accomplish here and now. I can't get a guarantee on anything in life so I need to take it a day at a time. I can look at the top of the mountain from here but I won't be able to get there unless I go step by step. Maybe it won't really help with conquering the fear, but hopefully it will make it manageable.

I fear getting into debt over the next 2-3 years, before receiving my National Guard retirement at age 60. It isn't limiting me, but it is motivating me to get our spending under control, and working hard to earn extra income through the SSLI program. There is no letting go; just work hard, stay focused, and be disciplined enough to live within our means. I also need to work hard on DAWIA Level 2 contract certification, so I can qualify for a GS-12 position/promotion closer to home.

I'm afraid of my own power and how people respond to me when I step even a toe into it. Keep dipping in to find my way to full bloom.

fear of taking a risk - I think I have become more conservative and I don't think I like it in myself. I feel like I have been hiding away. I am going to get out there more in the coming year.

That I've missed the boat to do all the things I dreamt of doing creatively. I plan to stop working in my day job and devote time to doing the things I want to do, need to feel like I am creative again.

I worry that I live to other people's ideals. That I don't really know what to do with myself. I get pulled along on other people's agendas. I'm committed to really knowing myself and living a life that's true to me - even when that means making difficult decisions and having difficult conversations with people.

I fear never being married and having my own family. It's a daily struggle for me to rise out of that fear and face the day-to-day and try to not get bogged down by thoughts of the future. I love my boyfriend--I don't think he wants to marry me. I fear being alone, so I wonder if I am still with him because neither of us really wants to be alone. If I'm 100% honest with myself, I don't know that I want to be married to him either. I love him, but there's so much I would change about him, given the chance. That's not what marriage is about... it's about true acceptance and embracing the flaws and evolving together--support and encouragement and keeping each other safe from the world. I haven't felt any of that from him in a long, long time. Time will tell, right?

of not being good enough. of not succeeding what i set out to do. of not keeping my word. it limits me by limiting what i take on. my plan: to just do. and pep talk myself. look at everything else i've accomplished, so what makes me think this is any different? and what's the worst that can happen? to really think about the worst and how it's not so bad

The biggest thing that has limited me is what I've started calling my "protective no". It's the voice inside me that pre-judges everything, and tells me, "no, they won't want to be friends with you, ", "no, you won't have a good time, don't bother", "no, ___________ will be pointless." Every time I listen to it, I miss out; I don't make new friendships, I don't deepen my activity in communities that I really like, I give up too early, and basically talk myself out of everything. Truthfully, figuring out how to overcome it is really difficult, because there are things I genuinely don't want to do, and distinguishing between what's genuine and what's "protective no" is so hard. I guess I'm going for a balance of pushing and then not trying so hard--but also identifying the habits that keep me locked down and hermit-ing when I really would be better served putting myself out there. Maybe that's a good guiding question--"what decision serves me best right now?"

I spent this past year getting over my fear of disappointing my family and separating from my (now estranged) husband. But I am still trepiditious. We are separated but not yet divorced. The seasons are turning and it is getting chilly. My whole being waits for a moment before I am fully awake, knowing that coffee is coming, he is coming back to bed to cuddle, and then - poof - the moment gone, the dream is gone, and I realize that he is gone, forever, and I made that decision myself because it was the best one. So I guess it seems like the way my higher power is leading me right now is to face my fear of loneliness, and to figure out how to be properly alone without being lonely.

I have a fear of not being "good enough". I get very upset or defensive if I feel that my spouse has to do anything bc I interpret that as I didn't do well enough- which causes restentment between us. I am afraid my principal/ap won't think I am doing a good enough job. I am always putting a lot of pressure on myself.

I fear continuing to age and being unable to live the life that I want. I have to let it go because I don't have a choice in the matter - the years keep passing. But I plan to go on doing the things that I love for as long as I can, and to try not to live in the future.

Fear of failure and showing weakness is a big part of my persona. I think what I've realized is everyone faces headwinds and life is never easy. Striving for perfection is pernicious. Best to do your best and recognize what you've got and learn from missteps. Brene Brown and Outward Bound helped to advise this.

fear of ending up broke. not sure what to do. always thought being a doc guaranteed financial security. it doesn't.

Fear of change, stepping into the unknown, taking risks. No easy way of changing - just need to do it!

Complacency. For the most part, I'm very comfortable in my life right now and I'm afraid that I'm not going to strive to make it better or take on new challenges - particularly in regard to my career. Hopefully, I'll be more proactive in searching for new opportunities as well as just making everyday improvements throughout my life.

I am obsessed with the scale. It drives how I feel about myself that day and I default to berating myself -- even when the news is good! I would like to reduce my dependency on a number to determine my worth.

I'm afraid that something bad will happen to my 3-year-old daughter. I don't think that I'm going to let that go, but everyday I'm overcoming it by letting her get out into the world and do her thing (but still hold my hand in the crosswalks). Sometimes fear is appropriate.

My fear is to be left alone. Most of all by my wonderful man, but also by my parents or by close friends. This often leads to me not being able to truly, really enjoy good moments, because I'm always looking for those hidden signs, signs of betrayal, signs of age, signs of not being wanted. I am not sure that it will be easy or even possible to let it go or overcome it, but I want to try. I want to enjoy good moments without looking for the bad. I just have to try.

This doesn't limit me, but I fear that my husband and I are growing apart. And I an scared that I will end up his caregiver rather than his partner. I never expected us to have all the same interests. I just feel at this point we are finding fewer things to do together. And as I am wanting an active lifestyle my husband does not. I see how this attitude difference is already beginning to limit his activity. All I can do is encourage him and make activity a part of our time together.

I fear failure. I plan on letting go more and not overthinking things so much. I also fear not being a good parent. I'm going to Facebook less and be more present with them.

greatest fears: - husband's cognitive abilities will continue to decline, and i'll end up doing more for both of us, plus being responsible for him - We'll have more responsibility for two of our grandchildren mostly b/c our son really isn't pulling his weight in his involvement w/ his kids; I hope daughter-in-law doesn't get totally burned out from doing so much of the responsibility of the kids. - My mother continues to age, and she's slowly declining, and I feel like my siblings just aren't doing their share. Let's hear it for the triple-decker sandwich generation!

A fear I have is not doing well in this certificate program that I am doing. It has limited me by putting things off and then doing them a bit half-assed. I need to get over that fear and just be consistent and hard working and studying smarter not just harder I will be able to overcome it. I am willing to do this because I need this for my future. A lot falls on doing well here and it dictates how much I will owe in the future.

I have a fear of driving that has greatly restricted the activities I have participated in. Now that I am living in Santa Monica, I will be able to take mass transportation and Uber rides so I won't be as limited as I have been in the past.

Fear of being alone. Fear of not enough. I plan to continue to meditate and accept that I am enough already.

Not able to change my life... Not sure about future. I don't know what to do.

fear- hurting another's feelings. It has led to my being other than authentic. It can cause me to avoid relationship just in case i may want to leave. (again)

I am afraid I won't fully recover from my TBI, enough to work again full time, have better health, become financially independent, again, and regain my autonomy. It is not a matter of "letting go" of this fear, but learning to live with it while continuing to heal, and learning to accept how far I can get with the healing.

I fear being 'out there' - and as a result, I stay back in the corner not allowing my self to be known. I will be Secretary of Kiwanis next year, and as a result, I will put myself out there more and allow people to get to know me - as I get to know them.

I at times afraid of making wrong decisions, but I've been working on it. Deciding without all the information is doing the best you can with what's available, and it could be wrong, but No Decision is a decision, too. I at times afraid of people finding out I don't know something. I think asking is better than not knowing, though, and am kind of over it. I'm afraid my house in the old town won't sell for forever, but will just have to wait and see. I'm afraid of gaining lots of weight, because of 1) thyroid issue, 2) genetics, 3) stress and 4) inactivity. I know how to fix it, once the hormonal issue is settled. I need to start exercising again. In all, I have a few fears but they are not major, and I have some idea how to deal with them.

Not being worthy. I feel like I don't deserve things, I question if people love me, want to be with me, that they are taking advantage of me. It cripples me. It makes me fearful. I've been working on these thoughts and feelings in therapy, and it has helped. However, the hard work and effort I've put towards my therapy has also made me realize just how bad the emotional and verbal abuse and neglect was that I endured during my childhood. I've finally gotten to a point where I can separate someone's thoughtless actions and my feelings of unworthiness/unlovable that result. I'm able to take a breath, and not spiral. Have a bit here and there, but I'm getting better and better at separating them out day by day. I don't want my fears to impact my relationships and will continue to work hard at improving my own self-worth.

I have been afraid of poverty and not making enough or having enough money. I want to let this go, it keeps me in a glass half empty reality and I want to live in a glass overflowing reality. This has held me back by a belief in having limited options, limited opportunities, limited dream fulfillment. It creates the excuse that "if I had the money I would......." leaving me with a convenient way to ignore any life prompts about moving in a given direction. This fear creates a victim mentality. I am tired of this way of thinking! It not longer serves me! I am done with it!

I guess my fear is not living up to my potential. Sad thing is, I DON'T even know what my potential is. I have all this passion, love, support inside me. I have a natural desire to help people. I just wish I knew how to turn this into my next step in life.

Fear of aging mobility issues. Stay active and get routine health evaluations as appropriate.

There are two: one is that I am not good enough, it's fear of failure. Then I either freeze up or get anxious and either way impairs me. The other is the idea that people don't really like me and are just "being nice". It has stopped me reaching out to a woman I know who is actually lonely. For the first, I am just going to have to have a bit of courage. For the second, I am going to have to ignore these feelings. And I want to help my friend.

I am do afraid of something bring seriously wrong, and undetected, with this baby that it is keeping me from savoring, from really enjoying his babyhood. This is most likely our last baby, and I hate to see it go in worry and tears. I am trying really hard to accept the worry at a certain level, and accept a certain level of ambiguity, and make time, several times, every day, to focus on cherishing and enjoying him, without fear. After all, even if he does end up having cystic fibrosis or something else, the bat thing then will be just to love him up wholeheartedly, without fear or worry. So.

My habit is to "make things work" and to go on to plan "B" if they don't. I have been told that I am a resilient person.

Rejection. It keeps me from trying. Weather it be doing something or meeting someone. I need to learn to live in reality. Instead of imagining I will face rejection, I need to actually realize/experience if I am to be rejected or not.

I fear being over-whelmed by the needs of JEB to the detriment of my School Night Class and French reading group. In fact her needs are getting to be bigger than I can deal with. I have no idea how I will deal with it in the coming year. If the social worker thing doesn't work out, she will definitely have to be moved to Assisted Living. Much more $$$ than Independent Living. I find myself thinking that life would be easier all around if she just didn;t wake up one morning..... I have no clue as to whether she has any quality of life. Does all this make ME responsible for her quality of life?

I fear that I won't be able to do it all: grad school, working full time, having my own life. I just need to take time for myself when necessary, stay calm, work hard, and live my life!

That I will freeze in front of the classroom and abdicate my authority. This fear gripped me for two years, so I took a year off from classroom teaching. Now I'm back and giving it another try. I want to overcome this fear. Always being new at something is very exhahausting. I want to do something long enough that it isn't causing me panic and fear, and where I can become an expert rather than a novice.

The fear of change! All sorts of change from making the choice to change jobs, the choice to go to the gym and change my schedule/routine. Wanting a change in where we live, but not affording the move at this time. I plan on just waking up and making the change. Once you start to do it the change isn't bad and you get used to the new.

I have a fear of trying and failing. The fear itself is the biggest obstacle. I plan on ignoring the fear and go for being rentlessly great.

The fear of doing it wrong...the fear of not enough. Which as I type it, clearly refers to the fear that I am not enough; that I am unable to cope with situations as they arise. As a result, in the past, I would do (or not do) anything in an attempt to stay "safe". In the past, I dissed any thoughts I had before I could act on them. I spent inordinate amounts of time buying into those fears and running future negative fantasies...THE NEXT TIME, I will do this differently, and choose to change my thinking in the moment from fear to self-love and appreciation for all the gifts I have been given, and all the gifts I bring to the world.

Fear of initiating social contacts, or venturing into social gatherings. It limits me because I avoid these things, which is silly because I almost always feel better once I do them. I don't know how to let it go! Push myself more, I suppose. It's easy to hide at home with hubby and the cats and the computer, but I do feel a little lonely at times. Maybe scheduling things--if I have a commitment, something on the calendar, I usually respect it and won't weasel my way out.

I'm doing better with all kinds of fears. At this point I'd say most of my issues aren't so much with fears as with complicated bad habits I have trouble breaking. But of course, like everyone (okay, almost everyone) I have a fear of (professional) failure. Not selling the novel, the short story never being placed, the lofty plans for various creations just staying in my head. Better habits around writing would really help. I made huge strides by starting back with a class last year and I hope to continue that. More formal approaches to work. That would be good.

I have a fear of rejection. I plan, like the last 40 years of my life, to let it have its way.

I have a fear of being alone, of never finding anyone. I have slowly been trying to let that fear go, and I see that it seems to be working. I hope to continue to live from a place of abundance, rather than fear, and hope that will lead to continued happiness and satisfaction.

I have a fear of commitment. It has limited me of reaching my goals of settling down. I hope in the coming year, I can work on being more open to relationships and letting people into my life that I am afraid to do otherwise.

I've been learning to befriend fear - it's normal, is sometimes instructive. Everyone experiences it, but by identifying it and keeping it in perspective, it doesn't have to hold you back.

I have a fear of disappointing people. I am scared to take risks or be myself because I am terrified that they won't approve or will be upset. This year, I want to be spontaneous, take risks, and grow in a way that I get a return on those risks tenfold.

My fear has been a long-standing issue that I know I am creating from old beliefs. I have limited myself financially, based on my lack of self-trust and my belief that I am not worthy of what I am. Not how much I need financially, but what I see myself as being capable of. I plan to overcome this because I am more ready to embrace my power and see my self-worth than ever before. Letting go, has been the feeling and the message coming from many directions over the past few months. I haven't been sure of what I should let go of, but it is becoming more clear by the experiences I am having. Letting go is more than an affirmation and a mantra, it is specifically related to the direction of your energy and the situations that take place in your life. The tools that the Universe gives us to become more and allow our light to shine are love and a knowing in new ways. That is what my heart and soul are awakening to. That is what I expect will unfold in beautiful ways for me.

I have a fear that I'm going to do everything "right" to lose the weight I need to lose (and it really is a lot) and , in the end, it won't be enough and I'm going to be 45, 50 years old- and in serious pain. My knee already bothers me more than it used to. I always felt bad for the larger middle-aged people I would see (and still see) walking at a normal pace and STILL huffing and puffing. I'm not that person but I will be if nothing changes. I'm also worried that even if I DO lose the weight I'll have a LOT of extra skin to deal with and that makes me feel stupid- I should have never let it get this bad in the first place. Right now all I can do is do a better job with diet and exercise and see what happens- I have to try something.

Fear of being rejected has made me shy instead of pursuing someone I might be interested in. One of my intentions for the year to come is to be braver and take risks!

Fear of not being good enough- I find that I sell myself short in negotiations because I am afraid that something may be taken away of it is realized that I am not good enough. In my current position I did not advocate for myself and accepted a salary and vacation schedule that was not to my liking because I just wanted to secure the position instead of valuing myself at my true worth and sticking up for what i really wanted. I rushed into this position and have paid the price for almost 1o months. I am working on this and trying to be true to myself and what I really think and feel. I want to find peace in my professional life and that starts with a true valuation of my talents and abilities, and the voice to communicate those to others.

I think I have a healthy fear of hurting others that I don't plan to let go of. I fear losing my chance to have children but I don't think that fear is limiting me. I think this question is poorly conceived and phrases.

Trust is very difficult for me now, given how spectacularly my ex-husband betrayed me. It's partly trust of others in intimate relationships, but it's also a lack of trust in my own ability to read people. However, this is not where I want to stay, and I'm not very harsh in my self-condemnation: I should have been able to trust my life partner, and he went to great lengths to conceal his activities. I want to get back to trusting others and myself. Maybe this person on Compatible Partners will work out? Maybe I'll allow myself to get excited and optimistic about flirtation?

I have been afraid of being in the spotlight. This has limited me to playing supporting roles and at times resenting those who take center stage. I plan on learning to interrupt, even if clumsily at first. I want to learn how to receive criticism and praise equally.

I am fearful of revealing myself through a creative outlet. I know I have a creative mind, and stories to tell, but ever since I gave up performing as an adolescent, I have been unable to overcome a crippling fear of sharing my work. If I am going to write, I have to let people read, right? So, I am going to write...and share (judiciously)...throughout this year.

I constantly fear losing what I have, particularly my children and my house. I am always afraid that everything I work for will be lost. I think that fear has been a hallmark of the way I treat people, and I know it has to change. I don't know how to work toward overcoming it, though. Maybe accepting it? Therapy?

The biggest fear that rules my life is likely the fear of flying (which, is really a fear of lack of control over my own destiny). I try not to let it control me, but it certainly limits my ability to expand my horizons by traveling to places far away. I do plan on slowly, but surely, overcoming it when possible.

I have a fear of losing my health and aging too quickly to enjoymthenthings we want to do and travels we hope for, I get upset and struggle w doctor appointments on our short visits to LA and get stressed which does not help. My want to sell everything we own and move to a rental somewhere so we won't have to be responsible for repairs, etc, it would be. Dry freeing for me, I am trying to take care of things this year and plan for vacations away from La more often,

I think my biggest, most limiting fear is that I am not lovable just as I am and therefore, people (partners, family, friends) will leave me if I am "too authentic" by expressing my true feelings, opinions, beliefs, etc. It has limited me by keeping me in a constant state of anxiety and feeling as though I must comply with others' wants/beliefs/preferences or at least compromise / dilute my own so that I can better support their worldview and not be abandoned. Rationally and logically, I know I am loved, but some days (many days, actually) I don't feel it and I take things very personally. I need to work on recognizing that others' behaviours are not a reflection of me and whether I am lovable. I think the hardest thing I will put into practice is learning not to take things so personally. How I plan to do that is mostly by reminding myself consciously that "the world does not revolve around me" -- in the good sense, meaning I'm not the underlying cause of All Bad Things/Circumstances, and that other people make their own decisions and act based on their own fears and strengths. The other way I plan on overcoming this fear is to stand firm on the issues and causes for which I am most passionate, and accept the consequences of doing so.

I still fear death. That has been my fear for years, and I always answer this question the same way. I thought having children would make me fear death less, since at least I would know that I would go on through them, but now I fear it all the same because I can't bear to imagine not being here for them. I don't have a plan to overcome this fear. I don't know if it will ever be possible. I also fear rejection like crazy, so it will be a challenge to keep this fear at bay as we move to a new town and start trying to make new friends.

I have always feared a lack of stability, and upon reflection, I think that has held me back at times throughout my life. I tend to choose very stable jobs, and I have passed up opportunities that ultimately proved risky. But I recently left a bad marriage that, while it did provide financial and housing stability, was beating me down mentally and emotionally. I think this is a good first step in learning not to immediately settle just because something appears to be dependable and safe. Appearances can be deceiving, and the safe option can also hold you back. This year, I hope to remain open to new experiences and people, even if they are unfamiliar and perhaps intimidating at first.

The biggest fear I have is loosing my home, not having enough finance to get me through. I am trying hard to realise that this is a fear but how many people have had this and go on to loose all they have worked hard for. I try to stare it straight in the eye and face my fear. But if I do that, will it actually happen. I have to let it go, am hopeful that by constantly chanting that the universe will provide and look after my finances and life the fear will subside. This limits me, its too consuming, I can't allow myself to live my life because of my fear, I have to find a way.

I have a real fear that my ankles will severely limit my ability to stay active . It hasn't limited me too much so far, as I grit thru the pain and have stayed active . I know most of my issue is because of arthritis , and there aren't many options... Time will tell what I do next.. Another "concern" , not fear, is seeing my brother going thru dementia, and how awful it is, and praying I never have to deal with this terrible disease.

My fear is of failure, or maybe more specifically, of looking like a fool. It's kept me from doing a lot of things I want to do over the course of my life and I'm not sure why I keep letting it stymie me. Working on letting it go, or if not letting it go, at least powering through. I will overcome it by accomplishing a few items that I've been scared to do.

Fear of being myself in the world. Fear of stepping fully into the power of who I am. How do I plan? I think just love myself for my best efforts and test flights, and try to stay out of judgment, especially the self-critical kind.

I have a massive fear of being left or abandoned. I will continue to work on loving myself and knowing that I am enough, no matter what.

I fear death. There, I've said it. I suppose it has limited some of my airplane travel since 2001. I'm also afraid of dying, and having been inconsequential. I am not the great artist I thought I was, nor am I the great writer, the great actress, nor the great politician... all of the things that spurred me when I was younger. Sometimes, my family tells me I'm a terrible mother and wife. Haha, I can't ultimately "overcome it, can I? However, I CAN lean on my faith for more support.

In the context of my answer it is important to say that I am not observant - but I am an active member in a 12 step program.. My most recent fear is of confusing God's will with rationalization and justification and when I see it being unable to act upon it. This fear boxes me in and causes me lots of pain especially when not living in my truth and unable to move out of it. I plan to overcome that this year by big more intentional in my relationship with God.

I have a fear of death and mediocrity. It has not limited me though. Quite the opposite. Because of my fear of death I believe in living now, doing now. Anything could happen at any time. I don't want to wait till later to accomplish the things I want to achieve. My fear of mediocrity means I'm always striving to be above average in all aspects of my life. I am average. Average intelligence, average looks, average middle class. I try very hard to be better at the things I can control.

my lack of self esteem that comes from my self critiquing and comparing myself to others i diminish my self and my accomplishments i hope to have the courage and ability to stand up to these voices and push myself past these voices - i hope to find the energy to continue doing what nurtures me

I don't want to quit my addiction. I don't want to.

I'm terrified of staying in this spot - alone, laid off, unmotivated, sad. I'm starting counseling this week and just have the hope of finding hope again.

I am afraid that I am not fit to be in an intimate relationship with anyone because I have felt so angry and unsafe in my relationship with my mother. This year, I will do what I have to do to keep my distance from her so that I can cultivate love and acceptance in myself and for others.

I have a fear of driving here in LA. I'm convinced that I'll screw up and die. I am combatting it by writing about it and I am gonna sign up for driving lessons THIS WEEK and then start driving here.

Getting hurt again. Learning the right balance between protecting myself and making myself vulnerable.

The fear of failure - For so long now I have thought about and wanted to go back to school part time, while working and get my Human Resources Designation. Now that we have a son in the mix, I am very nervous that I won't have the time, focus, initiative, energy, or drive to do it, so instead I procrastinate. This has been going on for years now. I really hope this will be the year that I can just face it and do it!

The only fear I have is what's being done to my country and the world. Same song, second verse. There is nothing I can do beyond slogging through and supporting those who may be able to take action. And prayer. Lots of prayer. Per Jim Geraghty/NRO & Jonathan Last/Weekly Std: The Democrats Threw Out the Rulebook for Politics Barack Obama has become the transformational president he aspired to be. Among the things he has transformed is the nature of the political compact between the rulers and the ruled in our republic. Before Obama, citizens hoped that their elected leaders would be wise, independent, and disinterested leaders -- but they never really counted on utopian vision. What they banked on was that the people they elected would, at the very least, be self-interested vote-seekers -- so that if voters started punishing politicians for a specific course of action, the politicians would abandon it. The passage of Obamacare broke this arrangement. And the impending passage of the Iran nuclear deal, in the face of voter discontent will cement this new relationship as the norm. In both cases, Democratic law makers went along in processes that were highly irregular (the nuclear option for passage of Obamacare; no treaty ratification with Iran); with initiatives they largely disliked on the merits; that voters demonstrably disliked in polling; and that had (or are likely to have) negative outcomes not just in the real world, but in the political world, too. This sort of power dynamic is new in American politics. Other things are new, too. Such as having the understanding of marriage dating back thousands of years redefined by a single unelected justice. Or having the rule of law downgraded to the level of executive discretion (on Obamacare, on marijuana, on immigration, etc). Or having an economic recovery that, seven years in, still feels like a recession. Or having a stretch of four presidential terms in which you could plausibly argue that at the end of the term the country has been in worse condition than it was at the beginning.

I fear to be alone, and to fail in my new job, I am planning to be more social, more tolerant, proactive and more involved in my new business

Oh noooooo! The computer ate my 1st draft! What I think I wrote was: this has been a year of rampaging fears - suffering of my parents, my own physical decline, fear of my own irrelevance, fear of being unlovable, fear of never accomplishing anything with the extra time I have been given to live, fear that I will never find what I am Meant To Do, fear of being alone, fear of being broke, fear of being nuts, fear of being fat-old-ugly, fear of being bored.... Let it go? Well. the fears I have about my lack of accomplishment are not something I want to let go. I want to keep my standards high. But I also want to forgive myself for needing to be "ordinary" while I heal from this illness. I don't want to lose the fears as long as they motivate me to become the best version of me that I can be. I want to let them go when they start being toxic. I am going to try to concentrate more on Mindfulness - maybe even go back to journaling - in order to monitor the difference. As to the other fears.... every individual and every generation goes through them and I am blessed to have their thoughts and their art to draw from. AND - there is Jewish tradition and ritual and history. I will draw comfort from going back to studying in a formal manner.

I have a fear of clowns and I plan to let it go by seeing a horror movie.

I suppose the fear of failure of doing anything new is always on my mind. Even at my advanced (seasoned) age I like to challenge myself. But others only look at the failure and not the accomplishments. I guess there is only one answer for that... bite me ;-)

I have a fear of not getting enough done in life, which makes it hard for me to relax without feeling guilty. I don't suspect I will ever let this go...

I have many. I'm afraid I'm moving in the wrong direction for a career. I plan to see more places and see if I get into grad school. I fear that I am growing apart from my wife, I am not as desiring of sex right now. I need to spend a part of each week by myself so I can better appreciate others my wife especially. We think it is the stress that is causing me to be disinterested in sex as well as other things. Not sure how to minimize that. But overall I am going to work on being able to calm myself more effectively and not let the little things bother me so much.

I'm afraid of hurting my knee more than it already is so I stopped doing any exercise. This of course made me heavier. I'm going to try to run in this new year, I don't know if I can do it, but I'm going to try.

I fear being wrong, stupid, ignorant. I fear saying something that will offend someone, or being unintentionally insensitive. This affects me in social situations, but much more so in my work. As an artist, I feel that there's a depth of work I don't allow myself to reach because I'm censoring myself. The fiery ideas of my youth were never made public out of fear that they wouldn't be smart enough. Now that I'm middle aged, I realize that we forgive the ignorance of youth. The energy of wild ideas is necessary, and those who are brazen enough to put them forth are allowed to grow wiser in public. And now I'm even harder on myself. I don't have youth any longer, and so I feel even more of a pressure to be smart. So what to do about this? What I often find myself wishing for is a more isolated life, not just the ability to turn off social media, but a rural life, a home far from others, the space and time to create without judgment. But that's not really possible. We have to work our jobs, make money, send the kids to school, take care of our aging parents. I used to be scared of many things. As a child I was painfully shy and rarely tried anything new. But as I grew older I realized that I was creating my own prison, and the only way out of it was to be brave, to step outside of myself, say hello to strangers, travel to unknown lands, fall down, get up, let myself bleed. Those decisions were both hard and easy to live out, and they transformed me. If that same formula can be applied, I must make the decision to not know. To lack information, and say so, and sit in whatever response that brings. People will judge me because people judge. But not all people. And if it frees me, isn't it worth that price? It's not just about being smart; it's about being good at what I do. I've always found it so difficult to know that there are people in the world who don't get my work, or think they do and dismiss it. Somehow I give those people so much more weight than the people who are moved by what I create. It has to not matter. And the truth is, I don't know how to not let it matter. I've been alive a long time and I haven't yet figured it out.

9. 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? The older I grow the more the basic universal fears are coming to the fore—loss of cognitive and physical abilities as I age, fear of the same losses for my spouse, death itself. And more and more I feel these are the causes of my over-performing, taking on too many responsibilities and obligations to others, asking more of myself than I can comfortably handle. This limits me because too much of the time I am gripped by negative emotions (fear/rage/the desire to flee) and too little of the time am I at peace. I will continue to see the counselor I began seeing two months ago, I will continue my prayer/meditation/poem writing practice, my exercise and stretching routines, and I am hopeful that I’ll be able to simplify and slow down my life, so that my one sentence mantra in my answer to Question #7 is accurate and truly so most of the time: “At my core I am a slow-moving, leisurely person wandering through the rich and varied spaciousness of my days.”

I am afraid of my children resenting me or not loving me enough, or of damaging them in some way they will resent in the future. As a result, when things are not going well for them, whether or not it has anything to do with me, I feel really distressed. I'm working on letting them be their own person and trusting that if I do my best and own my failings, they will value the effort and find their way while still loving me.

This year I learned about Imposter Syndrome. I spent a lot of time feeling like I was somewhere I didn't deserve to be, even as others told me otherwise. It kept me from nominating myself as a candidate for certain positions and opportunities, when I should have just applied.

I have a fear of failure. I fear letting people down. I fear not being good enough. Due to this I have a problem saying no. I have a problem taking on too much. I have a problem stressing myself out. I can't help it. I plan to cater more to my needs this year rather than the needs of others. It's what is best for me.

Wrong decisions. I will sometimes over plan, ignore planning or act on anything other than planning because of a fear of making the wrong decision. Move fast. Make the best decision with the information I have and get action.

I am afraid of being judged incompetent or grotesque by society (I have a rare fat disorder which means I am very large). I am going to TRY to go out more and face the world.

Fear of rejection. Fear of being fired, or a relationship ending because I"m disliked, incompetent, or otherwise not up to par. And a fear of going out and doing things that are fun. Fear of being alone in public places holds me back. For the first one, I'm trying to learn that there is no such thing as perfection, I'm trying to learn to be reliable and competent, and I'm trying to learn that not everything that goes wrong is my fault. And that even if it is, I'm still me, I'm still lovable and a good person. For the second one, I'm trying to just grit my teeth and go out into the world. To worry less about what strangers think, to enjoy myself because I sure as hell deserve it after the years of domestic violence and the lonely, empty 2 years since I've escaped. I'm trying. It gets scary, but it's important that I have fun.

I am afraid of turning 30. No, I'm afraid of acknowledging the fact that I'm not young anymore. I mean, yes, I'm still young, and when I'm 60 I'll wish I was as young as 40, but my concern is that I'm leaving a demographic I'll never be able to live in again. I need to stop talking about how I don't want to get old. I mention my age more than anyone else I know. "Yeah, like the guy in the $3,000 suit is going to..." I'm more like "Well, I know about that since i'm old, almost 30 and I don't want to think about aging" and I just bring it up over and over. I think I will try not to mention my age unless someone asks about it. I say I'm old because i don't think I know enough about modern trends, but I never paid attention to that shit past 2000 anyway. I'm just different. I'm just a human.

I fear that I'm going to go too far, and hurt someone(s) close to me with my social ineptness. I fear that there is something actually wrong with my brain that will prevent me from being who I desperately want to be. I fear I am wasting my life and my time with my calling. I fear God doesn't actually exist.

I fear that I am not a hard enough worker to ever amount to anything. I plan on taking small steps everyday to increase my capacity for challenge and workload.

Fear of not fitting in/not being human/not being good enough. It limits me because I get so frozen or "locked up" I don't even try. This coming year I need to just DO STUFF. Failure won't be so bad, and I'll succeed a lot more than I expect.

Fear of death, it limited me as it took over me when I got back from Canada this year in April and I wasn't living life to the fullest. I plan on not pushing it away and dealing with it and just trying to see the positives on it.

Not having enought time to do everything I want is always a fear, though it´s never a limit, but a prod.

At 44, I still sometimes fear what people think of me. It doesn't happen nearly as often as it used to, but it crosses my mind more than I find acceptable. But mostly, I worry about what people think of my kids. Not because I don't like what my kids are doing or who they are - but because I don't want anyone to hurt my children or subconsciously mis-treat them. I think the way to get past this is to work on myself and my family. If our home life is good and my kids get what they need from me and their father, what other people think will matter less and less as they grow up. If I demonstrate confidence and optimism and content, my kids will follow that lead. This will require my husband and I to be more present. (putting away electronics and being more in tune with each other and our kids) It will also require us being more thoughtful about the choices we make regarding what to do with our time and who to spend our time with.

I have severe social anxiety. I force myself into social situations. Sometimes they work out well and other times they don't. I think you have to accept who you are but also don't let these things stop you from doing what you want to do.

I am afraid of letting people down, which has led to me not taking on responsibility beyond a level I am incredibly comfortable with. This year I plan to put myself in higher responsibility situations to make me more comfortable with them.

I fear change, i fear leaving the things, people, places that are comfortable. Knowing each path by heart, never being able to get lost, having hundreds of memories of everywhere around me. It's meant that i haven't seen many new places or met many interesting people over my life so far. I plan to bite the bullet and move far away, hopefully to Australia and get over my fears all in one go.

A fear that has limited me in the past has been not being liked. This fear has become more evident in the last few months. Having my own family not like me - being unhappy with me has really brought up a lot of anxiety in my system. It feels like I have lived in his fear that somehow translates to I am going to be hurt- killed in my body. In the past I have worked on being liked and loved so hard because this fear ruled me because somewhere in my system it translated to being liked...being safe. Now that I know I am not liked or "loved" in the human term I am getting a lot of anxiety because the fear of being hurt, punished or even somehow killed is coming up. It almost like I have done something wrong and I am going to be fund and persecuted. I know this is such a irrational belief that has been running me. So right here and right now....I am done with this fear! I do not need to please anyone or compromise myself to be liked or loved...because I know I am safe regardless of anything anyone can do to me. I am done with this fear and no longer want to live my life in fear. If I am killed or hurt so what!!!!!! I just can not live my life with this kind of anxiety in my body.... it is not a way to live life...it's too stressful and painful. So today I free myself from this fear and surrender and trust that God has control of my life. I am safe, loved, enough and worthy of living a life that is filled with Joy, Peace, Love and Freedom.

I cannot think of anything really. Of course knowing all the insults to the planet one wonders how long it can last, but there is nothing I could personally do differently from what I am doing.

fear of taking an online college course. the limits this places on my life is limited job opportunities, limited energy, limited enthusiasm, limited happiness, limited livelihood, and limited hope. how i plan to overcome this fear is to write a check list of steps to take to enroll in a free online course choosing something fun and interesting. and then i plan to fulfill the check list one action at a time.

In general, I have a fear of trying new things. Living with our exchange students (and Kelly's reluctance to listen to my fear) has resulted in me being more willing to try new things. I will keep reminding myself of the benefits of trying new things.

I overcame many fears this past year: public speaking and heights. I hope to continue to move forward fearlessly in my life. I mainly fear the unknown. My life has not been easy, and I live in poverty as a disabled person, but I am grateful for my community.

I have a fear of people judging me for my weight -- especially my husband. I used to be a skinny little thing, but after some health issues I have about 25 extra pounds. I judge myself very day, and I'm working on letting go of the distorted body image. I'm bright, I'm a good wife and mother, I'm a talented worker, and I usually look pulled together. I want to focus on that instead of obsessing about a few extra pounds.

Fear of looking stupid, of not being quick enough with a response to a challenge or even question, of being wrong. So I have been reluctant to speak up or speak out. I have tried to tackle controversial subjects on my blog a little more often, with the intention of being braver in general.

Fear of rejection. Rejection from women, jobs, you'll have it... Too much self doubt, in my opinion. But the fear is there and that's something I'll have to deal with daily by allowing me to consider other scenarios but those of rejection. Most often, the things we fear exist only in our minds. Let's cast them aside and try to be the best we possibly can!

I seem to be tired all the time and most days am getting only 3-4 hours of unbroken sleep. While I can function the lack of sleep seriously messes up my mind mind. I can get weepy for no good reason and find it difficult to check my potty mouth at the door when I get to work. I am afraid I will say something to the wrong person and it will get me fired before I can retire. I am trying to get more sleep and to count to 10 before I say anything... failing that I intend to excuse myself from situations and walk away before saying something inflammatory.

I have so many fears and I've let them limit me in every way. I became afraid of people and hooking allows me to exist in avoidance mode and I just sit in a weed stupor of constant disbelief. I want to end the narrative I've been on and let go of wants and things I thought I needed, had to have, had to prove and try to see where I'm really at, not at my history, no to all the countries and cities and men and opportunities, just now and here, this corner, this moment looking out. What's there without looking back, is it a thing at all, on its own or am I just hauling luggage around for no reason - a refugee?

My deep-seated fear is that I am "not good enough, severely flawed in some elemental way." All my life I've struggled to deceive people into thinking I really am like everyone else. I live in fear that someone will see through the facade I present to the world. I will continue to pray that G-d will heal what is broken in me.

I'm afraid my videos won't pass. As a result I keep procrastinating and the fear continues. If I just leap in I'll at least have an answer instead of guessing.

I recognize that I definitely have a fear of failure. This affects my work, my hobbies, and my relationships. I sometimes don't want to try new things because I don't want to risk failure. I don't exactly know how to overcome it, but I have been challenging myself in new ways lately, so hopefully that will help!

Unfortunately, this fear is probably so ongoing it will take some real experience for me to see myself overcoming it. I really fear being alone in the world and not having anyone with whom to connect.

I have always been afraid of making hard decisions or making the wrong decision. You will make the best choice for yourself based on what information you know and what situation you are in. You shouldn't get caught up in details you did not know at the time. Also: you can say no. In fact, say no more.

I'm terrified of the prospect of parenthood. I so want to be a good mother both in the basics of baby care and as our daughter grows up. I'm also secretly afraid of finding out my child has a disability that couldn't be diagnosed before birth like deafness, autism, etc. I've done my best to acknowledge the fear and move on without letting it hold me back. I know in relationship to the fear of physical or cognitive disability that there's nothing I can do. It's like not leaving the house because you could be hit by a car. It could happen but you can't live your life held down by fear. Live and deal with what comes. As for parenthood fears I'm reading everything I can and will continue to do so. This will be trial and error but i know if I try my best I'll be successful in the end.

I fear becoming less competent mentally and physically as I age. I spend too much time fretting about trying to figure out if and or how fast this is happening. I could spend that time writing or just plain living. I intend to do that, and adapt as best I can to changes as they occur. Bob's mom was a great example of one who did that.

Being inadequate. Not "fitting in." I think I need to have more confidence in myself and my abilities. I need to trust myself in terms of what I can do and not be afraid of failure.

My biggest internal fear is that I'll not ever be quite enough. Not a good enough friend, not a good enough librarian, not a good enough wife and partner and daughter. I'm working on it. Also, spiders. Not working on that one.

I'm afraid that J and I won't ever have babies that are our flesh and blood. The only way to prove myself wrong is to keep trying, which sets us up for more hurt. I never, ever thought motherhood would be so agonizing, and I haven't even been through labor. But... maybe next year I'll read this and smile at how far we've come. And, if that doesn't happen, I know us well enough to be sure we'll have started working on another way to build a family.

I'm afraid of doing the wrong thing with my kids, but I often do, anyway. It's probably why I stay home with them, because I'm afraid that going back to work would drive me crazy and no one wants a crazy mom. I'm not sure if I'll ever "get over" this one.

I fear being vulnerable to the opinions and needs of those close to me. It's hard for me to let decisions be made mutually with my family, friends and colleagues. I fear losing my will. I fear disappearing. I plan to explore what it really means to let some things go. To be guided by something bigger than my will. To admit my ultimate vulnerability -- whether it is showing or not. And to work at noticing and minimizing my defensiveness.

My fear is still regarding my family's health. My parents have had really fragile couple of years, and it was very hard for me to assist them, while moving forward on my own life. Even if it was a good thing to do, I know it has limited me on other dimensions of my life. I hope I can take better care of them while also taking better care of myself.

I'm afraid of sounding foolish, or offending people and creating conflict I cannot resolve. I'll say what's on my mind. I've rarely had issues when I do.

Fear of Failure. I said the same fear last year, and I failed. So lets see if that failure allows me to be more free and more me and rise above this year.

I have a fear of quitting my job. I don't know what I want to do, but my job is way too demanding. I don't want to be away from my home and my new husband 4-5 days a week anymore. I have a fear of not being successful, but also of not contributing to the overall greater good. In the next year I am committed to exploring new opportunities that will give me a better worklife balance and sense of pride and satisfaction in what I'm doing.

The loss of my loved ones. I will care for them, but also let them grow and be this is a natural part of life, and a necessary part of living.

The fear of living away from my family has limited me until very recently. Of course it's not a bad thing to want your kids to grow up near their grandparents, but for a long time it's kept me from exploring other options. Now we are getting ready to move one state over so I can start my own family, and I'm thrilled and excited and scared all at the same time. But we know it's the right decision.

So many fears. So much assumption that I'm not good enough. Whatever I have in this life, it's what I'm supposed to have, because I don't deserve anything better. Just giving in to life and not trying harder to make things better. I don't know how to let that go. I know that I need to. Hopefully I will find the strength this year to make it happen.

Having enough money to take me to the end of my days. I plan on overcoming it by building my business, but honestly, it seems like a struggle without end. The older I get, the harder it will be.

I have a fear of being alone. I'm surrounded by many great people, but somedays I'm scared I'll do something to lose them. I've always dealt with this.

I tend to play it small in almost every area of life. Avoiding risks, whether those risks are emotional, financial, career related or whatever. I am sure that this has kept me from greater success in most areas of my life. I would like to challenge this fear, I guess the best way would be to take smaller, calculated risks and when they turn out well, begin taking greater, still calculated, risks.

Fear of not being as good as others in my job. It makes me anxious and "tight". It also sends the metamessage that perfectino is the goal. It lessens my ability to hold the space for learning for my students and staff. I have been meditating every day and focusing on the idea that I am enough just the way I am.

I have a deep-seated fear of change. It limits my ability to be flexible when plans change, and causes negative reactions that impact my relationships. I'm not sure how to overcome it, but I do think it probably involves facing it head on and recognizing it for what it is. I am going to try deep breaths and forgiveness for myself. I also think moving/creating change I control can be a way for me to embrace change.

worry is the big paralyzer in my life. worry is living in fear; fear of what might go wrong. and it's mostly inwarranted. i like to have my plans, then a plan b and even plan c waiting in the wings. BE PREPARED. as if! if i could live life more in the moment, and go with the flow, i believe the worry would abate. but how to change a 62 year old habit? be more mindful, and when worry creeps in maybe try to realize some things we can control and some things we cannot.

Fear? Where do I start. So much fear at the end of this year. Mostly about change, because I've had so damn much of it at once. It certainly hasn't limited me, because I'm doing it all. But it has made things pretty miserable from time to time. So far I've managed it by leaning in. In the upcoming year, I guess I'll keep that up. I'd like to incorporate more meditation. To notice the fear, name it, and then move on. But damn, it's a hard lesson.

I have a fear of giving up only to have things get better. I have a fear of screwing my son up for life because of our hopefully temporary situation. I have a fear of never being enough. I have a fear of never being able to fulfill my dreams. I have a fear of always being a loser. I have a fear of opening up to people. I have a fear of my coworkers finding out I'm homeless, I have a fear of falling deeper into rock bottom even though I don't think I can fall any further without dying. I have a fear of death, even though I sometimes want it more than anything. I have a fear that no one would care if I did die, or even notice. I have a fear that I deserve to die. I have a fear that I'm not a good person, that I'm not worthy of good things in life and I don't know why. I have a fear that G-d has forgotten about me. I have a fear that my son will hate me. I have a fear that he may be justified in his feelings. I have a fear that I won't be able to live my life like this much longer, I'm so tired. I have so many fears and I don't know how they limit me. They weigh heavily on me and I get so tired of carrying them around. I wish I could sleep and never wake up. I don't know how I'm going to let them go, if I could find a place to live that would alleviate most of my stress and fear but I don't see that happening. I question whether I want to be written into the book of life. It almost seems cruel.

I am worried that my golden retriever, Buddy, will hurt his other knee. He recently had surgery to repair his ACL and a torn meniscus. The recovery has been very stressful for my husband as well. He must lift Buddy in and out of the car to take him to rehab and to the hospital, where Buddy and I work together to bring a bit of warmth to chemo and psychiatric patients. We love this beautiful and sweet dog beyond belief and will do whatever it takes to help him to recover. We are resolved to see this through. It causes us both anxiety but hopefully we can learn to accept this and live with the unknown about his condition.

I am afraid of failing - to the point that I tend to get stagnant - the hell you know, and all that. But it hasn't left me in a good place, and I miss being adventurous and fun. So, in the next year - I'm just planning on trying to push myself, and not do the safe thing.

My initial reaction to this question is that I don't have any fears that limit me at the moment. But I do or else I wouldn't be where I am. I am always fearful of not being in control of my money. I'm always afraid of falling into the same rut every year and getting deeper and deeper and not learning my lesson. One thing I've learned about life: while I love to look at the big picture, the big picture is made up of lots of attention to the detail. The picture looks ugly if the detail isn't addressed. So in the next year I want to overcome my fear of looking at the details.

I don't fear anything

I love to travel by bicycle or hiking. My biggest fear is setting out alone. Last year I began a cross country bicycle trek with a group of men. I tried to ride at their level and couldn't keep up. By the time I let go of them, I had someone else to ride with. But I had injured my achilles tendon and did not finish my trip. My biggest fear is that I would have a mechanical problem on my bike, be by myself and be stuck. I say, I would get direction to become mechanically adept enough in maintaining my bicycle. But I haven't done it. This is something I could work on. Also, I would like to make improvements to my home: Master bedroom and bath. I've been not liking it for a long time, but not taken any action. Also, put more effort into my marriage relationship, which is pretty good, but I think could be even better.

I am terrified of rejection. I need approval from others so badly that I panic at the thought that I might not have it. I think I need to do more in the way of mindfulness, meditation, and possibly prayer as a way to work on accepting myself more without needing the approval and acceptance of others so desperately. I need to live in the present and just "be," without becoming preoccupied with all sorts of "what if's"

Fear of abandonment. I will work to overcome it by connecting with more people, tending to those relationships, and letting people in to my life.

I fear that I will lose my family. I am constantly thinking about the loss of life and if we've done a good job of raising our children to be self sufficient so that when we are no longer here they will be fine.

Fear of being broke is huge with me. And what's funny is that I've been out of work a lot these past few years, and I've scrimped and squeaked by - and still managed to, at the very least, get the basics covered. So this fear that I have hasn't ever really come to pass, even though I've been close a few times. :-) This fear is directly tied to my other, bigger fear, which is when I lose a job, the fear that there will never be another one. As I get older it's more and more likely that I won't be able to match (or increase) my income after this coming lay-off - but you never know, right? Every time I've lost a job I've found another, mostly better paying one. The trouble is, I'm not happy with the work I've been doing. I've said it before - there are others who like it more and do it better than I do. So, I plan on overcoming this fear by taking control of my career / job situation. I will get career counseling. I will turn down jobs that aren't right for me. I will wait tables if I need to for money, until I find work that really matters to me. And I know that I'll be fine.

the fear of probably aiming bigger than myself...now with this book, this is a big challenge indeed because i have to come out of my comfort zone. that is why I took people to guide me and support me, with a good result so far. when i stay stuck in myself nothing happens....stop saying no even before I could think about it, not going into flight straight away...listen to people around me like gilbert and believe what they say maybe?

Fear of incompetence. Fear of failure. Fear that others will find out I'm not as good as I'm supposed to be. These are the grown-up versions of children's nightmares of being naked. But these fears, when I give in to them, simply assure the failure that I am so afraid of. So, in this coming year I will continue to do what I've been trying to do over the last few, to deliberately make myself naked in front of others (metaphorically speaking, of course). Because in reality, while others' criticisms and judgments may very well hurt, they are also opportunities for growth and learning. And in that sense I want to be as fearless as a bungee jumper, to embrace the exhilaration and adrenaline rush that fully engaging with the world brings. Additionally, in a sense, this fear is a type of ego and arrogance, a way of putting myself above the frailties, failures and give-and-take of humanity. Who am I to think that I should not fail at time or that my work could be so perfect as to be above criticism? So metaphorical nakedness is a practice in humility and a way of joining with all of humanity, instead of holding myself apart. And holding myself apart does not really ensure freedom from pain or ensure success. For example, I had, until fairly recently, decided that I would never, ever "go up" for Full Professor. But instead of easing the fear, it just made me feel more entrenched in my conviction that I didn't want my body of work to be scrutinized, gossiped about, and used to make others feel better in their own petty games of one-upsmanship. Yet who did this hurt? It hurt me because I then felt even more unworthy in my work, which made it difficult to feel fully engaged. And it also meant that I do not have as much voice as I could when I advocate for the rights of the individuals who participate in my research. But I have come to realize that my academic work is work that I am privileged to do but that it is not a judgment of my individual worth. That a review of my work, no matter how nasty others might be about it, is not a review of my soul, of my being, a determinant of my worth as a human being. So I intend to continue to picks away at this fear by working as hard as I can this year to get a number of more publications and to submit my dossier for promotion to full professor this coming summer. This is important, not for me or as a personal goal, but so that I can have more voice and authority when I speak about my area of expertise. But if it doesn't happen, this year or ever, I hope I will still continue to try to be naked in front of my colleagues and my students and that I will continue to understand that my self-worth is not determined by the number of my publications.

I have such a huge fear of being seen, of being the target for misogyny. In the past, I have been attacked for standing up and putting my foot down. It feels like the eye of mordor turning on frodo when he puts on the ring when i see women attacked for having an opinion. I don't want to be called fat and stupid and be threatened, which seems to happen so much. I will continue trying to work at putting myself out in the world, little by little. I think that writing is best, followed by podcasts and radio, and finally video. I hate the sound of my voice, and the fact that the camera makes me look fat. I don't like to open myself up to the hatred that flows when women push back.

I don't want to be afraid of anything, but I think I do have a fear of not being where I'm supposed to be, or achieving my full potential. Kind of missing my path, selling myself short, or not taking advantage of my opportunities. I think this fear leads me to be really hard on myself, and my family... especially if I feel that my family (or husband) prevents me from doing so. I do want to do my best, but I think that this is an unhealthy perspective toward my husband, and toward my potential in general. I want to do what I love, and take opportunities as they come. Not be under the gun to do something because of my obligation to my potential future achievements. Its a bit nuanced, but I would like to gain a healthier perspective. Also, I don't want to judge myself so harshly for being who and what and where I am, as if I should have done more, better (whatever--research, studying, hours, networking etc). I need kindness from me as much as my husband needs kindness from me.

It really just hit me that I'm 27 now. And I don't know how I got here already. I'm afraid that I'm not hustling hard enough, that I'm not Doing Enough Awesome Shit. That time is going to pass and I'll lose out on opportunities to have Done Something (Great). I'm terrified of ever looking back at my younger years with regret. Of course there's a fine line there. By pushing too hard I could very well set myself up to "miss out" on experiencing certain parts of life that I spent in "pursuit of happiness;" on that aforementioned grind. But I love the hustle. And part of my push for Doing Awesome Shit involves enjoying life and making experiences. So I think I'll be fine. Overcoming this fear? Ha! I thrive off it.

i fear that i will not be able to afford the college i want to go to. I plan on getting a job later and not spending as much money and giving money to my mother.

For the first time in my life I was really, really afraid of death last year. I don't know any other way than praying to try and overcome it.

My answer last year just makes me laugh. I still fear failure, but I have a great support system, so even if I fail everything will be okay. I will continue to work on my righteousness.

I am terrified of being alone. This has limited me in many ways -- I don't get to appreciate my time with myself as much. I run away from it, seeking others even when it may be best for me to remain alone. Most poignantly, in dating I find myself willing to overlook others' problems because I so desperately want to avoid loneliness. I plan on overcoming this by setting aside time for myself where I sit with myself and *enjoy* it; be alone intentionally, not as a consequence or an unfortunate situation, but rather as a distinct choice.

Fear of not getting married - limits me because it generates constant and unproductive questioning of my choices in life and especially in my current relationship. In the coming year, I will let go of the idea that I can control whether or not I get married - and if I do get married, to whom and how that will unfold. Instead I will do the next right thing, trusting G-d and staying humble.

I have this fear that I'm not doing enough, or enough of the right thing. It's added a lot of stress to my life. This year I want to learn to better trust myself and my actions, and so pursue confidence in myself and my pursuits.

I have had a fear of starting something new in an area that I know little about. Opening a business is something that I have been playing around in my head, but I fear I don't have the financial knowledge, or the managerial part sorted out. I have the heart and fire it would require... I am already reaching out to people that know more about admin and money and resource management so that knowing little about these stops being an excuse

I suppose it's fear of my own light and true power once I unleash it in its fullest. As Marianne Williamson said in her "Our Greatest Fear," poem in her Course of Miracles Work. I plan to let go of this old "record/version" of myself and overcome my internal fears. (which is merely my perception that a lack of feeling or being loved exists in my soul) I will stop playing small, and living as a shrunken version of myself.

My biggest fear in life is failing. Failing as a life partner. Failing as a son. Failing as a friend. Failing as an employee. In addition to my fear of failing, I'm afraid of the consequences that come with failure, such as losing everything I've worked so hard for. The fear limits me when I get criticized by people, because it makes me worry that everything I'm doing is wrong. My plan to overcome this fear is by taking deep breaths, not rushing anything I do, staying on top of my medication, and continuing therapy.

Not being confident in my abilities to manifest the full life I want - basically that's what ya get! I plan to simply practice more being in the space of knowing my abilities and letting them shine through.

At age 68, I'm seeing people not much older than I exhibit the symptoms of dementia, or be diagnosed with cancer. I'd like to think that I can be prepared for whatever the next phase of my life holds, but hope that Alzheimer's isn't part of it. I guess what I'm trying to do is not to interpret each memory lapse as a sign of incipient dementia, and to stay fit, mentally, physically, emotionally.

I have a fear of being dependent on and completely trusting others. It has kept me from having a loving partnership. I choose people who are unable to be a good fit so that they can be kept at a distance and reinforce my belief that no one is trustworthy or can prioritize me. I am working in therapy and breaking patterns so I can having a relationship.

My biggest fear is not succeeding. My current definition for success is being able to provide for my family and send my children to college. This is not a fear that can be overcome in a day or even a year. It is the primary driver in my life and the reason I am working so hard. I believe I'll get there and the motivation that results from the fear is positive.

My fear is my emotions. They are insanely powerful and can overtake everything. I worry about it in the course of my jobs, my relationships and my life in general. Sometimes they have shaped the course of my life more than they should. I don't want to mask them, but at the same time I don't want them to take control, particularly my anger, as I have a lot of it. I don't know how to let it go, but I've got to in order to get my life back on track.

I have a tremendous fear of flying. It kept me from coming back to Israel for many years. I don't see any reason to let it go. I'm quite content to stay where I am. After Moshiach comes, perhaps things will be different.

I have a fear of tragedy which prevents progress. I need to take part in better ways to relax my mind, like yoga. I would like to try hiking and camping again. My fear-that I won't be able to sleep in a tent with my snoring husband-keeps me from taking risks that aren't really very risky.

Fear people don't like me. Insecurity. Selective self confidence. I'm at the age where I should have the confidence to just be myself, cherish those who like me as I am, and not worry about those who don't.

I am hesitant of expressing myself too openly. I am holding back thinking that my opinion may get used against me. Besides, I am afraid to be critizised, confronted or ridiculed. I think only changing to a different culture will help.

I have a fear that I am not good enough. I know now where that fear comes from--that it was "installed" and perpetuated in me. But knowing its source doesn't erase it. I just have to push it aside and go forward, as I have done in some respects. I just have to do. To move. To decide it is not me after all. Not so easy in practice, but that's the only way. Stop worrying about what people think. Don't worry about rejection or mockery; just do my work, put it out there and keep going with the very best I can do. Push myself and be bold. To hell with those who taught me fear. I don't need fear anymore.

I'm increasingly concerned about my ability to co-habitate and form non-platonic relationships. I have lots of friends and friendships, and this year in particular was very effective in reminding me of that network... but I feel like I'm unable to 'seal the deal' on romantic liaisons. Sex is not the issue, commitment and longevity are. I know, I know, looking for The One is neither viable nor desirable. However, as I enter my thirties and witness my friends form life-long partnerships with like-minded people, I worry that I'm not able to do the same. This year I want to NOT hurtle into a relationship, but to explore and succumb to quieter, mundane romantic interactions. Not to (over)question and (over)analyze. Not to predict or plan its trajectory. I want to be more PRESENT and less fearful (of the future) as well as less concerned with the past.

being shy, it kept me from putting myself out there and people getting to know me. I have become more social this year and have started to talk with more people, and plan on attending some parties to get my name out there

I fear my control of others. I control myself. I control Lance and I control people at work for a living. I'd like to be able to surrender to this control. I returned yesterday, 9/20 from The Bridge and today is the first day at the office. It's going well. I'm trying to be in touch with my needs and my feelings as I navigate through the day, trying to be present, rather than future tripping or worrying about what might happen or anxiety about getting it all done now and making sure everyone else is happy and attended to. I'm checking in on my needs, which in turn will allow me to look outward more productively and not be a reactor to all that's around me. I am also working on this at home with Lance. I can't control him and I no longer wish too. However, it's automatic. It's a habit. So I'm trying to catch myself as quickly as I can. Today I will stay in my own lane and let myself be. I will surrender to my control. I admit my powerlessness over people, places and things.

I think I may have a fear of having too much??? I mean, I have never been able to have a lot of money or if I did have a decent salary, I didn't have vision in terms of saving or planning for the future. I would love to have more VISION with my/our money, and once and for all have a solid financial foundation to build on, and really have (not just dream about having) a nice home, a savings, decent furniture and clothing, and live a respectable lifestyle where I would feel proud having people over for dinner or a visit in my home. I hope I can achieve this as a flute teacher. They say money can't buy happiness, but NOT having it sure can cause stress. I think if I can really believe I deserve that kind of lifestyle (a comfortable one without prohibition OR gluttony, just comfort), I will be able to have it. Maybe becoming a parent will finally allow me to think in this way because it is about having things for her and us, not just us. But not just her either--I would like to not keep going without all the time.

It's always the same fear - judgement and abandonment - being left out. It is most alive with my family and I find it exhausting. The cottage is always hard - I feel less than, but I am trying and staying with it. It is hard as I feel everyone wants to be with my brother and I don't have that same draw. But when I am other places - I have that magnetism. I want to stop comparing and worrying and step into my bigness. Perhaps I will finally do a talk this year - yikes, that's scary to say out loud!

I was afraid to face my unhappiness with my fiance. But I did it. So I have started a new chapter. My other fear is that I am not a good mother. I don't think I can let that one go, so I live with it and do my best.

I'm not really a fan of change, or of rocking the boat on my own behalf (evidently I am much better at rocking the boat on behalf of others). I'd like to get over both of these dislikes in order to further my job a bit more. Likely, I just need to bite the bullet and do it.

I don't have a fear

I have two great fears that can upend me and lead me astray. The first is the fear of being betrayed. This is the one that figures in heavily in my relationship to my husband. He has given me no reason, zero, to think or feel that he can't be trusted. But sometimes it kicks in, this strange suspicion that he's keeping something from me, that he has a relationship out there with someone who knows about me but I don't know about them. This is fed by past experiences I've had, plus the fact that that's essentially how my father and mother lived while I was growing up, until their marriage dissolved when I was an adult. I think we are all still reeling from that reveal. When I face this fear I have some helpful thoughts that aid me in returning to my better mindset: 1) Someone else's betrayal of me is not something I have done wrong and does not speak to my value. It is something they have done wrong and speaks to their value. 2) How I value someone else is not related to how they value me. I can value someone, cherish things about them, and not be equally cherished by them, and that is not only ok, it is actually a good thing. My focus needs to be on enjoying and cherishing people. 3) I can trust myself that if it becomes known that a relationship is not what I thought it was, I will reevaluate and make the choices that are best for me. I will take care of myself, I will not let myself be misused. There is a difference between letting myself be misused and not knowing what someone is keeping secret. It is not my job to protect myself from the hurtfulness of other people's secrets. Other people not doing their job can hurt me. But it will not hurt me because I'm bad or wrong. It will hurt me because I am right, and that is actually a good thing. The other fear that really gets me is the fear of being not-good-enough. This is one that I am letting go of more and more as I have more concrete successes, or rather, concrete things that I have done well. I really believe that self-esteem has to be based in reality. You can't just *know* that you're good enough. You have to prove it to yourself, in some way or another. You have to trust yourself to be good enough, and part of getting to be good enough is being open to hearing and understanding where you're not yet good enough, and fixing it. It's important to want to be good enough. But one thing that can actually keep you from being good enough, or rather, can challenge what is good about you, is the fear of falling short of that important goal. It's necessary to strive for it while not fearing if you don't achieve it right away. It's a very complex transaction completed entirely inside myself. I'm getting better at it but I'm still far from what I would think of as actually good at it. I'm sure I'll continue to work on that this year.

I never feel like I am enough or good enough when it comes to other people. I always feel like I am pending or that I am " the smelly kid in class" I find myself not being able to connect a lot of the times. I want to be honest and the truest version of myself.

Right now, don't feel like any of my fears are limiting me. Yes, I'm still scared of something happening to my children but it's not stopping me. I've accepted that I'm going to worry about them for the rest of my life.

A fear is that I'll never get married and have children and never feel that fulfillment. It might has limited me in that maybe I come off too desperate or sleep with too many guys to try to get a relationship. I need to have more meaningful relationships in my life and wait and hope for the real thing to eventually come along.

I am afraid of failure. I am afraid of living on the street. It's a real possibility for me. I don't have well off family members or a huge inheritance coming or anything like that, and I live paycheck to paycheck. It's a negative cycle that I want out of. I am going to go for jobs that are outside my comfort zone. I am going to try to move to the area that I want to live in (Tarrytown) by any means I can employ.

Fear of being unlovable and that I'll be alone for the rest of my life. Fear of failure. Fear of financial ruin.

I sometimes worry that I'll spend the rest of my life - doing what needs to be done/my list; instead of living my life fully in the moment and being in touch with joy and purpose. I'm hoping regular meditation will help keep me mindfully in the moment.

The fear of loneliness, of not finding anyone. I'm not sure if it's limited me so much as taken away quite a bit of self-confidence in relationships. I think I'm just inexperienced and need to stop worrying so much all the time. I hope to just live my life and not think about myself in terms of relationships this year, even though I consider myself already a pretty independent person.

Failing. I tend not to try to do many things because I am afraid that after all the hard work I do, I will fail anyway and then it will just be wasted time. I also fear of failing my child and not supporting him in all the ways that he needs. I am going to try to complete or at least attempt all of my ideas. I am also going to try and do anything and everything for my son but within reason.

I'm scared of going back to work and dealing with the limitations of my body. I know I need to remember that what constitutes normal is different, and it's not necessarily worse. It's just different. I need to rely on my strength and the support of those around me to get through this and make my life one that I want to live, not one that I want to avoid.

I'm afraid I'm not good enough. Not smart enough, pretty enough, thin enough, rich enough, clever enough, dedicated enough. I'm just afraid that I'm not enough. This year I want to learn to love myself and be enough for me.

I have a fear of falling in love and having a true partner in my life. I think this really held me back in giving all I could in my relationships this year. I have been working hard to open myself up: to experiences, to people. I want to break down these walls and actually let someone in, and this goes along with becoming my most authentic self. This year I plan on letting go of those fear through being more willing to explore new adventures, meet new people, and jump into situations that might feel uncomfortable.

I have a huge fear of going into a depression all over again. I'm scared that I can't control my emotions. I don't know how to be just sad and ok with being sad. When I get upset it's like a fire burning it's way through a building. Everything sooner or later catches on fire. I fear that every time I leave my house in going to have an anxiety panic attack and not know what to do.

It's hard to say, because I am afraid of everyfreakingthing, and my fear is not without cause. These days, sometimes my PTSD lets me leave the house after dark, and sometimes it doesn't. I am taking it day by day.

How did the way in which I grew up affect my adult life? Is there any way to sort this out? I think it is time to try to write some of this down - maybe into a memoir - to help provide a coherent story for myself and where I am now and where I want to be in a year or two.

I'm kinda scarred about the future, but there's little I can do about that. I also hate spiders, but the way I handle it is sort of live and let live. The only other fear I have is heights, and I don't think I can conquer it, but it doesn't stop me from flying, or anything I really want to do, so it doesn't affect me.

I fear never finding relationships that I can be close with now and in the future. Someone/people who are close to me and can be part of my daily life that I plan on keeping close always. I am facing this fear by investing in the forever relationships that I have--even though they might be far away and investing in everyone around me now--to show them and me that I am interested in investing--that I believe we are all worth it--making possibilities--and refusing to be the one to give up good things.

I fear losing my job, being seen as inadequate in my professional performance, and having that basic inadequacy finally seen through. This is my big fear. I do not know where it came from, why it persists, or quite how to address it. But there it is.

Fear of failure sounds so trite. It's taken me a while to come round to appreciating that fear is holding me back, not just in general but in specific tangible ways. 'If you don't try you can't fail', but if you don't try at anything, what are you for? The complimentary set of thoughts to this is 'get angry and use it' - I've been talking about this in therapy, she made me see that I try to defuse conflict in order to stop anger getting the better of me. I put a lid on my fire to keep everyone safe from burning and that puts out my passion. The only antidote to failing is drive, the only way to get drive is to feed it fire. I'm going to set some things alight.

After the year I've had and the way my heart has been broken, I fear taking risks. I haven't wanted to let anyone in or put myself out. I've wanted to cocoon inside myself , but this isolation hasn't helped me at all. I want to overcome it. I find myself yearning to grow up and out. I want to explore, to travel, to love deeply and fearlessly. I don't know what I need to do to get there, but I know I want to try.

FEAR OF STANDINding up for myself (funny that came out in all capitals.) i'm just going to practice kindly standing up for myself more in the year to come

I fear not living up to my potential. I have to realize that only G-d knows my full potential and that I have a limited perspective. All I can do is to try and make the right decision in the situation that's in front of me right now. Big dreams and plans are only built from a lot of small, day-to-day choices.

Change. It has limited me because I stayed with a job, company and boss that as my wife put it was destroying my soul. It was easier to stay and take what was good pay than move to the unknown. I have taken a new job and though I am scared that I don't like it - I do feel better to no longer be with the old.

I am afraid of the awkwardness of trying to reconnect with family and friends. So, I have lost contact with these people and missed years and years of their lives. In the coming year, I will try to reach out to 'safe' ones and let others go.

I am afraid of change and loosing my grounding. I hope to say yes rather than no more often - but also listen to myself when I need to rest and recover from the week as well.

I am afraid there is something wrong in my brain, lack of focus, forgetting, not remembering what I want. I wonder if my worry about the problem IS the problem and my "brain" is just fine.

Sometimes I have fear that I won't be able to live with my depression and anxiety. Or, more so, that living with it will equate to suffering. Most days I'm able to work with it. Today, for example, I don't feel it at all. By far, the best thing for me to do is to take care of myself, which I will continue to do this year. Giving myself space, surrounding myself with good people. Eating right, exercise, and sleep, of course!

I have had a lot of fears come to head the last few years because of lies and manipulation in my life. I now fear that I can't tell what is real, whether people are telling me the truth. Whether I can gauge a person correctly. I have become very cautious of trusting people and guarded within myself. I used to be a very open person and trusting . I think it will be a matter of small steps and working through my thoughts and feelings. Of building trust and being able to be vulnerable again with close friends.

I am afraid of speaking up. This fear limits my being vulnerable with other people. This fear limits my intimacy with Josh, Matt, Julie especially. I have three ways to work on it: a daily reminder to "speak up", working with Dr. Copeland as a coach, and watching the Brene Brown video for open heartedness and vulnerability.

I am afraid for my children. The world seems so uncertain and difficult, I fear that they will not be able to find a fulfilling career and support themselves. I don't expect great 'success,' but I want them to be able to enjoy a life--do satisfying, positive work and have enough resources that they are not always afraid of a catastrophe. For the most part, we have managed to do that--Greg and I. I am not worried about it limiting me. Truth is, I've always been able to make do with whatever the situation is--letting go of the things I cannot control, trying to fix/handle whatever I can. I try to face squarely what life hands me. That said, life is actually pretty good right now, so, it probably sound braver than I would actually be.

I fear not having any friends. We are probably moving across country, so it will be difficult to have more than email interaction with my very small group of friends. I need to be more outgoing and positive when I meet people. I need to focus more on them and put myself in situations where I meet people. Then I need to follow through with invitations to my home and to events. I need to become social.

I have a fear of failure and of success. I am working on feeling worthy of success and letting go of the feeling that I'm a fraud.

death. it inhibits my ability to live.

Fear of other people's judgment of me causes me to lash out in judgment of others in order to protect my ego. I find myself caught in the momentum of this bad behavior, and pretty soon I feel bad about me, I feel bad about you, and I have lost all optimism about the world. This year, I can try to overcome it by offering love to others regardless of what I imagine they think of me. "You are lovable" can replace "here's what's wrong with you." Maybe by offering this acceptance to others, I'll begin to feel unconditional acceptance for myself.

That I'll be old & alone. I don't have much family. Having knee surgery this year, I realized how hard it is to not be able to be extremely independent. I'm worried that I won't have the help or money I need as I grow older. I am 47.

Fear that I'm not smart enough. I don't participate in conversations when I think that my point of view lacks some basic understanding of world affairs.

I am very fearful of not being in control and letting others take over. It means that I'm stressed at work, that I am stressed about things being taken care of at home and my life being "just so." I would like to ask for help more often, as my coworkers have suggested. I would also like to rely on my partner more. I hope to be more comfortable handing over the reigns and with the idea that you don't have to be perfect 24/7

I have a fear of aging. Avoiding the mirror helps a ton, so I'm going to keep that up and I'm going to give botox a try, why the heck not.

I worry about being able to retire and having enough money in retirement. I'm not sure it really limits me in a bad way -although there are some nights it keeps me up ( not many ). It makes me very financially conservative. Working for the Y has helped as they have a good retirement plan and I'm maxing out my contributions. I'd like to be able to face the future with more confidence that I will be fine.

One big fear that I am challenging directly this year is living in a city away from my family and friends. I moved two weeks ago from NYC to St. Louis, and in the process left behind many people. I fear that it will be too hard to make close friends like the ones I already have in NYC. I am living in an intentional Jewish home where we put on about 6 events every month. I have been meeting some very cool people in the process and believe that close friendships will come after a few months of weeding out who I want to be close to and spending intentional time getting to know them. It feels like I am in college again in terms of being new to this city and not knowing many people. I have more wisdom now then I did as a first year college student, but the fear is still present. I enjoy the slower pace of STL, the friendliness of strangers, and the ease of access to influential people. I plan on challenging myself to reach out for help and collaboration and speak up when I need something or expect something from other folks. I feel in my gut that this will be a great year of growth for me.

I am afraid of the upcoming political season. I am afraid of not fitting in, or not upholding my beliefs, or of upholding them and getting into trouble. I am afraid of what this country is becoming. :-(

Fear? I don't know, I don't remember me fearing anything, which can have two reasons: 1) I just don't remember because I can't remember everything, or 2) I really didn't fear anything this year. I actually remember overcoming one fear of mine, the fear of spiders, with the help of astronaut commander Chris Hadfield. He told me that I should not fear spiders because the ones in my city are simply not deadly. Still, this is just too rational, how did I overcome my fear? Nowadays if I see a spider web, I tear it down with my bare hands. It makes a funny sound and a funny feeling. Okay, a constant fear of mine whenever I'm single is that I won't find anyone who could and would be the mother of my kids. Working on it, though, so stay tuned.

I am afraid I wll stay in this lousy marriage the rest of my life and won't be able to fix it on my end. I will get divorced or ask someone else how to fix this mess.

I am afraid of ruining my relationships in some way, and being abandoned by the people I care about. This fear has limited me in that I have allowed people to influence my course of action and the choices I have made. It has limited my freedom to do things. This year, I hope to be able to get past my fears of abandonment and do the things I want to do without worrying that someone will be angry at me.

The Conflict: I would like to move forward in my life. I have a fear of making a wrong decision. By ruminating about hearth and heart choices (Where to live? Who to love?), I often have felt unwilling to let go of the past and unable to write the next chapter of my life. I have been depressed, agitated, regretful, distrustful, stuck. So... I plan to research and consider where to move. Vermont, Marin County, Nevada County, Napa County, Sonoma County, Oakland, where else? I plan to talk to friends who want to create an intentional community: Beth, Federico, Rosie, Bill. Who else? I plan to paint my house and look into putting it up for sale. I plan to open my heart wider to receive the love that surrounds me: Tim, Bill, Mickey, Choir, Dolphin Club, CTI community, yes, yes. What about seeking friendship on Match, OK Cupid, Plenty of Fish? Hmmmm. I plan to appreciate my life's blessings. Insert endless list here. I plan to meditate on faith. Basically, "Let go. Let God." I plan to give up on always making the perfect decision. Heh, I can change my mind if I want to, so go ahead and commit. I plan to recognize the thousands of small decisions I have made these past three years and stop giving myself such a hella hard time about all this perceived lack of resolve. Re-fucking-lax! I plan, because I will be so damn relaxed, on developing easy access to my gut feelings. I plan to hear and follow my intuitive instincts more quickly and confidently. Executive Summary: Relax Listen Trust Decide Act Repeat

It is not a fear but a real phobia. Clowns. I have to get over that, because I am way too rational to be afraid of that, and other people just don't get it.

Opening up to people and talking about my stuff. Singing in front of people and sharing my music. I plan to continue to go to group therapy and spend more time with people I care about. I also plan to start doing karaoke.

My biggest fear is my father passing. He is 92. He has had esophiageal cancer, Five broken vertebraes in the last year. He has over come pain in huge amounts! I can't imagine my life without him in it. I am lucky enough to live very very close by and see him once or twice a day. My mom is 88. She is in excellent health. I can see how tired she looks on certain days. I see my dad, talk to him everyday. I will just hold onto those thoughts the rest of my life.

My only fear is that I will become the kind of bitter, complaining person that my aunt was in her older years. I want to concentrate on positivity in my personal life and even when I am hurt, as I have been recently by my so-called family, I want to keep things in perspective and not generalize these experiences throughout my life as a whole.

i have a fear about my decisions. i have a bad habit, still, of comparing. if i had done this, would i be feeling what i am feeling now? but here's the thing - there is no if i would have, i should have. there is only what i did and now i have to live with it in the best way I can. no regrets, said tim riggins, no regrets.

I'm scared of failing. Whether it's at my job, uni, or a project I put my mind to. I think that limits me because I know I am the only person who can effect me failing. I'm not going to fail uni by trying hard and putting everything in to it. By not falling behind and doing extra to get extra back.

I fear that dad will diminish further and linger in a bad place. Sometimes, I can't just enjoy him in the now because I worry about that. I am trying hard to be in the moment - new agey as that sounds - because that's where he is. I fear that I may sabotage my marriage out of boredom and mild annoyances. I plan on being more assertive about what I want in our life and being more open to giving him what he wants. I plan on being more loving and attentive. That's the plan - and also to stop thinking about Hottie Hoterson.

fear to be happy. mindfulness and gratefulness.

I fear I will not be able to have children. It limits my enjoyment of the present, always in the back of my mind. Being happy for other pregnant woman has been more difficult than I would like - their success has nothing to do with my own (I am thrilled when a fellow IF patient gets pregnant. Its woman who get pregnant on their own that I struggle with - especially when they are in their 40s). Truthfully I'm envious its easier for them. I am working to overcome my fear by trying to believe in some way, shape or form, I will be a Mom. I am continuing to go through IVF treatments, and when we have exhausted that avenue we will pursue ED and/or adoption. My hope, our hope, is that by this time next year I will be pregnant. Its a lot of pressure but one I gladly accept knowing there is a happy ending. Its just that the happy ending seems so so so far away.

I can be paralyzed by fear of reaching out to people, which sometimes manifests as fear of confrontation, or fear of rejection, or fear of just picking up the damn phone. I am trying to recognize when it's okay to let things go, and when I need to grow up and just do what I need to do.

same as always fear change fear new things I have made some new friends, gone on dates, and traveled, progress?

I have a fear of not knowing enough, showing how little I know and/or knowing the wrong things. It holds me back as I only speak up or out if I am fully comfortable or know that I can add value. I sometimes let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Over the next year, I am going to speak up and out- even if I don't have all the answers.

My fear is something will happen to my daughter that I cannot protect her from. This is not something I feel I can completely get over as a mom. However, I can learn to live with it and not to let it consume me or to let it prevent her from learning and growing.

Always – fear of failing. Which turns so easily into failing to act – I have lists though, and will work on following through and getting things done, at least.

sex I associate it with wild, passionate lust. I sometimes wonder if I've ever really experienced true love. Like I've developed a warped perspective of an ideal hetero relationship. I'm figuratively trying to rescue damsels or be coddled. compassionate, loyal, honest, caring, intelligent, sincere. these are some of the things i hope I can remember to expect and look for in a relationship

I'm afraid of failure and unworthiness. Even now. I am very afraid of disappointing people who have believed in me. I am also afraid of not trying but afraid that I'm following someone else's path just because it seems the next thing to do. I hope this is what I want. Or I hope I don't get it. I really hope G-d decides for me.

I have a fear of being in the spotlight. I become really self conscious and it stops me participating fully in work and social occasions. This is a old problem and to some extent I've overcome it in the past with learning how to present and training computer software products. However the issue is really how to be spontaneously confident enough to participate in a discussion. This is going to be really important as I move into a career in policy and change management. In the past I've used alcohol to get me through social occasions. I can't do that for work related events and meetings so I'm planning to find some strategies and start practicing.

Self sufficiency is weighing heavy. I see it as a deterrent to relocate, to venture onward outside the life that I have grown into. When I ask myself if I should stay or if I should go I come back to the question that haunts me. How will I support myself? I need to work on fully understanding my desire to leave the life I have now and to work toward a transitional move if that is what I truly want

I have no fears!!

Vulnerability. Not loving my boyfriend enough. Risks / the unknown / getting a new job. I will continue trying to be vulnerable with my boyfriend, and will keep applying to jobs.

The two biggest fears have already been realized.. Having a miscarriage and losing one of the cats. I've been through so much in my life, from ex husband coming out to severe physical and mental abuse, from my own suicide attempts to My husbands father going missing and being found dead - and every things that's followed since with his paranoud schizophrenic mother being reliant on us and never knowing if his dad's death was accidental or murder... From job loss and layoffs due to government contracts and life threatening health issues... I'm not sure what there is left to fear except perhaps death itself, and I don't know how you would let that go or overcome it - I think it just has to be met head on when it comes...

My fear that limits me the most is of uncertainty. It has been a regular cause of issues, stress, pain and disappointment in my life. Pushing for things to be a certain has prevented me from making changes in my life, accepting situations that weren’t ideal or even satisfying and it’s also caused problems in my relationships. I’ve been working on acceptance in all areas and reminding myself of the true costs of choices (often nothing) but in the coming year I want to put that into action, making some bold choices in my life and taking some risks without sorting out the safety net first.

My greatest fear right now is that I will not be able to provide for my two sons. I am recently divorced and working my way up to taking care of 100% of their needs when I have them (50%). I will be able to let go as I build confidence through consistently providing for them and getting out in front of any issues before they arise.

One fear that has limited me is failing. It is my biggest fear and I feel like that fear has set me back. I am scared to take some chances because the thought of failing has scared me to death. I know I will not be able to grow as a person unless I take chances, and unfortunately I may fail and that is just a part of life.

I have a fear of failing and sometimes I don't try new things because I don't want to fail. I would love to learn to play guitar or take up a new hobby that brings me out of my comfort zone. (My 50th year helped me overcome some of my fears ...ziplining, traveling alone-or without marc, etc) so I am working on this and hope to keep seeing failure as not a bad thing but something that can help me grow.

It's not exactly a fear but I have more recently been suffering from anxiety. It mostly happens when I'm in bed late at night and I'm trying to sleep. It feels like I can't breathe which I know is irrational but it still happens. I think it's most subconsciously stress about money and life. I think it also has something to with being overweight. I've started to combat this with exercising regularly at the gym and starting to eat better. I am also planning to do some yoga and meditation to try and relax a little more. I don't seem to be able to switch off at all. Hopefully all these things can help combat my anxiety.

Letting go of things I cannot change. I must learn to accept things the way they are or move on.

I am afraid of never accomplishing my weight goals. I had such high hopes for last year. After having lost 43 pounds I gained it all back and more. I am so sick of living like this. I have toyed with the idea of accepting myself as I am but it feels more like resignation than freedom. I totally get how freeing it would be to really accept myself. I just don't see that happening and given my track record it is hard to imagine I conquer the food thing either. I felt so proud of myself having given up sugar, dairy and gluten. I felt so strong and powerful. I want to feel like that again!!!!!

I'm afraid of trusting people enough to rely on them. It's limited me by keeping me from getting to close to people. Seems like something a lot of people may experience.... I trust people enough to open up emotionally but I don't expect them to be there for me. I expect I'll need to give me than I receive, so I don't get too close because it doesn't seem worth the investment to rely on someone. What am I planning to do? Right now no plans yet.... Just noticing that's where I am right now.

I have a fear of failure, and being bad at things that often causes me to just freeze up and not do things as I worry that I will just confirm what I think about myself. I turned down a job interview earlier this year as I felt that I couldn't possibly do well at a coding test. I've found, however, that if I just sit down and *do* things then they come to me, and that generally I do much better than I thought I would. Right now, I'm stuck in an insecure dead end job (though possibly not for much longer due to redundancies coming up), and I'm going to make myself code the things I always wanted to, and turn my life around.

I am angry because I am surrounded by stupid people. This is a recent example. At our monthly safety meeting the superintendent gets up and makes an announcement, " to celebrate over 500 days accident free we are hosting a BBQ on the 23rd of sept. are there any meat eaters? Okay are there any other issues ? I say yes it's Yom Kippur , he says yum sounds yummy.... My foreman laughed so hard he cried. I am trying to be patient but I feel like I get no respect.

I am afraid of leaving the financial security of my present job/career. Even though I know it is unhealthy, lacks challenge and consumes too much of my life for no physical return except money. My work does nothing to further the betterment of the world we live in. It provides entertainment and facilitates advertising. Even so, I am still grateful to have it and the lifestyle it affords me. When I truly think about leaving my present career, I get a small pit in my stomach which I have identified as a fear of financial regression. I am afraid of making less and feeling restricted financially. I am afraid of having to give up my home and downsize. I am afraid of struggling to pay my bills. Afraid. Not terrified. Not overwhelmed. Cautious. Mindful. Skittish. Curious. I combat this by reminding myself to remain open to the opportunities that will present themselves to me as possible career alternatives. I also remind myself that I can always make more. And I remind myself that I don't need tons of money to be happy, healthy or wealthy. I am going to continue on that path.

I am afraid that my life will be over and I will feel that I have not accomplished anything. It seems like there is a lot I would like to do, and have not had the opportunity. I always thought I would write. I have wanted to do something significant. I know that I should try to set some time aside and really make goals for myself, but that thought has been fleeting and I have not pursued it.

My anxiety is getting better each year but it still holds me back, especially when it comes to relationships. I'm positive about it though; next year I will be better than this past year which was better than the year before.

I am scared of heights. It has stopped me from skiing. I don't plan on overcoming it. And this doesn't come up very often, but when in a relationship, I feel suffocated far too early. Not actually planning on doing anything about that, either.

Loosing my husband. Kept me at a job I hated longer than I should have for fear that any financial stress would stress him too much.

i fear hurting people psychologically/emotionally. it makes me avoid engaging in amorous relationships, approaching people, going deeper into relationships. to overcome, i plan to continue trying to be as honest as possible, promise as little as possible, and convince myself that many of the things that happen are not my fault.

Sometimes I feel anxious about my dad and his memory loss. A way to overcome it would be to research the subject more, and to just admit to the problem. Right now I just hate talking about it or even thinking about it, but it would be a good idea to learn more about Alzheimer´s disease and ways to manage it.

Today I Have no overriding fears in anything for myself. My only fear is for the wellbeing of my wife, children and others

I'm not sure I really know the answer to this question...but I think about it a lot. I'm sabotaged by fear: fear of failure, fear that what I want isn't possible (re: men), but mostly fear that I'm just not good enough. I think again and again that I'm not good enough to succeed.... And the fear paralyzes me. Then I end up succumbing to inertia, just lying there, unable to dive in because I feel I'm just not good enough so why bother trying. Is this a feature of depression? I don't know. But it freezes me.

I'm afraid of failing. I'm getting better at pushing past that and I hope by telling others my plans and dreams that I'll continue to push on to succeed in spite of the fear.

I am afraid of losing people. I am afraid that I will cause that loss. Sometimes I can feel myself pushing, as if I need to know where the line is, just how much I can be myself before it's not enough anymore, how much distance will be too much to overcome, how selfish I can be before you give up. I am afraid that I will always do this. That I will never feel relaxed in a relationship with another human, that I will always feel like I am waiting for you to decide that I am not right anymore, that there is something wrong, that I'm not doing enough of the work, that it is too hard to be my friend.

I always have a fear of getting fat. A fear that my body will change and I will have to live in a body that I don't like. I also have a fear of getting cancer.

I fear becoming irrelevant, a waste of space. I fear that I am no longer necessary at my job or in my own family. My purpose has been served, is what I fear. I plan to develop my skill at therapy, and to grow outpatient services in our agency. I'm intrigued by the idea of Canine Adventures, even though I'm risk averse, myself. We might move. That will give us something to do.

I fear many things. Other drivers. The driver who is driving me if am the passenger. My gay sons safety on public transit. The inability to cover my costs. Not having enough to retire. Not being loveable. Failing at another relationship. My adored son not finding happiness. My sister never coming to understand or find any compassion for me. Never being able to get over the wretched loss of my beloved dog, who was taken from me by a man I thought I knew but didn't. I don't know how i will get over any of these things, as I am in the worst place I've been in recent memory. And I have been in a lot of bad places.

This past year I watched my Grandmother slowly dying in a Nursing Home. She had her children and grandchildren with her. I am afraid of this being me in 20 or thirty years, except I would be alone. I am not afraid of death, just of dying slowly cared for by strangers.

Everything frightens me. I've literally been fearful all my life. The only solution, and it's a limited one, is deliberate apathy.

I have the feae of failure and rejection.

I fear that I am not relatable to the students I teach. I am hoping that by being myself and learning to be more open to their background we will find some common things and grow from there.

Fear of not finding a job that pays as well and has as much personal and professional satisfaction. I, like many other young professionals with kids, am "stuck in paradise." The cost of housing here is outrageous! (like $1M for a fixer-upper, or $2,300 for a tiny, old 2b/1b rental apartment). Public education is dismal through our Statewide school system, nearly necessitating that parents who care about their children's education shell out $20,000+ per year for private school tuition. Traffic is horrible. The rest is pretty much idyllic, but I know I can't really afford to live here. So, I know I need to move to a different state. But it's hard to get a job somewhere else from over 2,000 miles away, and thus I probably just need to pick a place and move. But....the fear of not finding a good job keeps me here.

I feel that a big stride that I have made in this past year has been in regards to my fear of inadequacy. Particularly, I have in the past looked to others for approval and their satisfaction of myself and my actions, and valued myself according to their observations. This year I felt that I have identified with this and continue to develop in this regard, because there are times that I still struggle with it. This will be accomplished by seeking out my value only from God; he knows my value and my identity unlike any other, and puts me in a position to succeed. However, this still holds me accountable to personal development, and to develop my relationship with him on a more intimate level.

My greatest fear is that something bad will happen to someone I love and I will be powerless to fix it. This makes me come off anxious to my loved ones and probably keeps them from being totally honest with me. So it gets in the way of our relationship. I have other fears of personal injury and this limits my activities. My kids are grown and on their own. However, I can probably focus on not expressing my fears to them. I'm sure they have a good idea of my fears as it is so I should not feel I have to continue to express any of them in the future. I hope to practice positive thinking and limit how much I worry about things. I hope my initial reactions will be based on positive thoughts and outlooks.

I am afraid of landing in my son's basement, an invalid unable to climb the stairs, a heavy burden to him and shroud of responsibility to his wife and my grandchildren. I do not know how to do this differently. So I will sit patiently with my self, perhaps willing to gentle my self with kindness.

That I'm never going to find anyone to share my life with. I'm trying to work on my self-esteem, to chip away at the voices that tell me I don't deserve love, that I'm fat and ugly and no one will ever want to be with me. I know in my heart that the power those voices have over me are the main obstructions to my happiness.

My husband's job is okay but the owners of the company make bad business decisions. This makes me wonder how long they will stay in business. I know that I have no control over their actions, so I try my best to let go of my fears.

i fear that i'm not enough. i plan on getting over it by keeping the light switch on and focusing on what works, the compliments I get, the love i have for myself and others, and the goodness in the world. let my default state to be Euphoria

Ive been afraid of being penniless and desuetude. I recently took a 50% pay cut in order to improve my quality of life but it makes me nervous that something will happen. So I continue to relax into my new life.

Job insecurity, too much uncertainty in the workplace, I'm terrified to loose my job, being the main provider the thought of loosing our house, my car that I love, health insurance etc. scares me. I work like crazy, crazy hours in order to keep a job that i am starting to hate, I am taking all the crap possible, feeling demoted and under appreciated. There is no light at the end of the tunnel It has limited my self esteem and enthusiasm towards everything, I know I am depressed I lost interest in general, I AM NOT HAPPY I need to snap out of it and keep my job hunt non stop. I don't handle rejections very well

I am afraid of sharing my emotions with other people. It's limited how well I connect with other people and my overall capacity to do anything. People find me to be impenetrable and icy when I'm usually being awkward because I don't know how to say things about myself. Also when I'm feeling really sad I don't know how to express that to my friends so that they can comfort me. I just push people away and keep them at a distance and then feel worse for longer. I don't know if I have a formal plan of attack. I'm aware it's a problem and I'm pushing myself to do certain things and just kind of diving into situations where I have to share head on. I will let it go gradually, by doing more things that I normally do alone-with other people (e.g., working out, meditation, etc.). It's just so fucking scary to me.

I fear antisemitism. It has increased and it's ugly head has continued to rear itself repeatedly across the world. I like many others haven't actively fought it hoping that it would pass, that some of it was free(albeit hateful) speech. At this point it has crept past speech into full on antisemitism and enough is enough. Recently the University of California regents had this actual issue in front of them. At first they were taking a soft approach. I wrote a letter and reached out to other alumni both Jewish and Gentile and asked for reasonable voices to speak up and be heard. I will continue this involvement and approach in the coming year.

I fear that I will do something wrong and that paralyzes me. I will remember that mistakes are worth making.

I'm scared of moving forward which often paralyses me. I have always blamed it on my procrastination but I actually think I am afraid that maybe others will not think I'm could enough, that it's all been a big con game. I plan to be more organized, structured so that things are crossed off my lists. I need to finish what I started and not let the fear get the better of me.

I fear my mobility and pain will limit me in my endeavors and volunteer work.

The biggest fear I have is love. And I know that I need to let it go in order to move to the next level with my boyfriend. You would never have heard me say that pre-divorce. That I'm scared of love. I once thought I had that part of life figured out! But now... the fear has been keeping me closed off, keeping me from experiencing love fully with a new person. A new person I've been dating a year (who is fucking amazing). I think that's natural, but...it's time. Time I shed it. Time I let him in. Time I let the past go. I'm ready.

Fear about public speaking has limited me to not going after some professional opportunities. I have scheduled myself to speak at events this year, and hope to join toastmasters in the near future

I'm afraid of being wrong or making a mistake. I'm learning, however, that limiting myself or not acting out of fear of being wrong or making a mistake is a mistake in itself and is the most wrong thing I can do. In the coming year, I plan to trust myself, my intuition, and the wisdom that I have gained to live in freedom from those fears.

I am very fearful I believe that civilization is being threatened by muslim extremists and the world is sitting idly by. ISIS and the rest of the extremists will not stop until they conquer the entire world. I feel powerless to do anything which causes me more fear.

I'm afraid that I will go another year without writing. I'm going to let that fear be my motivation and I'm going to set clear goals. 1. I'm going to finish organizing the house so it's my sanctuary again. 2. I'm going to create a place or two where I think I can sit and write. 3. I'm going to write at least 100 words a day or sit there and try for an hour, even if I don't feel like it. 4. I'm going to read more poetry and short fiction. 5. I'm going to re-read my top 3 favorite novels and dissect it for the things I admired about them. This is now on my bulletin board.

I am so afraid that I will become stuck in the job I'm in and, perhaps more importantly, that I'll never fully live up to my potential or even be able to recognize my potential. I'm fearful that the next move for me will turn everything to open or to closed. And because of those first fearful forces (being stuck in a job I don't like, in a city I don't like), I'll make the wrong choice and find myself in a more narrow funnel than I want.

I have an unnatural fear of spiders and large black ants. I have no plans whatsoever to let those fears go in the next year... or ever!!!

I'm afraid of making mistakes when I speak in Hebrew. I studied over the summer, and I plan to practice, practice, practice!

I fear that I will not regain my happiness and drive. I remain where I am and I am not making my own path. I am just getting by. I don't have a plan to change this.

I fear starting a new time in my life, changing my job, doing video every day instead of working in a chemical lab. How do I plan? By doing it. It will be best that the lab goes on in the hands of a younger persona. But I fear the new, fear people's judgment too.

I'm 38 and still not married. I'm afraid of growing old alone. That's why I think I'm keeping my present relationship even if it has come to a point that I feel we're not meant to be. I fear confrontations and breakups. But I know well that I'd have to fair, and discuss this with her soon. I want to solo-travel more, experience more, interact more.

It appears I live in fear most of the time. Fear of being hurt I suppose. I struggle when not listened to or told what to do. Plan? acting, breathing and acting. quiet, listen, breath, feel

Have always had a fear of failure, but now think it's more a self-destructive streak. It's a bad character flaw, more than a fear. Fears include: fear of heights; fear of close spaces (claustrophobia); fear of being trapped (similar to claustophobia but a bit different to me); and fear of abandonment. I'm afraid of elevators, too, but I don't think any of these have particularly limited me.

I have terrible anxiety over having anyone see that I am doing any of my paperwork (or school work, when I was in night school). It's so bad that I am down to my last few dollars because I haven't submitted my reimbursement forms. I have been trying to get it done, but I can only do small parts of it at a time, hoping that I can put all these small parts together more often.

fear and confrontation are my constant fears. It's a battle but I try to take note of how I react when these fears arise to try and understand how I deal with these situations. Self awareness helps, but I still need to learn to act and to be strong and not avoid situations.

I'm afraid I'm going to die soon. My health keeps getting worse and worse, and nothing I or the doctors do seems to help at all. I'm afraid I won't be here next year to look back at these answers. I don't know if I can let go of this fear or overcome it. Letting go of it seems to mean reconciling myself to dying and giving up. But overcoming it doesn't seem to be within my power.

My fear is always that I am wrong. That only becomes a problem when I am too vehement. I hope to move forward with the assurance that I will frequently be wrong and can live with that as long as I willingly accept the doubt.

I am very afraid that people will be mad at me or that I will do things to hurt or anger people in a way that they will want to end their relationships with me. As I look toward the coming year I hope to be more aware of boundaries that I can set to protect myself and to be more sure of the decisions I am making that I feel are best for me. If other people choose to react to them by cutting me off or out, that is their choice. I must make choices that feel right to me. I also want to find more strategies for constructively dealing with conflict rather than avoiding it, ignoring it, or acquiescing to others' demands or prioritizing what makes other people feel comfortable over my own comfort and security. In the end, I want to be close to people, but not at the expense of my own sense of what is right and wrong, or what is good for me.

I am afraid of regret and afraid that I am unloveable. And it is causing me to do regretful things, and worse, to do and be nothing in particular, to be lost, which is very hard to love. This is why I cling to old loves, because each one validates that I am loveable and to let go fully is to have the confidence that someone else will see my faults and love me anyway. This is why I won't leave my job but also won't let go of the various professional and personal identities I've half had, of being a writer or a therapist or a foodie. I fear I'll realize too late I could have stayed and made it. Or that if I drop an identity I lose something that is interesting that is a reason people love me. This is why I won't let go of my anger at mom, my eating disorder, the losses and injustices in my life. These make me interesting they justify my sadness and emptiness and the fact that I'm lost. I have to decide who do I want to be? And then let the identities and people that don't jive any more slough off of me.

I have a variety of fears. Most of the time they surface when I am trying to get to sleep. Sometimes I will fear that something horrible will happen when we go driving somewhere. Or I will be unable to cope with making dinner for visitors. Once I have a bad thought in my head I have to calm myself and repeatedly delete the fear and remind myself that these are unfounded fears and if something bad does happen I will be able to deal with it at that time and not now while I am getting to sleep.

I have a fear of being judged by others as not good enough, not smart enough, and not having good enough recovery. It has limited me by making me focus on the folks that I think are judging me and being critical of them. I plan to let go of it by praying and by writing a daily gratitude list about myself. Thank you.

Fear of the unknown and fear of change have been holding me back. I like clear answers, and not having one makes me skeptical and I sometimes shut down instead of being willing to try and understand. When I am in a new situation I get nervous and I am not always my best self. I want to change this my telling myself that everything will be fine, in addition to relying on others that I do know to walk on that path with me and we will discover new things together. I also dislike change and I always get nervous when there is something new that will be happening. Change is a natural process although the results may be unknown and the journey might be rough, I plan on combating this fear and jumping into change with an open mind and open heart, ready for whatever is to come!

Ultimately, my fear has always been that I won't "make it." It's a typically Jewish fear; even the British Jewish runner in CHARIOTS OF FIRE considers his performance as a sprinter to be the justification for his existence. I'm sure my Jewish mother probably has something to do with it, as does her Jewish mother, but I'm also sure there's a lot more to it than that. My intense desire to be a writer is debilitating and uplifting at the same time. It imbues everything I do with significance, because my life is lived in the service of my art (such as it is); and yet the ambition and the fear of failing to achieve it rob life of its intrinsic significance, of just enjoying life for the sake of enjoyment instead of for the sake of writing about it and achieving literary greatness - or at least a middle-class income. At the moment my "master plan" to overcome the fear is to separate my writing from my identity. I want writing to be something I do, not what I am. Teaching is also something I do, as is parenting, as is - with fair regularity at the moment - crocheting. We'll see how that goes.

I'm afraid of the excess of possibilities. It makes me anxious. Thinking about the possibility of eternal life is so comforting to some, but terrifying to me. The thought that I am capable of doing absolutely anything I want after graduating is inspiring yet so daunting. I definitely try new things often, but I know that I could challenge myself to explore new and different possibilities everyday.

I have been afraid to love fully - to feel the vulnerability and pleasure of opening up to someone, regardless of outcome. I have been challenging myself to feel it, fully and for a particular person, express it in a way that fits the situation in how we know each other. So no chincey, skimpy love - full feeling and impeccable expression is what I am practicing. On the eve of a trip that might change things, or might not, I am holding myself to that luxurious feeling of love with my feet on the ground beneath me.

Fear of no one loving me. It's crushed my self confidence. It's made me feel unworthy of my own accomplishments. This is constant struggle. My kids keep me going because I'm their hero. I am working to surround myself with positive people.

My fear is that I won't have someone by my side in the long run. I want a partner that is in love with me as much as I'm in love with them. Someone to do life with that gets me, understands me, and thinks I'm the best. I'm scared that I won't let the right person in or that I won't be good enough and they'll leave. That limits me to meeting and sharing time with the wrong people and not sharing enough with the right people.

My fear is failing as a lawyer in my current career path. It is subject to lots of politics, challenges, inherited dynamics, and insecurities - especially as my more senior partners retire, leave and/or get fired by long standing clients... That said, I have actively made significant effort towards understanding this fear of economic failure (stemming from my Father's choices and my youth), and working towards instilling in myself a visceral understanding that life is change, and that economic instability is just another potential change, and that even if this version of my career doesn't work, it's not the end of the world and I will do something else :)

The fear of financial failure has caused me to delay furthering my education and moving to another state. I plan on seeing the big picture that current financial restrictions will lead to long-term gains.

I fear I will not be able to provide for my family. I work hard to do what I can to make sure this never happens, even if it means missing time with my family.

I fear only one thing- opinions. What people have to say about me. Many times it prevents me from stating my own strong beliefs. The will not to offend or hurt sentiments also stops me from being myself. This I think is a result of my hidden wish to be liked by everyone. When I realize truly that it doesn't matter what others have to tell about me, I can let go of this fear. I have come a long way towards achieving this feat but also a long way from what I have to achieve/develop.

Perhaps, a fear of living without coffee? I am on on Day 4 of living without it. I would like to live without it forever.

I have a fear of losing control. It's ingrained deeply and it's hard to change. Even my kids have said to me, "Mom, you need to go with the flow more." I have been trying as much as I can, but I find it happening in a lot of situations. So I need to try to just go where things take me more in the coming year. Be spontaneous!

Challenging questions: What is my biggest fear? How has it limited me? I'm not sure if it is actually a fear, or more accurately an anxiety / discomfort: I find that I am often worried about not being "enough" (e.g., smart enough, good enough, helpful enough, present enough, accomplished enough). These feelings of inadequacy have likely been quite helpful to me in many ways -- they impel me to work hard, to be persistent in my pursuits, to invest myself. Yet, in being honest with myself, these feelings have also been a severe impediment to liking myself, being kind and gentle with myself, to allowing myself to relax and enjoy life as much as I might deserve.

My fear is that I'll lose sight of my hopes and plans and independence if I absorb myself in someone else or in the search for him. In the pretend nonchalance of what I actually so desperately want and try to convince myself and everyone else I don't. Overcoming it? I need to pay more attention to it and let it hold me back more than I have. I fear I'll ignore it and lose a major part of myself. I don't want to overcome it. I want pay close attention to it and have it guide me and protect me. In this instance I need to be more rather than less fearful.

im afraid to take risks. It has greatly limited me because I strive to have an important and meaningful life but have nothing to show for it. I plan on doing things that are out of my comfort zone, or taking risks and accepting failure as a plausible option.

My fear is moving in my body... i am afraid to go kayaking or canoeing, roller skating, even hiking on rocks where balance is necessary. I feel disengaged from my body, aged and fear losing my balance and falling, and becoming embarrassed. I also fear that my endurance will be less than others I am with, and that has limited me as well. I know that someday I will overcome this.

I fear rejection. I fear ridicule. I fear not being perfect. I plan on putting my writing out into the world and letting it fly. No one is perfect, everyone gets rejected and who cares if I'm ridiculous.

I'm afraid that I won't learn how to relax and enjoy life. I'm afraid that I will not resist being constantly busy. I'm going to work at playing more and making an effort to relax.

Growing old without a discernible purpose. I have enjoyed life a lot over the first 70 years and genetically may have 30 to go. I continue to work doing teaching because it is fun, fulfilling, and it tells me what to do in the morning ... which at this stage I still need. Like so many men, who I am is still irrevocably tied to what I do. And I see way too many guys who just quit with no plan and they do not thrive nor last very long. But what next? Still very happily married, living in a realistic version of a dream house 12 minutes from the beach with the scent of salt water daily in the air, I wonder about the next act. I was going to write the great American novel, maybe some poems, find some great scheme to bring added wealth to my family I leave behind, but what? Right now I am caregiving 24/7 when not working, but when my wife is back on her feet, what then? I need to block out some quiet time to think this through. Days are beginning to get shorter, and the older I get, the more melancholy a season fall becomes. It is beautiful here, where the palms and live oaks keep their leaves and the marsh grass turns a deep golden hue ... but it means the chill of winter, yet another one, is ahead. I need contemplation time this year to decide - what next? I need to choose, not let life occur to me. WOW Last year's response centered on regaining my health, which is still a concern and not moved very well ahead. Can my injured wife and I heal together and head back to fitness together?

I am terrified of not being able to provide for my family, and it seems like I am slowly slipping backwards despite my efforts. I am also afraid my daughter will never develop to the point of having a full life. I don't see a way around these fears.

The one uppermost on my mind right now is the fear of not acting well and quickly toward the man I love. It has limited me in the past by creating a tight, horrid cycle of feeling constantly behind, inadequate, lesser, etc. (It's admittedly linked to other fears and insecurities.) I plan on letting it go by practicing patience. Patience with whatever I am feeling and patience with my constant impulse to act, act, act now!

Losing someone else. I will live fully and love wholly.

My fear has always been that things won't be perfect! I've always felt that perfection was REQUIRED of me, even though no one has ever said that! So a lot of things I just don't do, because I'm afraid of the outcome! Even good things. I have enough $ saved to replace the fence along one side of my property, but haven't even gotten quotes yet. I've made vacation plans for a trip to Flagstaff starting this week, and I'm going to try to relax and not insist on perfection!

Fear of: failure, not being good enough, being alone. Do it anyway. Fail. Try, even if I'm not good enough -- and get good enough. Be alone. And count my blessings doing it.

I fear that I do not know my place, that without a partner to rely on or children to hide behind that I struggle to feel enough as I am. I hope to find my "enough" and live it!

I have a fear in trusting myself. It's limited me in being able to date because I never know whether I can trust my judgement. It's also limited me in making other long-term decisions. I think that the best I can do is be very self-reflective and strive to learn more about how to be a better person. Then I'll have the self-confidence to be able to trust myself to make some of those decisions.

I fear being considered an intellectual lightweight. It keeps me from discussing issues that I feel are important in changing the world. I don't have a plan, but will try to just dive in.

I have a fear of disappointing people. Bosses, in particular, authority figures. I don't have a plan for overcoming it, but I need one so I have something to balance out my life. Fear of disappointing people, determination not to, will kill me otherwise.

I realize that while I am working, I am often working in fear. Fear that something is going to go wrong with the project, fear that a client is annoyed at me for not having responded or fear that if I don't book something right away, availability will disappear or fear that if we haven't booked the hotels, that by the time we go to book them, there won't be any good ones left. The thing I realize is that NO client has ever gotten angry at me for any of these things. Just the opposite mostly. It has never happened that there have been NO hotels left -- and I should edit that to say no great hotels left, because there's always something fantastic. Sometimes they ping me to say "hey how's it going?" But nothing beyond that - I've never had anyone call to yell at me. So this state of anxiety and fear seems completely unnecessary. I'm doing what I love, a job designed by me. My dream job, and I get to do it all day, and I make a living from it. And, I get told on a regular basis that I'm really good at it. So why is it necessary for me to work in this state of fear and anxiety? The answer is that it's not. Every now and again, when I hang up the phone from a great client debrief (trip is over, everything went awesome, no chance for anything to go wrong because they are home!) I take a breath and appreciate what I've accomplished. In those brief moments, I am able to step back a moment and really appreciate what I have given to that client, which in their words much of the time is beyond anything money can buy. In those moments I see that I have nothing to fear. I have a lot of gratitude for the place I'm in, I just need to live in that space more often.

I am afraid of not being able to take care of myself and having no one else to care for me when I am no longer capable. I am exploring support available in my area, taking the best care of myself I can manage, and trying to look a bit further ahead and be planful, but limited resources and no money and chronic illness do not make a pretty picture.

I have always been afraid of asking my friends for favors or things in general. Whether it be asking a close friend for a ride home or asking someone who I'd like to get to know better to hang out, I always get butterflies. Even though sometimes people say no, it doesn't mean that I shouldn't keep trying to push myself to make friends or ask for help. I want to finish my senior year with no regrets about not having spent more time with people who made me smile.

I fear hurting people I care about. I therefore do not try to change into what I am currently not, except to passive-aggressively withdraw in the hope those who care for me will stop doing so. I fear losing my comfort. Therefore, I do not take risks that may lead to growth.

It may sound lame but one of my biggest fears is throwing up (which contributes to my anxiety). The throwing up fear stretches as far as me puking, someone else piling, hearing it, seeing it live and on television. It's terrible. I don't know why it happens but it does. This fear increases My anxiety about social situations thus making me really nervous when Derek and I go out to a friends house or dinner because I'm worried if he drinks then he will get sick. It gets to the point where my stomach becomes so upset and my body will shake uncontrollably. I also don't like to go out whether to a club or bar because if its not Derek who will drink too much someone else will and it will make me have a miserable time (yes it's happened before). I know it's not the most common thing to happen but it's an anxiety and fear that lives in my head and I can't get it out. I'm not sure the best way to overcome it - maybe seek professional help? I tried that for a few things and it worked for other problems but not for the throwing up fear. I could also try going out in more social situations and see if I gradually become more comfortable with the idea. A third option is trying to take something for the anxiety. Perhaps if I find something (a prescription probably) that works that will help me be less anxious and therefore less fearful of throwing up. Honestly, this is a hard one and idk how to fix it. Wish me luck!!

I fear the judgement of others. It kept me from coming out as Asexual, it stopped me from joining clubs I would have enjoyed. It has limited me in many ways. I'm hoping the fact that I'm in a new place with all new people who have no preconceived notions about me will help me let it go this year.

Probably my biggest fear is not being good enough. I fight my own self doubt every day. That's what drives me, but it also destroys me. I have to find some balance, so I don't implode.

Oh, I have so many fears. One fear is that I'll be too risk averse in my life that I won't have as much fun as I could have, or be as free and relaxed and enjoy things as much as I could have. I do think that the meditation is helping me to step outside of my brain a bit, so maybe it would be good to continue that at some level.

My only real fear is of death (a little bit of a fear) and of being a bag lady. I don't know how to "let it go" -- I have studied death and dying, I have studied how to live a full life, I have worked and worked to make a little money, but not near enough to survive on should I not be able to continue to work, and so on and on. I have a fear that my children will not be able to support themselves. And that I don't have enough resources to support them and me. That makes me very sad. My plan is to see a family atty and get a Family Trust in order. soon.

I have a fear of not being able to use my hands to fix and make things. It's limited me because a lot of the time I don't even try. I want to get better at trying and learning to be more perseverant in the face of adversity. I don't know if I can overcome this but trying to be more patient, optimistic, trying new things, and doing more research to look for resources before giving up could be a good idea.

I am afraid of people seeing me as boring or unintelligent. I am afraid to speak my truth, particularly in a group of people or with people I am not yet comfortable around. I will often turn down invitations to events and parties because I fret over who will be there, how will I look and act, what will I say, will I fit in - all the things related to social anxiety. I want to have freedom in what I do, where I go, and the fun I have. I want to care much less about what other people think, because I am grounded in myself and full of joy. I want to come out of myself so that I can reach out to others and get to know them, while also showing them who I am. Balance. Not all about me; not all about them. I will say Yes to invitations - not all, but at least some. Even ones that will put me in a room with a bunch of queers. I am sure there are reasons why this group of people feel more challenging to face than others - most likely it has to do with feeling confident in my identity as a dateable man. Why am I doubting, when more than a handful of people are seeing me on the regular? The purpose of going out is to have fun. I can bring an open heart to a new experience, with a fun spirit about what may happen. Everything will be okay. The worst that could happen is that I act awkward and odd, and then I don't have to see those people ever again. This fear is a big one for me. And I know I can let it go. I am strong and capable.

I fear that my marriage is flawed and that we will devolve into conflict. I fear that I will be left alone and adrift out here. I fear that this relationship will end as my last couple have - in the disappointment of my partner. And I fear that I will never overcome this pattern. I plan to listen and to stay in touch with my sensitivity to my wife's needs. I plan to be mindful, so I can decide when and how much to give as well as receive.

Fear of not being good enough. Causes me to be anti-social and also self-exclude. It keeps me isolated. I don't know how to overcome it. I have anxiety about so many things and always feel inadequate. Maybe with age I'll learn to let it go more.

While not necessarily a fear, I still want badly to overcome the feelings of "FOMO" and social anxiety that too often pervade my mind. While I have come a long way in terms of mindfulness and gratitude, there are still many times when that gratitude feels empty, and when I do not truly believe it. I want to be happier with where I am and what I am doing, even in the most mundane of times. I think that following the advice discussed previously, about acknowledging the humanity and complexity of those around me, will allow me to be kinder to myself in a more productive way. I want so badly to be able to be kind to myself and more easily content. I want to actually take the alone time I often talk about and to fully appreciate and enjoy it. I don't know how to do that exactly. But I want to turn off my phone more, look around more, and be an observer rather than a thinker. I want to rededicate myself to casual pursuits -- reading, writing, film and TV -- that make me happy. These are all steps I can take to be kinder to myself to be more content with how truly wonderful and lucky my life is at the moment.

I definitely have a fear of not just failure on a large scale, but on a micro scale - I'm always thinking about how if I go for a run, I won't have time to do laundry and then I won't have clothes for the beach party this weekend and so on. In fact, I'm more willing to take a large calculated risk than a tiny risk (the run, in this example). I need to let go of this fear of not crossing off everything from my to do list every day, and I think I just need to go for it and stop assuming the worst.

I have a fear of really showing myself and sharing what I know are my truths. I plan on sharing all with the universe and will look for the universe to guide me as I actively share what I have learned here with others. working with Kymberlee since I started these questions have already really shown me a lot

I fear not living up to both outside and my own internal expectations. I'm not even quite sure what I think those expectations are but sometimes I feel paralyzed in feeling like I'm not achieving what I'm supposed to in life. I hope to find a way to put less undefined expectation on myself, to be more open to unexpected possibilities, and more content with myself.

I've let go of SO many fear in the last year. Let myself fall in love, let myself change my future plans, settling down. I fear my visa not getting through - and I'm going to overcome that by trying to get as much evidence as possible together so that doesn't happen!!

I have a lot of fears, many I do not expect to get over. Im afraid of heights but I am not interested in overcoming it. I am interested in learning how to compensate, how to work through my limitations and find ways to push forward.

Always always the doubting of the self. It's made me unnecessarily timid, it's slowed down processes that were true and necessary for me. It's made me sad and you know how that goes. Part of getting over it is feeling more competent. As I feel more competent I feel more confident in raising my hand and asking for help because I know I have something to offer as well. This year has been a zero to 1 year. Now it's about iterating. Getting better at my job, being my truest self in personal relationships and following my instinct--which is easier when I have more of a track record to trust it on. I feel that I've made good decisions for myself in the past year and now I know how that feels. I also have more confidence because of that, which means asking for help or guidance is easier. and so I shall. Also, whenever I am having bad feelings, I'll contact my therapist for a little joosh. Who doesn't need a life coach to better themselves in meaningful ways, efficiently?? :) Happy New Year. Be the best sister, Aunt, daughter, girlfriend, friend, lover, mentor, team mate, colleague, and mentee that you can be.

I'm afraid of not having any money to spend. I get an absurd amount of gratification buying things, when I should be investing in my eternal future. I hope to learn to live with less in 2016.

Gosh - fear of everything and nothing! I've moved countries a few times, so I'm not afraid of starting over, but I am scared of not having anyone around me to laugh with and love.

I fear being jobless again. Consequently, I feel like I've made limiting decisions around getting back to work, and the work I'm doing isn't exactly my favourite sort of work. That said, I need to get serious about my education and get up to speed on things, because without those skills, I'm dead in the water.

Right now by biggest fear is that I will fail. That I will disappoint Rene, Sister Schools, and Beth Or. I am afraid that I've sold everyone a big bill of goods and ultimately that I am a fake and everyone will find out. In addition, that I will kill myself trying to avoid that from happening and end up being a failure and having no friends, no family and weighing 350+ pounds. A lonely, fat, desolate failure. Wow, that is kinda intense that there is a part of me that actually really does believe that what I described IS a possibility. I can't even describe the numerous ways that this thinking and the work I do to avoid this potential has limited my life. Just in writing it down I realize that much of my issues of being paralyzed on what to do next is b/c I am afraid that my "choose my own adventure into hell" is just the next choice away. I am not sure in a year that I am going to be able to "let it go" or "overcome" it...but I can tell you that acknowledging right now is a HUGE step. Wow. My goal; therefore, is when I feel that fear or that sense of paralyzing uncertainty, to remind myself of this epiphany. Not sure what to replace it with (yet) but I pray that answer may come this year.

I have so many things that I fear and at the same time there is nothing I fear. When I inspect that which is hindering me I always find that it is not at all real except the fear that I will not meet my obligations because I over-commit. That is of my own creating and I am working to be more realistic about what I can accomplish in a given period of time.

Fuck! I didn't save my answer. Now I have to talk about it again. What I wrote was about my hesitating to bring people into my home. I fear that if I allow people in my home they will like me more and that is scary. They will see more of who I am and they will like it. So I was thinking of adopting hospitality as my background middah for the next year. I would still hang onto gratitude, Because I don't want to let it go. Everything goes better with gratitude you know.

That I'm not good enough and not capable to become more that I already am, especially professionally. This tend to justify my feeling of being comfortable at work when I want to be doing more, exploring more ideas and connecting with more people. I plan to stretch myself one step at a time. I am already doing a steady side hustle this year with two clients and I know I can organize myself to have a hustle on my own. I just need to keep adding to the steps that I'm doing and watch them come together over time. The key is to keep myself accountable by talking it through with Rahul, my close friends and work colleagues. I will make it a mission to take stock of where I am every 3 months to make this happen.

I have a major fear surrounding not finding/keeping a romantic partner. I can tend to panic or catastrophise. When I was single, I felt like I would never meet someone. Now that I have a boyfriend, every time we have a fight I fear that it can't work and we'll break up and I'll be faced with my fear of being alone and never having a partner or have a family. I wish I could relax around this and know that I will be okay, whatever happens, and that it's okay to be alone and it's okay to fight with a partner.

My fear is that I'm unloveable. It's been limiting me all of my life. I plan on working on it through a number of different approaches. Chanting, therapy, continuing on the Quest and any other method that comes up.

Honestly the fear of success has been pretty daunting this year. The worry that I will wear myself out and not be able to care for those I love, or that I will fail to be me if I start working towards the things I want. Im not sure yet how to let that go. Im not sure that it wont just happen organically that I will stop self sabotage and figure out how to move forward but I will try to be motivating and teach myself how to accomplish again. This year has been letting the fear of sickness and despair overwhelm me Im hoping that I can internally and externally (through journaling and health) accomplish health and well being.

I have always feared that I'm not good enough. I think that fear has probably prevented me from finishing my doctorate, applying for new jobs, and holding my friends/family/husband accountable in our relationships. I'm about to start going to therapy again and I think it will help me work on this.

Interestingly enough, I was scared of 10q this year. When the reminder e-mail came in, I shut down. It's not the questions that are hard; it's the fear of what comes next. Hospital season for my family begins shortly after I answer these questions. Months of hard struggle visiting hospitals, finding care for our daughter, going to work, and a sick husband. My only thought on how to overcome it is to stay hopeful that this year it won't happen.

I have a terrible fear of needles that has made getting regular health check ups difficult. I hope to do better and get more thorough screenings going forward.

My fear is that I'll end up alone. And that people forget me. I fear that I am not good enough. My plan to overcome these fears is to think more positive and work for a healthy me.

Fear of losing control of my time. It keeps me isolated and in situations where I am self destructive. I will find a community and let attachments form.

My biggest fear which is maybe the only thing that has been limiting me is fear of my parents. I cannot express my feelings to them, I am unable to do things I want that they do not approve. I am unable to live my life just because of this fear of my parents and my codependancy. I have overcome it and hopefully will do even more this coming year, I need to set myself free to live the life that I want.

I'm afraid that our finances will never improve. We're both college-educated, hard-working people, and yet we haven't both been able to work full-time in the four years we've been together. I'm starting to think that we're just going to slip further and further into poverty, forever. I'm trying to hold onto hope but I don't know how to let it go, or overcome this.

Still fearful about health but this is the first year I am not so focused on it. I see there are possibilities. Going ton stretch and make a commitment to do some mission work

I actually haven't been thinking about fear much. I try to live in a fearless mindset. No fear!

I'm so afraid of failure, of making mistakes, of becoming a "bad person". It prevents me both from doing ambitious things and from enjoying the things I do manage to try. I'm working with a therapist to learn to let go, to see the uselessness of this fear.

Financial ruin! Oh, how I have fretted about it. And I am beginning to accept two things: 1. There will always be something. (Though hopefully "something" won't always be as financially devastating as the past four years!) 2. So long as we are responsible about our expenses, things will get better. Whether I worry about it or not. Our financial picture will begin to look up next year; it is my hope to start seriously saving for a house within the next two years. With any luck, my credit will be under control in that time, as well.

Fear of confrontation and dispaproval. Fear of failing and fear of new things and not really knowing what to do, fear of (some kind of) ridicule. Working on how to not procrastinate, self esteem. Finding someone who can help me with that (therapy, coaching etc). And sometimes just doing "scary" things, because in general people are kind and not as judgemental as I fear. Otherwise I'll learn to deal with reaction, it's good to practice!

I'm afraid of feeling lonely. It's limited me in my ability to connect with others- if I don't connect, I can't feel lonely once someone leaves me. As I enter a new experience and new phase in my life, I want to allow myself to experience things and people as they come, and keep myself open for new connections.

I'm constantly afraid of failing as a partner. My husband deserves better than what I often have the energy or strength to give him. It creates stress and anger in our marriage that just doesn't need to be there. I need to better organize my time and hire a housekeeper! (This also pairs well with my learning to forgive myself and to be gentler with myself in the coming year.)

goodness... i try not to be too afraid. i am taking a big leap in my new job and taking a chance on me... i am excited and i am hoping that it is awesome. i am not 100% sure if there is a fear but i suppose that is what it is about leaving my steady partner. while i am thinking that things will pass or get better or that they will only improve with time. I am not sure i am right. so maybe less of a fear but more of a comfort that i will need to make decision about being uncomfortable.

Fear that I'm not capable enough not.good enough. I understand from studies that this is a basic belief people deal with so it can be overcome. I believe that as I choose to trust and believe God more and follow His ways that I will experience that deliverance I have already been given. I see that He has been.leading me.this.way so I will succeed. He didn't lead me here to fail but to conquer and succeed.and.enjoy it!!!:):):):)

Seagulls. fucking seagulls. those things are the worst. I hope I get over those stupid birds. I like the beach besides those stupid things. I totally could have written about something serious but seagulls was the first thing that came to mind. How messed up is that?

I don't know that I had a big fear. Or even small ones. I know that I wasn't afraid, for the first time in my adult life, that the person I loved would leave me. But he did. And I'm alright. So there's that.

I still fear rejection, failure. I still need that external validation from readers, acceptance of my writing from an agent, a magazine, an audience, to reinforce that my writing is good, that I'm not wasting my time pursuing a career as a writer. Surely I could more reliably earn an income with my computer science degree, and with three kids in private school, it wouldn't be a bad idea. I need to prove I'm making the right choice, that I'm not costing my family undue stress by following my dream, regardless of how supportive everyone has been. Maybe it's because of the support that I don't want to let everyone down. I need to be bolder, push farther with my writing. I need to take risks, not worry about critics, and aim for the stars. I can't envy others' success if I don't do my part to earn mine. So I am continuing to send out my writing, to make this my job, to pursue any avenues I can think of.

I fear a lot. I just fear in general. I have a lot of anxiety over the what-ifs and I tend to catastrophize everything. I fear sickness and car accidents and losing my friends and divorce...even though I have absolutely no reason to think these things will happen to me anytime soon, if ever. When other people share their stories of struggling through adversity, rather than feeling inspired and hopeful that I could survive anything, I find myself in terror, feeling that I could never survive. That somehow that survivor has something fundamental in their spirit that I lack. That when faced with a true tragedy I would simply shut down. It limits me because sometimes it prevents me from taking risks, sometimes I try to talk others out of taking risks, and overall I think I can't fully appreciate all the wonder and joy in my life because I'm constantly worrying about something that might never happen. This coming year I hope to be able to refocus myself whenever I feel myself going down that road. Instead of thinking "I'm so frightened that M will be hit by a car running in the morning, I wish he would stay here" I will try to check myself and instead feel grateful that M and I love running and have our health and the luxury of time to engage in an activity that makes us happier and healthier. Instead of fearing that I might lose those I love, I will try to focus on how lucky I am to have my husband and my family and friends in my life, and just focus on a happy moment with them. Someday something bad might happen, and I'd rather not waste the good times worrying about it before I have to. I particularly don't want to miss out on watching my son grow and I don't want to teach him to fear.

That some thing will happen and the life i know now and love will change. " My prefect little life." I have lost sleep, worried about things I had and have not comtrol over. family:living life as it happens and relieazing worrying does not change the out come of things work: being very aware ( dotting my i's crosing my T's) Treating everyone patient''s peer's family member with respect and kindness. see Pat meditate 3 times a wk 5 minutes being one with the knowledge I have no control over certian outcomes. I will be OK which ever way things turn out. would be a new reality but I will go on.

Fear of not being enough. Fear of not having enough. Fear of not doing enough. Dancing in the desert at sunset. I am beautiful! I am strong! There is plenty for all, if we share it right. Recognize my privilege. Trust in the future. Make wise decisions. All you need is love. Dance often. Love wildly. Accept and flourish in the enormity of the world. You're only missing out if you stray from the present moment.

This is a good question. I fear doing online forms and dealing with administrative crapola like EI. It limits me in very directs ways in that it actually prevents me from moving forward in some ways. I procrastinate a lot and it prevents from doing other stuff because I say I should do certain things first but then the other things also don't get done. Also, it may be delaying my career in terms of completing job applications or organizing other things that may lead to better job prospects.

My fear is dropping a responsibility, which will then have a negative impact on my family. I have such a heavy sense of responsiblity that weighs heavy on my shoulders. This year I will extend my leap of faith mind-set to help my let go. Others would like to contribute more and I will let them. I will let go so that I trust more and worry less. Leap of faith!

I do fear that I will end up alone. That I'll never meet the right person. I don't think it's limiting me, but I think I need to shift the way I picture my future sometimes. That it's okay if that happens. It's not what I want, but life must go on. I hope by the time I read this next year, I am in a deep relationship. But I want to tell the future version of myself that if I'm not, it's okay. It will be okay.

I guess a fear I have is that I won't be able to change and overcome some habits I have that hold me back, or influence my life in a way I don't intend. I want to be successful, I want to share stories that might inspire others and/or cause them to think differently. I want to have healthy, respectful relationships with family, friends, and colleagues. I plan to keep going in the direction I am currently taking, which is to keep working on changing, learning new ways of thinking, being, communicating, so that I am not stuck or slowed down or being diverted.

Fear of failure. Developing a balance with the necessity for exactness while letting go of the weight of being perfect. I don't have to know all the answers, I trust that I will be guided along the way

I have the fear that I will not be able to provide for my family financially, e.g. if I lose my job. Maybe the way to overcome it is to be convinced that things would work out regardless while doing all it takes not to get into that position.

I fear failure. I cry when I feel weak or incompetent. I am afraid to take risks for fear of imperfection. I don't know how to let it go, except to acknowledge it, try to recognize when I'm responding to the fear and not other perspectives. I doubt I will ever totally overcome it. But I would like to manage it, so it can stop managing me.

I fear that I am not good enough to do my job or to be more involved in my community. I need to get over it.

fear of saying things to people that will upset them, that they will turn it on me and i will back down. I thought i was a real leader, and my current job lets me know that clearly i am not the person i thought i was. So i either am ok with that, or change it.

That I won't catch up financially. Working on getting a job. It's been a tough go of it. Didn't expect that with my experience I'd face 'aging' out.

I fear either my husband or children dying. I don't think it limits me. I think it makes me appreciate when things are going well and everyone is together.

What am I not fearful of would have a shorter answer, so I'll attempt to narrow down this answer. I have an overall fear of moving forward. This has limited my desire to start a family, merge finances, trust fully, and practice a healthy lifestyle. My plan - start a family, save money, open joint bank account, move past negative thoughts, exercise... First Step? Communicate & implement plan...

I am afraid of failing in my endeavor of opening a chain of restaurants in China. I am going to stop trying to be perfect and just work towards improvement in the systems and operation every day. I am also going and ask for help much more often. As much as I know, I don't know it all and I need to start trusting other peoples ideas.

I continue to struggle with health anxiety. One way I have found to combat that anxiety is to take care of my body with exercise and eating (somewhat) healthy. I like feeling my body getting stronger and faster, and I want to continue to do that. When I see how functional my body is and all the things it can do, I'm less afraid of getting sick or dying young.

I fear poverty.this fear limits me by constricting movement and growth, and I am unable to accept/incorporate criticism. I'm kind of stuck where I am, when it 'more or less works'. the only way I see to move past this fear is to just go ahead and try what I need to try, do what I need to do; for instance travel. Im afraid to take the time off of work and to spend the money to get where I want to go. I can move through this by telling myself that the time will pass regardless-all we really have are memories!

My fear is that I have a depression that I cannot overcome. This has limited me in that I have given in to depression. I plan on overcoming this fear by FINDING A THERAPIST.

Fear of being worthless, that I don't have anything to offer to the world. That's a bunch of hooey. It's time to work through that and prove that I have so much to offer just being me. I will let go of that fear with counselling, coaching, meditation and just taking one step at a time until lo and behold I find myself at the doorstep of success which I can then walk through with pride.

Performance anxiety, fear of not being good enough and not living up to my own expectations. I've gotten better at this already and I hope to continue to be confident and live in the present moment.

I am scared of failing and of not having a support system. In this coming year, I want to work on making friends, with and without Justin's help. And I want to make sure I appreciate and reach out to people that I appreciate in times when I don't need them too. I want to work on being more confident in myself and not letting my anxieties guide me and not getting hostile or being mean or sarcastic when I am anxious

Trying to get organized, both at home and at work, while trying to spend time relaxing with my husband.

I have a fear of consequences. As it is known, there is a consequence for everything. I fear about what will happen when I make risky decisions. I fear the bad will happen. But when a risky decision is made, it could have no change, small, or large positive or negative change.

I am scared of so many things. Failure. That feeling I sometimes get in the morning when I just can't see the point of getting out of bed. Losing the person I love. Relying too much on that person for my own happiness. The tricks my mind plays on me that make me swing from a reasonably positive person to someone in the depths of despair. I think if I try to overcome all of this, I will probably go mad through the general effort, so starting tomorrow, I'm going to try to have one small treat that's *just mine* to look forward to every day. Maybe going somewhere nice for lunch, or having a bath with a nice glass of wine, or watching a show/listening to a podcast that I've been really looking forward to.

I can't believe it, but I stared to fear my marriage wasn't as strong as I had always believed and that maybe my husband was vulnerable to an affair more than I thought. I am not sure why I have those thoughts except that I'm aging. I also have reduced sex drive- we both do, we're getting older. From what I understand we're both still doing just fine but it was a new fear. I hope to concentrate on making him happy and getting to know him in a new way, and making sure I feel good about myself. That's probably the most important thing there.

I have a lot of fear related to my body, and how I have such difficulty recovering from injuries. My plantars fasciitis has plagued me for almost two years now. My arms and shoulders are sore from holding our daughter and nursing, and it seems to take a long time for me to bounce back from those daily stresses. I don't think I can just let go of this fear, and I don't want to - it's a useful tool for pushing me into better health. I want to continue swimming to keep myself limber, I want to refocus my energies on physical therapy exercises to help with my feet, and I want to rebuild a daily yoga practice (even just 5-10 minutes!) to help with my tight and sore muscles. It's not easy to fit all of this physical activity in when I'm juggling work, a new baby, a relationship, and trying to move into a new home. But it's oh so important!!!

Fear of looking like I don't know what I am doing. I have actively pushed getting outsid3 my comfort zone. Taking a new job was a big hurdle.

I fear I am not accomplishing enough, and not doing what I am meant to do I fear I justify my bad habits, when I'm really just trying to make myself feel better about the bad things I'm doing. But, ever since my confidence boost from this year, I'm listening more carefully to the messages my body is sending me. Taking myself more seriously And I feel I am functioning better. So I'm still trying to get the balance between challenge and acceptance and being at peace with my limitations I pray that the little I achieve is enough

I have a fear that I am never going to be able to get down to a healthy weight. Sometimes that fear paralyzes me and I give up even trying.

I object to this question in it's assumption that fears need overcoming. Sometimes fears keep us safe. Having said that, I fear loss. It's probably a bigger driver than I give it credit. It probably prevents me from taking risks, but at the same time it keeps me from recklessly pursuing my own agenda at others' expense. I'm not sure if it needs to be let go or not.

My fear is irrational, that I know. Learning how to breathe through it has been helpful. Working with applied kinesiology has helped, too. The thing about fear for me is that it generally isn't real, so dealing with it straight on has been best. I'm writing this sounding so rational simply because I don't feel fearful today! Funny how that works.

I am afraid to let go of my children, afraid they'll be hurt emotionally or physically or both and yet I know I must.

I fear loss and failure. I fear losing the love of my wife and my children. I fear failure as a husband and as a man. I have to admit that I don't have a solid plan to overcome these fears. First thing to do, I suppose, is get a plan. More reading on the subject will be the first step.

I have a fear of the unknown. Up until now, I've really been able to plan out my life and after this year I won't be able to make concrete plans anymore. I want to get as ahead of the curve as I can. I will plan as far an advance as possible and work on not having a panic attack when things go differently.

I fear being alone for the rest of my life and yet I limit my engagement with the physical world out of the other fear of getting sick again. Sabotage is so easy, and action is hard. Perhaps I can calendar once a month then twice a month then once a week activities -- and keep to the calendar. Maybe that would work? Something's got to give.

It's a tiny bit worrying that this year's fear is so similar to last - I still fear failure and I still seem to respond with inaction. I don't think I can let it go, but I hope I can overcome it with help.

I have a fear about my health. I basically have no rational reason or basis for this at this point in my life. None the less, it adds to some anxiety - I try to take good care of myself, and have learned some meditation techniques. I plan to study more meditation, yoga, and try to keep a positive outlook. My connections with friends, both new and old help me to look deeper within. Communication is another area that will help me overcome this fear - sharing and not keeping it hidden

I'm afraid of not being in control, and it's ruined relationships permanently, closed off would-be friendships, and made being around me somewhat unbearable for a lot of the people that love me. I'm planning to go to therapy this year. And also, continue what I've started doing already, which is releasing control over simple things and seeing how it feels.

My brain is full of fears. I hope to become less split up inside and be as brave as the outside me appears to be.

I've always modulated between confidence and giving into "impostor syndrome." That is a fear that comes up occasionally and it is something I'm beginning to deal with. It has been repeated over and over again, most recently in Amanda Palmer's book that everyone has impostor syndrome to some degree. Incredibly successful people fear that they are frauds and that someone is just going to discover the secret and unmask them. That's what I need to remember when I get off track. No one is so damn sure. It is important and humbling to admit that you too suffer from this affliction.

A big fear of mine is being forgotten. Being left out and not though of...invited, considered, asked about, thought about. This fear has driven me to do things that I don't want to do anymore. I don't want to just communicate to communicate or do things just to be seen. I want to be with people who want to be with me too. Who are driven to connect with me; not that I am chasing. I plan on doing my life and having experiences that are meaningful to me regardless of who I am doing them with. even if I am just doing them by myself.

The fear that everything -- life -- is coming to an end has limited me from participating in things people find valuable (for example, publishing a book). I don't plan on letting it go in the coming year. In the coming year, I plan to further devalue what others consider valuable and dig in to the deeper matter.

I'm afraid that I'm not being present for the kids. I'm going to leave my phone in other rooms. I'm also going to teach the big ones to help with laundry and the dishes so we can spend more time together, instead of them watching T.V. and me doing chores.

A fear I have that is limiting me... - being professionally successful - being poor - being anxious - being in love - being present - not worrying :) - being myself. I'm just me. I have no plan to overcome any of these - I'd just like to be better, strong, more confident, more fearless me.

Fear of not keeping all the plates spinning. I think taking on less and doing them better is the preferred path.

I have anxiety now about risk. I have let go of any fear of the the unknown. I used to be much more willing to take chances, but I keep wanting to choose security now. I am also afraid of running out of time and over-committing. I have the same amount of time as everyone else does. Why am I not more in charge of it? I hope to let go by 1) making better choices with my time; amd 2) finding security and building security within my self and my life. If I can provide my own framework, what is there to be afraid of?

I'm afraid of failure. I don't put forth 100% effort, because what if it isn't enough? What if it's somehow embarrassingly insufficient? I will overcome this by regularly asking myself: Does the community deserve anything less?

I am afraid of financial ruin. Now that I've left my secure but miserable job, I worry that I won't be able to pay the bills and will find that I can't make ends meet. I am scared and it brings on some physical stress (though still way less than my previous job). That worry may be getting in the way of finding the work that it out there. I am also afraid of being alone, that I since I haven't dated or had a romantic relationship in years, that I am not lovable, that people don't really like me once they get to know me, and that I will live and die alone. I hope that as I've left my consuming and negative job, I will be more open to dating and meet more people and be able to put more time and energy into my friendships, too.

I fear that I am not good enough. I am overcoming it by focusing my yoga and meditation practices on redefining what "good enough" means -- judging myself only against my past.

I'm afraid of failing and of people seeing me fail. It limits me because it makes me more cautious then I need to be, and less eager to branch out and try the things that might make me happy or do good for me. I'm working on getting myself to a place where I feel like I'm on solid ground, so I can take more risks without feeling like my whole world will collapse if I don't succeed.

Climbing, I'm still afraid of falling. It's a debilitating fear that makes my head pound and my heart race. I hope as I continue I'm able to overcome this fear. I'm also afraid of confrontation and certain social situations. I hope I can gain confidence on this end and am able to sternly and respectfully ask for a raise. I'd also like to give off enough positive energy that it's easy for me to talk to strangers and make them feel at ease.

The world seems more wicked. I worry for my children, I need to "lighten" up, live more and accept life.

The fear of becoming ill and having no one near by to help. I only have one close relative here in the US the rest of my family are in the UK.

I fear that my husband will die . . . soon. It's been a fear I've had for the past 15 years. I try not to let it ruin or rule any of our experiences together.

Dying. Or worse yet, becoming incapacitated and a burden to my family. There is no letting it go and no overcoming it. It's the restaurant at the end of the universe.

I have a fear of being too successful - that people will judge me for it. I plan to work on acknowledging both the times when I am successful and the times I fail, all the while working towards allowing myself to be my BEST self.

Well I do fear something else happening to me...my hearing, my mobility...anything could happen. I hope that I find a new path. I am taking an interim job for November, December and January and then I hope to work on my childhood literacy project. I hope that Racel and Yael have healthy babies. I will just keep on plowing on.

I worry about what other people think of me. This prevents me from saying what I think, speaking up when I want to contribute to a conversation and probably makes me live in my head too much. Over the next year I'm going to take more chances in speaking to people, try speaking up, chat to strangers, put myself out there with people I know.

The fear of failure is my most limiting factor. In my mind, if I never try, I don't consider it a true failure. I don't quite know how I will overcome this, but the first step is just to try.

I am afraid of leaving my job despite the fact that it is not professionally fulfilling because I like the people I work with a lot and I love the amount of professional autonomy that I am given. Prior to this position, I had two jobs where I did not like or respect the people under whom I was working - I was unhappy in those positions. While I am not currently fulfilled professionally, I am mostly happy because I enjoy the company of my colleagues and the environment. The funding for my position runs out at the end of 2015, so I am going to have to face that fear and find a new job, even if I do not want to.

I'm afraid of starting the task of cleaning out my garage! It's limited me from actually starting, though I know it's totally doable. I think I might invite a relative to help me and ply said relative with sweets.

I have been afraid to trust, to hope. I have been so busy reacting to taking care of my family, that I have put off writing because it is easier than using all my free time to write. I should try to write, even if it is in 15 minute increments, so I can make progress.

I still have issues with not really believing that I deserve the good fortune I enjoy at the moment. I still expect to wake up one day, and find that everyone realises that I really don’t fit in.

I am starting to feel some insecurity around my relationship. It's nothing he is doing... he is wonderful. It's my own fear/belief that everything wonderful eventually falls apart. I plan to let it go and overcome it by continuing to meditate on it and also to not self-sabotage it. I plan to continue being a good partner, lover, and friend and to keep growing our relationship.

I've not felt well for quite some time. I'm sure the drugs prescribed had a lot to do with it.....I'm wondering how long it really takes for me to be free from all the symptoms and the drugs.... I'm not sure how to help myself and I could really use some proper guidance. I'm also unsure about my girlfriend. I believe she really cares, but she doesn't seem quite available to really help. I'm open and holding onto hope

I think I have a fairly typical midlife fear around "being/doing/making enough." I'm not sure this is a one year overcoming here, but spending more time in contemplative practice seems to help.

I have a fear of missing out on what my purpose and calling are. More specifically, I have a fear that if I make the wrong move I'll miss the opportunities to be who I could be at my best. I think the best way to let that go is to realize that God is in control and His way, His path are unavoidable. If I just trust in Him and His purpose for me - and am obedient to that - then I should be just fine.

1. Fear of letting go of food to modulate mood 2. Fear of integrating parts (PtSD)

Fear of rejection, which leads to other fears (not being seen, not being seen as perfect/good, not being liked). These fears lead me to suppress myself, my feelings and expression, and so I lie in my demeanor, without even realising it sometimes. I smooth things over, be the peacemaker, absorb others' emotions, take responsiblity for things that are not mine, and abandon myself. I contort myself to fit with my perception of what others' want from me. I hereby renounce this pattern. I look "rejection" in the eye and say: I accept myself. I don't reject myself, my feelings, my desire to express myself. I will never reject myself. I walk forward with courage, noticing my fear of rejection, re-centering into myself, hearing myself, and making conscious decisions on how to walk in this world and in relationship. I commit myself to honest relationship with myself. I walk forward secure in knowing, I will never reject myself. That is my bedrock. Keyn yhi ratzon.

I have health issues and they are staggering to me. I am hoping I can let these go and just live.

I am afraid that I'll never get rid of all the stuff I collected and my home will never be filled with love harmony and beauty. I hope to overcome it by donating everything I own building material type stuff to Wilderness torah and set up a great shop space for them at the Green Valley property full of organized tools and materials.

My sweet husband of 45 years increasingly shows the effects of several "mini-strokes," one of the them accompanied by a fall that injured his back. His mental abilities fade in and out. On the one hand, at his best, his faculties are so strong that he enriches both of our lives with his conversation, and he remains sought after as a valued and respected consultant in his field. On the other, his hearing is failing, his mobility is limited to walking just a couple of blocks, and his comprehension and speech fade in and out especially towards the end of the day. I am frightened and ashamed when I lose my patience with him. The prayer, "Don't forsake in my old age." comes to mind. And then there's my own poor eyesight. It's an ongoing adjustment, getting older.

It seems like I am often motivated by fear. Fear of being too much, fear of being wrong, fear of being bad. I think these are good considerations for me to pay some attention to, but I'd rather be motivated by excitement, possibility, and connection!

There are severàl and I Am SICK OF THEM.. One is the fear of my Husband's death as He's 18 years older than me... This stems from the loss of my Father at 9 years old...Financially I'd be devastated,not to mention the Horrid loss of The Love Of my life...We found each other Later in life and I can't stand the thought of losing Himself...LORD,Help me to Remember Your Promises..

I look forward to full recovery from injured foot..I have given into the disability it created. Being in the medical study has released 100% of the discomfort. The timing to participate in the program has brought me to a new level of awareness and answer to prayers. The fear was a disability to adaptability. I must focus on overcoming and be actively PROACTIVE in my recovery. Getting older to living life to the fullest. Admitting there is a power greater than myself!

I fear being judged by my body's appearance; I fear being made smaller and cringeing by people's bigotry. I plan on doing the work I'm beginning right now -- embodied, joyful life, movement and healing.

Fear of flying. For a long time. Fear of dying without achieving a sweeter life. Flying means actually trying to do it. I have done it for years. I suspect I can do it again. I have never flown without a drink in one hand. Fortification. Now I don't drink. Fear I will never get my house literally in order. Talk is cheap. There is no one to assist me and I am not good at it - so I will need to find help and tackle it. Fear I will never see or hear from my son again. This makes me very angry. I have no plans to approach him but I know how it happened and I am angry at that person (and him) and I don't see it ebbing. It doesn't limit me but it makes me very angry.

I am often limited by judgement. I feel as though I am often judged by others and others often judge me. I find that I don't participate in conversation or activities to my fullest potential or enjoyment because I am afraid of embarrassing myself or doing something to cause someone to judge me. I am trying to let go of this fear, and just be myself. I am trying to do what I enjoy, and not care what others think of me. This will be a difficult challenge to overcome, however I think it is for the best.

I am afraid of having noone to love me. I need to embrace myself and what I bring to the planet by relearning to love myself and realize I am a good person. With lots to offer.

I am so very scared of being hurt. It's limited me because it makes it difficult to trust my partner. I'm afraid to think about a nice future because people change their minds and who knows what's going to happen. The only thing I can do at this point is try to conjure some laziness and stay put, and kind of passively wait and see.

FEAR OF SPEAKING! Of opening my mouth and saying what I think... To anyone. I share my thoughts and ideas but when I have developed confidence and friendship, otherwise I feel that I'm vulnerable to someone I don't know and someone I've judged without knowing. IT SUCKS! It has always limited me!! And I know it, but still I'm afraid of what others might think of me. I know it comes from my childhood when I felt I was being made fun of or being embarrassed when I made a mistake... It is silly, but is my scar, my burden and my nightmare... I have started (in some way) to be more open. I've made some huge decisions that have forced me to open. And also I've been having in mind of doing a 30 day challenge of saying 'yes' to anything. Maybe I won't start today or tomorrow but I know I will eventually do it.

I'm afraid that I will injure myself, or lose motivation, or gain back the weight (which I've struggled so hard and spent immeasurable time to lose!) for some other reason. It's happened before, so it's not an unreasonable fear. But I need to remember that other people also gave up a lot to help me get close to my goals, so I need to honor them by sticking to it, even when it's hard.

I fear failure and disappointing myself. I fear that if I try something and I don't get it right, I won't be able to give it another shot. I do not know how to overcome this fear... perhaps... just... not caring what people think. I should not be selfconcious and should also remember that what I do, I do because I like it and because it will aid my future, not to please idiots.

I fear that no one will ever really want to be with me in any sustained kind of way, and that if by chance someone does, that I won't be able to love them back. I have no idea how to let this go. All my experience points to this being the case.

My biggest fear is that I am an unworthy partner for my girlfriend. Her ex had 5-10 years of being unemployed or being underemployed and now I am facing unemployment myself.

Fear of failure. After my disastrous job experience last year, i find myself paralyzed with fear that I'm not a good employe or that I can't do a good job or get along wiht people- which I know intellectually to be true, but my self-confidence took such a hit. I want to regain my self-confidence soa i continue, even in middle age, to try new things, to push myself, to achieve. I know I have the capacity to be a high achiever- why dont I write that damn book I've been talking about, for example- but thenI procrastinate I assume out of fear of failure. And FOMO_ stupid facebook. It goes back to the last question and my need for more self-discipline. Starting with what I eat, how i move and when I sleep and moving on to just being more present.

The fear of existential problems: lack of money, health problems, lost of my creative potential. All of that fears will get less hard to stand if I just concentrate and work on those things which are important for me and if I am just me.

So many, fear for my life, for my families, for failure, for failing the movement. I hope to be more dedicated to the work.

I have a fear of standing up for myself and speaking out on my own behalf. It's incredibly limiting in that it's silencing and not allowing me to live up to my true, authentic self. I plan on continuing on the path of speaking up when it's needed and honoring myself with others.

As a result of a serious injury I have a fear of being disabled and alone. Become stronger (physically, mentally, spiritually) and more dependent on faith than specific people.

My fear is becoming increasingly decrepit as I age. At age 59, I love to hike, bicycle, and take long walks. I am trying to recover from a stress fracture at the moment. It's been taking months. All I can think to do is to be patient, follow doctor's orders, make sure I eat a healthy diet, and resume yoga and the gym when I can.

Two almost opposing, but prevalent fears. One is that I am a cautious person, which can sometimes lead to cowardice. I often freeze in times when I should speak up. Comparatively, I have trouble saying no to things.

The fear of not having. Instead of enjoying what I have been given I always fear it being taken away. Or I agonize over not having enough. It has in my experience, created just that. I hope to let go of those negative expectations and enjoy life and what I have been given.

I fear failing. I fear not being enough. I fear being insignificant. I fear not being taking seriously. I fear not contributing enough. I would love to say that I will overcome this by being big, and fabulous, by doing all the things in the next year, but the way to overcome this is not through overacheiving. I will practice compassion towards myself. I will work harder to plan, and in particular to budget time to projects and task lists. I will risk applying for grants, for grand school and for residencies. I will remember that all the work is shared work. I will commit to asking for help.

I've been too afraid of what people thought of me. I let my fear of saying something that's on my mind alienate people. While still being mindful of dire consequences, I'm going to start saying what I truly think more often.

For the first time in my life I worry about my health, despite my overall very healthy lifestyle (vegetarian diet, yoga and cycling for excercise). I have stomach pains and sometimes I don't feel well. I had it checked in the hospital but nothing serious has come up and I hope it is just stress related and due to not eating healthily for the years I was studying. And of course I'm getting older.. the decay is setting in ;-) . It is not limiting me, but I am conscious of my habits and looking at small ways of changing them and live even more healthily so I will grow old feeling well and healthy.

I still have a fear of getting hurt in a relationship. As I move into my house with Marc and marriage, it is time to let it go. I think I will try and leave it behind in my condo and not allow it to come with me.

Complacency. Complacency is my only fear. Being that I have a good job, nice house, nice cars, country club (I know, what an asshole), beautiful wife, the "American Dream" if you will, it's easy to get stuck spinning your wheels. For some it may seem like a good place to stop. You may not even know you're stuck because things may appear perfect. I'm especially hard on myself. Maybe I do have it good. But for me, if I'm not moving forward, I might as well be moving backward. While I have a great life, I still don't feel like I'm living up to my potential. I feel like I'm always playing it safe. I'm living inside those "walls" Mr. Jobs talked about. I'm living the limited life he mentioned. I'm ready to take some risk, to do something different, to try something big. I don't even know what it is I'm actually striving for, just more. The only way to get over complacency, or laziness really, is to just do it. Sorry to quote Nike, but that's exactly what you have to do to move forward. You can't simply just walk to the finish line, you have to sprint. And, you may never reach that finish line, but at least you gave it your all. I want to leave this world knowing, without a doubt, that I gave this life hell. I worked has hard as I could. I lived as hard as I could. I tried to be the best husband I could be. I chased my dreams. I did everything I wanted to do. Being just "ok" or "fine" with life is my biggest fear.

ah hell. go for it! it's been a grand ride, just keep going!!!!!!!

The fear of lacking sufficient financial resources has been with me since I remember myself. It is not the fear, but the actual scarcity of financial resources that limits me. I plan to let this fear go by prospering and getting a good, dependable parnasa. How do I do that, that's a more useful question.

I am afraid that I have no right to be. It limits EVERYTHING I do. I plan to keep working on it in therapy, and by remembering to not put myself and my needs last all the time. By living as though I love myself. With practice, perhaps I can change my habits of self-denial.

I'm afraid to say no and to trust people. It really hinders my abilities to get close friends and then I'm jealous of others for having those friendships. Hopefully, I'll be able to open up more to people, but also learn to stand up for myself and tell people when something they're doing is bothering me. I want to live my life on my own schedule, and my own time, and with my own desires, not be tied to what someone else thinks of me or wants from me. I want to stop being afraid of losing what I have right now. I want to stop counting minutes, and thinking of the future when I may have different friends, or feel really differently about my life. I want to stop obsessing over the future, and focus on now. I obviously want to keep my amazing friends that I have at the moment, but I don't want the fear of losing them to stop me from doing what I want to do, and from going somewhere I want to go, and from being who I want to be. I don't want the fear of not having any friends lead me to stay in toxic friendships. I'm so afraid of being alone agian, that I don't stop to live in the moment and be the person I want to be.

I have long held a fear that I would forever keep myself from emotional satisfaction, but I have challenged that more in recent days than ever before in my life and will only continue to push myself. I am surrounded, literally and figuratively, by those who deeply care and I can slowly see it sinking in despite my thick-headedness. Given time, I believe I will be an unstoppable positive force.

I guess my perfectionism is a fear. a fear of not being good enough. that not doing good enough means I'm not good enough. Of course those thoughts are completely paralyzing. The problem is that this is not just a way of thinking, it's ingrained in my system, so it will take time to undo it. I'm not sure how to completely overcome this. I've already overcome it in part by reminding myself often that things don't have to be perfect, that I don't have to be perfect, that it's okay to make mistakes. I often say to myself "that's good enough" when I've done a thing and I find that there are errors or imperfect things about it. "fuck that" I'll say. I'll stick my tongue out and move on. :) I'll just keep doing that and grow in it the coming year :)

I'm frightened of what will become of me, my life, my soul if I don't either get married or have children. I do plan to date in the next year. However, I'm going to try to inhabit my fear more, and look at why it's a fear. I'm also going to focus on accepting all families, all living situations and all ways of raising children.

I have a fear of financial trouble, of not having fulfilled my potential and of loneliness. I am trying to find a job and to find social outlets but apparently to no avail. Hope to overcome this.

Potential. Whats my plan? Dream Big. Be it KKGS, Olam Achim, thinking of new ideas, embarking on new relationships, being bold!!

I have a tremendous fear of being exposed as not being very intelligent. Sometimes it can overcome me and paralyze me. Conversely, I think that is part of the reason I do not study hard, because if I did not study hard I would have a better excuse for not passing. I need to get over it. In the coming year, I would rather be known as someone who works very hard than someone who is very intelligent. I can only do that by working really hard.

Of not working. I have supported myself and also my daughter for so long, that it is scary to not have that income. but I've also saved lots and do believe that I'll be OK and so need to make the leap. AHHHH maybe LEAP DAY next year is when i should leave.

I have a fear of loosing my job, my house, loosing everything and become worthless. I should help my family so they can help me in time of need, and also invest on my future so I can have a stable income.

I am afraid that I will never find a partner who suits me well enough that we can get married and make a life together. I'm enjoying low-stakes dating again, but ultimately I have a very clear idea of the kind of person I want and I worry that I'll never find him. Alternately, i worry that I'm going to become too strong and independent to have space in my life for anyone long-term. I don't want to end up a spinster, but neither do I feel incomplete without a partner. I figure if I make it to 37 or so with no real prospects, I'll either adopt or become a foster parent on my own.

I'm afraid to tell the truth. My whole life has been founded on other people's lies, and it is the core of my being to support those lies for them, even though it means lying every day about myself to maintain their cover. I don't know how to tell the truth. I don't know how to be authentically myself because it's been my job not to be. This is not the year to overcome that, but I can work toward that eventuality. First, I have to find myself. I've got to dig until I find my essence. Then I can start to work on expressing myself instead of cowering behind the disguises others have created for me.

I am inspired by the thought that "our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate; our greatest fear is that we are powerful beyond all means." I think I have let fear prevent me from pushing full throttle in many areas of my life. I hope that through meditation and letting go of ego I can move past these fears.

I am afraid of being left behind in game design, so I will start going to conventions again.

I don't know. My fears have gone into hiding and now I don't even know where or what they are, so they are probably sabotaging me from the darkness of my subconscious. I've changed in a way that I don't really care about releasing my fears anymore. I don't care about achieving those goals my fears used to stop me from reaching. To quote a famous film, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!"

Inadequacy has long been my biggest fear, and I mean inadequacy in every way. Fear I won't live up to my own expectations or to others' of me, fear I will fall short, fear I am unworthy of being loved or even having meaningful friendships. Because you cannot fail if you do not try, I too often sit idle. But it is also impossible to succeed without trying. I hope to live with a tiny Sheryl Sandberg in my ear repeatedly asking, "What would you do if you weren't afraid?", an then to work hard to push through that fear and the anxiety that too often holds me back.

Fear of succeeding. I am afraid of the things that mean I will have more responsibilities and more work, and more expectations to live up to or fail at. I am going to let go of that fear - or just have my roommate read my emails for me in advance.

Fear of screwing up a painting when it's going well. I have to remind myself that there will be another and another. Also, fear of working with live models. I need to learn to work and think and not worry so much about controlling their experience.

I think I have a fear of allowing myself to succeed, or to take command. I tend to defer to others when I should perhaps stand up for myself. I am not sure if I want to work on this, honestly. This way of mine has served me well in life and career. I am glad, however, that I can feel comfortable knowing this and living with it.

I have fear of something but i didn't found it yet. I'm in the pat of solving that. Because I want to enjoy my life plenty.

I have a fear of others. I am too shy and lack confidence in myself. I may seek some help for this/

I'm realizing more and more clearly that I have a more feminine energy than most men. I often fear that this makes me less of a man, or undesirable to women. This causes me a significant amount of stress and anxiety. I would like to come to terms with that this year, by both embracing my masculinity more, and by accepting myself as I am.

perhaps a fear of success. I have been deliberately overcoming the smashing of my personality since past events. I do believe I will have recovered more of the original me, through modulating my energy and keeping up with my counseling - I intend to have addressed PTSD in therapy by the time this comes back. I expect to be refreshed and renewed as far as what I can accomplish, and how I feel in my life. currently I am just starting to see through a haze of messed up events and relations. I truly hope to find some peace and some affection in the mix.

With the news that I have yet another cancer, I have fear that this syndrome will continue. I do my best to "let go", but I am getting very worried that the 4 cancers are not the end. I certainly hope that this is it, and that I can move on to other things, but it's always there in the background, That's why the mindfulness practice is going to be so important, and living in the here-and-now. We'll see what this upcoming year brings.

I still have a fear of losing Brandon and the girls. They are kind of my world. I have to tell myself that this is my family now. That they aren't going anywhere and that everything is going to be ok. I also am worried that maybe accounting isn't for me. That maybe I stumbled upon it and I have barely succeeded and that it's not REALLY what I'm meant to do. Although I mainly hope that all of this doubt I have about myself and the good things in my life goes away!

Situations where details are unknown are a complete turn off for me, and I feel like I miss out on a lot of fun times by choosing to not participate in events when I don't know every small detail. I hope to participate in at least a few events this year to challenge myself and see if I am holding myself back.

I worry over our financial situation, but all I do is worry. I need to really look at where we stand, our budget and resources and then make the hard choices.

I have a big fear of failure, whether that be in the form of rejection, failing at a task, or failing to meet people's standards. I rarely take risks, because I am too afraid of what others might think of me, or that I will not succeed at it. I am already taking steps to train for a half marathon. Regardless of my time, I will be proud that I accomplished something. I will also, be more willing to disagree with people. Rather than agreeing for the sake of avoiding conflict.

The trip to Florida made me realize fear was growing like an invasive mold. That needs to stop. The plan is to do things afraid. I've grown a lot (with God's help) learning about Him, knowing in my heart that He is good and His ways towards me are good. This year I want that trust to be exhibited by putting these stupid fears in their place, which is not giving them a place in my head or heart at all. What I should be afraid of is displeasing God Who can destroy both body and soul. On the flipside, God has been so good to me, much more than I deserve, I want to live for Him and He's worthy of that kind of trust and love. With God's help I will be more devoted this upcoming year and trust Him. To start, not being afraid that even asking Him to help me trust is going to bring something horrible because He's not like that. He's my Father, He loves me and made me so that fear is another ridiculous fear and totally unfounded. One thing I am most grateful for is God's immovability. I can count on Him, He's my anchor and He's the authority on what does and does not happen in life. That being true, why should I be afraid?

Fear of disaster around the corner. Breathing in and being far more present. Worrying less and being more.

I fear that I will become too old or physically incapable to take care of my personal care needs. In the coming year, I hope to find solutions to weight concerns and address issues with aging muscles and bones to promote optimal physical health.

I'm very anxiety riddled right now. Mostly afraid of failing my family. Right now I'm committing to a path that I believe will lead me to success. I'm trying to put into practice that which I tell my students to do. Time to practice what I preach.

I fear being laid off while I have 3 loans. I fear disappointing people: friends and family. I fear being ignored. I fear being forgotten. Some things I must accept. Some achievements will satisfy me alone and not friends or family. Everyone is eventually forgotten.

Money is the biggest and most debilitating fear I have. I hope to save more and be in a better position to enjoy my non-cash bounty of which there is much!!

I fear men. It has profoundly limited me. I don't date, I am lonely, I avoid them -- cross the street, evade eye contact, ignore....I doubt I will be able to let it go this year and I won't be able to overcome it but I can try. I've been trying for years. I miss having that constantly available friend that a boyfriend affords. It's wonderful to share things like breakfast with someone I really enjoy being around and feel I can be myself around. I think that's the big thing -- I find it so difficult to relax around many men. I'm ashamed of how I look and then I look at how I live -- the mess on my floor, how I don't clean up after myself. I was considering doing Match.com this year. It seems like such a project though.

I'm completely terrified that the world will be right, that we're just too young, that it will come back to bite, that he'll realise I'm not worth signing his enternity away at 21 for and pack up and leave. It doesn't feel real that we'l be married in a year, and a part of that is a crippling fear that something will go wrong. And, on the other side of that, I'm realising in clinical school, coming across awfully young people with awful illnesses and facing deaths with young families etc, that my old concerns reflecting on to myself are now more reflected onto Anthony: isn't this just a bit too good? Isn't it about time something awful happened? I'm just not sure I could cope with something awful happening to him. But every night I lie next to him, every morning I wake in his soft, warm company, every happening or email or event I get to ask his advice on or benefit from his judgement, every time he genuinely wants mine, all of those moments make me forget those worries, make me sure that he'll stay and sure that every moment with him is worth cherishing, So I'll keep diving in. Something else: I've actually moved away from home in a more permanent way, and that's something I find very scary. It's tied up with lots of things, but I genuinely think a lot of it is fear of my grandma dying - an inevitable and not infinitely distant event - and a hope and pressure to be here and spend the time I love spending with her, watch the silly films and have M&S Millionaire's Shortbread pots late into the night with her wonderful stories. Her being there to pick my wedding dress was really special, and I will wear her veil, and I so, so hope that she's there and healthy to be a part of it all. But in terms of moving away I think I had to strike out a little bit, and I have so much to invest in in Cambridge. It's a balance, but I'll do my best,

Other than dying before I get my affairs in order, (and fear of heights which I have NO plans to work on) I really don't have any fears that I need to overcome.

I seem to keep coming back to the fear of loneliness - I have come to peace with the idea of being alone and when I don't want to be I seek someone to spend time with... I seem to be isolating again and not sure why? Sometimes it is easier to stay inside and not talk to anyone or engage, I am not sure why and I know it doesn't make me feel any better about who I am and what I am doing for the universe... but sometimes it is all I can do. It is a fear of something I can't put my finger on - maybe people seeing the real me - I haven't a clue but it is something that I want to continue to search for comfort in and answers as to WHY I do it especially if I can acknowledge that the fear of loneliness is what I fear the most - then why do I put myself in situations that create this feeling? Perhaps to become numb to it and not fear it... hmmmm something to think about and explore!

I'm afraid of failure. I need to be more confident in my abilities, and be ok with failing.

I'm afraid my husband will die before I do. He is 16 years older than me, and sometimes I just lay in bed listening to make sure he's breathing. It's not that he is ill in any way, I just have had quite a few people I know die, and I worry about it. I think the worry became more pronounced earlier this year when we had to put our dog to sleep. I held her in my arms as she took her last breath and her heart had its last beat. This was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. I guess I'm afraid I'll have to do that with my husband some day. I'm not sure how to get over this fear.

A fear I have is that I will either not get into a program that I really want to get into or that in the process I will be setting myself up for failure. I do not want to be in debt for the rest of my life or to spend a lot of money on a degree that i cannot use. This has caused me to be slow to action about graduate programs. This year I plan to just close my eyes and jump. I will follow my passions and hope it all works out.

I have been terrified of not being in a romantic relationship or having men or my mother validate me. I've bounced from one romantic relationship to the next, not really asking myself if I like the guy but being more focused on whether or not he likes me. I've treated these men horribly at times and at other times like gods. This has limited me by never allowing me to have time alone with myself to get to know who I really am or what I want out of my own life. I've spent the last 12 years dating one person or another or obsessing about who I can date next, fantasizing about a life with a husband and children, never really appreciating the present moment, the love all around me in the form of friendship and higher power love, but being miserable with myself. This year I plan on being alone with myself. On facing the fear and pain that I have tried to avoid by skipping from one love interest and fantasy to the next. This year I am dedicated to me, to my recovery, and to learning to endure distress and emotions I previously found intolerable.

My greatest fear is the limitation of abundance. My greatest fear is for the dark to win out over the light. My greatest fear is that I remain in darkness. My greatest fear is that I deserve what I have chosen for myself. My greatest fear is that everything does not happen for a reason. My greatest fear is that I am not guided. My greatest fear is that there is no telos, even a rhizomatic one. My greatest fear is that Goddess does not listen. My greatest fear is that Spirit is not present, is not potent. My greatest fear is that I should not have what I want. My greatest fear is that I should hate what I love. My greatest fear is that I cannot find the way. My greatest fear is that I cannot be seen. My greatest fear is that I cannot be among my tribe. In my fear I close myself off before I begin. In my fear I begin as what I fear I will have no other choice but to be, so that I will never be accused here, so that the palace in my heart will not be profaned with those who do not understand, so that I will never be misunderstood, so that I will never have to give an account for what is the truest thing. In my fear, surrounded by those who cannot see me in it, I have become everything I feared most that I would be.

Lots of fears - I think perhaps the main one is being shamed and shunned and lonely. I've worked on this for years, and don't know what I can do differently. I obsess with minimal provocation. Various meditations and medications are some help. Maybe now being retired and under less stress will also help.

My biggest fear at this point is that I won't get better and that my handicap will hold my fiancé back. I know that I have to be patient with my body and stay positive but it is definitely easier said than done! I also know that my fiancé knew my situation when we first started seeing each other but I think we both had hoped it would be resolved by now. The last thing I would want is for my spinal issues to be the reason he doesn't live the life that he wants to live! In the upcoming year, if I don't get better, I'll have to work on letting it go by reminding myself that he chose me, knowing full well what my situation was, and that he loves me despite it. And if I do finally get better, I won't have to worry about it so much anymore!!! And man oh man, wouldn't that be nice?!?!?

I fear that I am a burden to my friends sometimes. Even though I know that most of it is just my own thought process, those thoughts have begun to affect or prevent my interactions with others. I plan to overcome it by focusing on the positive aspects of my life and pushing the negative thoughts out of consciousness.

I am afraid about committing to my long-term boyfriend of 7 years. I'm not sure why I am so scared by this. People are always like "well you've been together for so long so you're already committed." But really I take marriage very seriously and it just seems so final. I am worried that with him we will not be able to provide our children with the extras that our parents were able to give us. He never finished college and I think in many ways it holds him back and his fear around going back holds me back. I want to be with someone who is as ambitious and as I am. I think if he tried more I would be able to overcome some of my fears, but I find myself every year saying now it's decision time and yet I am paralyzed when it comes to making a decision. I hope to this year finally confront these fears.

Going places alone, I went to a movie alone once in my life but I was living with Scott, before we married. I went for soup at a restaurant alone but it was to pass an hour so I could make an appointment in town & didn't have time to go home & then come back. I was talking with MC who just spent a weekend at a garden and an Inn alone, I admire her for that. Most I am afraid I won't be able to continue in this house, it's hard labor & the drive to work is fraught with potential car accidents. I have always taken pride in the fact that I've been able to take care of myself, physically & financially. I don't know where I'd go or how I'd afford a move so I stay here. I passed up a buyer when I put the house on the market a few years ago, I didn't plan it well, I wasn't prepared to make a decision so I panicked and told the real estate agent to tell the buyer I wasn't selling. I want to meet with a real esate agent and put a plan together, the demands of this house and property holds me hostage.

I have a fear of what people will think of me - of their judgement. It limited me in my schoolwork because I wouldn't raise my hand, in case they thought my idea or question was stupid. I stopped learning for the sake of learning. I didn't speak with classmates who could potentially become friends, because I was scared. I plan on just putting myself out there. Embarrasing myself, and knowing that it's okay, until I stop being embarrased. Those who judge are not the friends that I want around anyway. (I had more but it got deleted. This is my second time writing the answer).

My husband leaving me. Not divorce, but because of time. We have a 13 year age difference. That our life together will stop before we are done. In 2016 we will be married 5 years. WE were lucky to have found this kind of love are unhappy marriages. There is still so much to learn about each other, to share, to enjoy. Still time to grow. I think it is limiting because sometimes I am so cognizant of it, that sometimes I don't enjoy the moment because I think of how we may not share another one like this...... I think we can take care of what we can - ensuring that our estate is in order, that we are organized, etc. AND, that we keep living our lives the way we do...laugh every day, talk every day, tell each other we love each other every day. Keep having adventures......until the trail ends.

A fear that I have is that I will not choose the right career path. It has limited me because it has created internal barriers that have diminished my confidence in my abilities. I hope to overcome this by trusting in my abilities and know that I am able to achieve anything.

I want to be a parent, but I'm terrified of taking the actions needed to get the adoption process going. I think it's just a matter of jumping in the cold water until I get used to it.

I'm afraid of anxiety and depression. Sometimes I say no to things because although I'd like to do them I'm afraid I won't be able to complete it or enjoy it because of the anxiety. I plan to keep taking antidepressants for as long as I need them, and to keep learning triggers and coping strategies. Right now, the most important thing for me is getting enough sleep.

Fear of alienating anyone because of my strong opinions. As everything else, I wish to integrate that with who I am.

I am fearful of letting go of the chaos in my life because it's what I know. This fear interferes with EVERYTHING good that might come my way. Let go of it by continuing work with ACA, YOGA, AND MEDITATION, EATING BETTER AND LEARNING TO RELAX. OOPS, I forgot that caps lock was on.

I have been afraid that I wouldn't have children. I am letting go of that fear and am moving into a phase where I am confident that I will have at least one child, but it probably won't be in the way that I always thought it would happen. I want to let go of the negative associations that I have about that and embrace the possibility that I can have an amazing family even if it's not the way I thought it would be and always wanted it to be.

I experience many fears all the time. When I begin a new project, I worry I will not be good enough. I worry about what people will think of me if I speak up. I have fears I will disappoint people. I believe if a person does not like me, I did something to deserve it, so that is fear of being unworthy. I am working on these fears by trusting myself, loving myself and being aware of my judgements towards others which is a reflection of my own fears and judgements of who I am. I need to be loving to myself and non judge mental,non critical and learn to not judge myself if I do not live up to these expectations.

One fear is not doing well in my thesis. Um, it's really hard to let go of that. To overcome it, well, I don't think I can. All I can do is work hard and smart, I guess. I have another fear, I'm currently dating a lovely man, but of me is so scared of it going horribly wrong. I'm really not sure what to do about that. I guess honest communication is the key and going to therapy when needed will help.

That I will end up with someone I do not love That I will be alone forever Each fear causes the other I fear being alone so I settle for someone I don't necessarily love I fear ending up with someone that I do not love so I choose to be alone

My big fear in the past few years has been job security because I have no one else to support me--no spouse, no parents, no children--and I had been working in print journalism, which was destroyed by the internet and the economic collapse a few years ago. It limits me because I get so focused on finding a job that will either save me immediately from the unemployment line or that will still exist in the long term that I fail to put my focus on those around me who I love. I'm hoping the moves I made this year--a career change into government work--will help me overcome that fear and get me back to the world of the living--not just making a living..

My two biggest fears right now are death, and not being good enough. The fear of not being good enough has been a life long fear, one ingrained in me during childhood through abuse, and haunted me as I grew up. The fear of not being good enough has sometimes been so great, that it's been a self fulfilling prophecy - I sabotage myself, my progress, because I would have rather have not tried, or deliberately ruin my attempts, then to actually try, to give it my all, and not succeed. I almost flunked out of my senior year of college because of this and an overwhelming depression I was experiencing at the time. I did manage to salvage everything I had worked so hard for, and graduated, but not I'm back home and looking for a job. Though I'm not looking as hard I should be. I haven't looked at all for the past month, and I use anxiety and my grandmother's impending - and then eventual death - as an excuse. And while those factors have played a part, part of me is just simply afraid - afraid I won't get a job, afraid that I'll hate the job I get, afraid that if I do get a job, I'll fail at it and get fired. But after the high holy days are over, I'm determined to put renewed effort into looking for a job. My best friend and I are planning on moving in together in January, and I have to have an income by then. I have a deadline, and it's fast approaching. The fear of death is also something that has troubled me for a while, though more off and on, and more as I got older. My grandmother died over the weekend, and watching her slow decline, the shutdown of her body, and the loss of her memory, made me experience panic attacks again for the first time since I was a teenager. But the attacks I had as a teenager were nothing compared to what I've been experiencing. These panic attacks feel like I'm dying, like I'm having a heart attack, and I can't swallow, and I can't think, and I become unsafe in the one place I can't escape - my body. My body even now is in the process of decay, it will one day become feeble and old, it will die. I feel betrayed and imprisoned by my body, and I am exhausted. I'm not really sure how to overcome this one. I'm back in therapy and on new medication, but none of that will ever change the simple fact that one day I will die. I try to take comfort in the fact that I will not be alone in that experience, and hopefully I will return to my family once I do.

Fear of love. Fear of closeness. Fear of losing it or being hurt by it. But I also feared loneliness and I live alone all my days. And so, I need to risk getting hurt, I need to risk rejection, abuse, humiliation... what does it matter! The payoff could be companionship, closeness, love, purpose, hope, life...

Fear of rejection has limited me, by making me pathetically eager to please others. I need to remember and remind myself that I have people who regularly ask me for help and guidance.

The last few years have been so limited by fear. Fear of rejection, fear of failure.. fear of the unknown, so that I just stuck with the status quo even if it's not what I want. I want to work to move past the fear and trust that I deserve more than I've been settling for.

The biggest fear I have is that I'm never doing enough, and that someone is always judging someone me. It keeps me in constant worry of how others perceive me and that people are saying something bad about me. I guess I need to learn that I am enough. Nobody is perfect, and making mistakes is okay. At the same time, I need to learn to relax and not worry about what. I want to feel confident and that I'm doing okay

I am afraid of flying. I have tried to deal with this and have had some success over the past few years, but I still do what I can to avoid flying. I do fly when I have to, but if I can take a train or not go all together, I will. But right now I have several sick relatives scattered around the country and I anticipate needing to see them in the coming months. I plan to do more reading about flying as this often helps to remind me about how safe flying actually is. I anticipate that I will still become stressed but I hope to at least celebrate/recognize my ability to get on the plane without panicking.

I am afraid of not being good enough. I am afraid that I think I have more skills than I really do and I will be a joke. I plan on continuing to put myself out there even though I may not measure up. In my work life I plan on educating myself more and getting certified in areas I need to and this will help a lot.

I am afraid of being out of work again. I am afraid of losing my job. It paralyzes me and makes me incredibly stressed out. It has kept me from getting a new car. It has contributed to my drinking. My plan for overcoming it in the coming year is to concentrate on one day at a time, and work on my CBT skills.

social anxiety, general anxiety botoxed my head to help with the sweating the stronger my body is, the less anxiety i have continue to face it, continue to train when i hide it, it gets worse

I have so many fears, but the biggest is becoming homeless, not having money or enough food to support my family. Money is the route of all EVIL and I don't care what anyone says I am sticking with it.

It is so much easier to stay in a bad situation, rather than face the fear of uncertainty. The uncertainty of wondering if I can find a better job, and will it really be better? Or will it turn into something that is even worse? I'm going to do the best I can to overcome this inertia and fear by focusing on each step in the process: studying the job market and determining what I want to do next, accumulating more training and certifications, preparing a 1 minute presentation, creating a better resume, nurturing professional contacts.

I fear getting judged for whatever I put online, be it political or personal. I hope I can let go, trust in my good intentions, and continue to be as thoughtful and honest as possible.

My fears right now are mainly financial [not having enough money to continue living in San Francisco, spending poorly now] and love [hoping that my partner doesn't need to turn off his love for me when its coming on bit by bit for others]. In lieu of letting my financial fears go, I need to prioritize better and decide how I'm going to make and spend my money, instead of moving forward blindly, unintentionally, sort of in the same way I did when we had lots of money. With love, I am tackling that now by trying to maintain a wide open channel of communication and acceptance with my partner, asking questions and staying as flexible and open as I can. I am going to continue checking myself and making sure that I'm not acting out of resentment or jealousy. I'm going to make sure that I'm still working towards my own happiness. I'm going to be more patient and try not to take him and his Goodness for granted.

I feel like the same fear has persisted for far too long. I am scared of letting others love me or get close to me. I unintentionally push those I love away because my fear inhibits me allowing others to love me. I don't let them in fearing that they'll hurt me. But the only person hurting me is myself because every time I see those I love, I feel the pain of the separation or tension I have inflicted upon our relationships. I need to speak out about this and change it. But to do so, I need their help. And I need to ask for it. And I will. I need to show people that I love them and nourish those relationships that mean a lot to me. And I need... I want to allow others to show me love. Funny thing is, I keep thinking of RuPaul as I keep writing. If you don't love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else? If I keep pushing people away, is it not because I am pushing myself away from myself? Am I being inauthentic?

Hmmm. I don't know if I have let go of last year's fear yet. I fear my husband will not advance further in his career, and that his dissatisfaction with where he is now will grow. I can encourage him, I can give him some gentle pushes. But so far as my fear--I don't know. What do you do with a fear of something you have little control over, but that would effect your entire household (economically) and family (emotionally)?

i have the fear sometimes of telling certain people that i am with a woman, mostly, if not exclusively, with work. it makes me feel less of a person. i will be leaving this country, however, & living in an open country. i will feel more normal, more free, more full.

Fear of making mistakes. I'm cautious with almost everything. I overthink, over plan. It eats up a lot of my time. How to overcome it? Hmm, good question. Maybe ask myself to have one spontaneous event each week. oooh, that would be interesting. hmm, but if it's scheduled, how is it spontaneous? See, overthinking again....

Fear of rejection. It is limiting me from being free to express my personality, and instead keeps me just pushing the boundaries of what is expected of me. I anticipate that putting myself into positions of leadership and authority, where it is acceptable to be the one making decisions and executing plans, will be one avenue that will help me overcome this fear. Maybe then I can extend this to other parts of my life where it is less acceptable to be the thinker/planner, but with the right amount of confidence, I will be okay in that role.

I'm often extremely afraid of speaking up, of speaking my mind, of arguing, of putting myself out there, of speaking in public. I think I did a good job, through running for a student government position I wasn't truly qualified for, because I was fed up and wanted to do it, of showing I can overcome it. It still scares me, but knowing that I'm able to do it means I don't have an excuse anymore, and I won't let myself find any. As much as I may try to avoid it, I won't let myself. I'm often also afraid of failure, and afraid of the future (as excited as I am for it), which might lead me to sabotaging myself. I learned this past year that I have a lot more potential than I ever thought I did... I want to become more focussed and organized, so that it won't go to waste.

Fear of being "less" because I am alone and unmarried, with no kids. The older I get, the harder it is to be the outlier. Every year I am further away from my 'tribe' of women in our society. I do not choose to be alone. Many days I hate it. I see myself as unworthy because no man has found me worthwhile. It's an ongoing struggle.

I have a deep fear of people betraying my trust once I've given it, partly because of what my dad did to me as a kid with broken trust. I have therefore not really trusted anyone outside of my mom and sisters with my innermost workings because I know they won't desert me and have enough background info for it to make sense. I need to let other people in, I need to tell my best friends/roommates about my dad, I just have trouble starting the conversation.

I have a fear of needles. I have fainted multiple times and I've even had a seizure once. Consequently, I have shied away from going to the doctor. I do try and take care of my body and I'm fairly active, so I am in decent shape. Last year I went to the doctor for a physical for the first time in almost 20 years. I spoke with the doctor about a strategy to get over my needle phobia. I tried a few things last year that didn't help much but this year I've been going to a therapist and I think I'm making some improvements. I'm hoping to go for blood work sometime soon this year.

I fear becoming stagnant. I fear giving in to despair. I want to learn to play the piano to honor my father. I want to stay in better contact with family and friends to honor my mother. I want to visit with family and friends to honor my mother. I want to forge meaningful connections with people to honor my parents. I want to be a better golfer to honor my father. I want to be a productive member of society to honor my parents. I want to do these things and others, to live, to find passion, and to honor my parents by doing things and becoming someone of whom they would be proud.

I feel like though it's becoming smaller I've always had the same fear that I am not enough, not strong enough, not smart enough, not put together enough, to not be enough for others. I'm not sure I can overcome it but I know I've take steps to recognize that I have this fear and how many ways it holds me back. And if I can keep seeing it for what it's is then maybe I can eventually conquer it

This last year my main fear has been my mom. Living in her house, and only having to cover the bare minimum of bills, I have come to fear that she will get mad and throw me out. This fear has led to me either giving in to her, or being passive-aggressive and just doing what I want. She has been expressing displeasure about who (or even if) I date, as well as many other things. I am working with my therapist to learn how to stand up to her in an adult way. This scares the hell out of me, but at almost 50 I need to learn to face her and not run away.

I'm not generally fearful. I was afraid of heights but I test myself (from safe places) and have done this so many times that I am no longer afraid. I do have rational fears, like crime. Still, I don't have a security system or anything elaborate to protect my home.

My current fears are all about my parents: is dad going to get better or is this the beginning of the end? And what about mom: how is she going to cope? How are we going to cope. * Funny: thinking about this question I realized how my fear of failure seems to have dissolved over the past year or so. Would that Special Someone in my life have something to do with that?

I always am a bit worried about my daughter. Not sure her FB is good long term for her but not my place to say. I have fear that my husband may hurt himself. I fear he may continue the way he is with his anger hurting in a different way. I fear I may not grow and work on my own stuff

The fear I have is being alone. Its affecting all my decisions. I need to stop letting it affect me so deeply, and start making my own decisions.

I really can't think of a fear that I have. Um, maybe a fear of not reaching my potential or not getting healthier in order to prosper & serve God better. I'm thinking I have more of a fear of never getting physically healthy enough to be self sufficient and able to do what I want to do the rest of my life. A fear of loss of income. Only plan I can think of would be to let go & trust God more. Learn more how I can heal my soul; trauma and loss Ive experienced in life. Attend Trainings & seminars. Hmmm Maybe I have a fear of loss...of friends & family. I'm really not sure how to answer this. I'm not a fearful person.

i'm afraid of my back going out again. and instead of doing my physical therapy exercises to get stronger and instead of eating the right way to get thinner, i've been lazy and unmotivated. i've gained almost every pound of the 40 i lost. i'm sore much more often because i'm eating the wrong foods. my sleep pattern is non-existent. and i'm super unhappy and uncomfortable in my own skin. i am going to start doing my physical therapy exercises. i am going to start eating the right foods again, no matter how frustrating it gets for me.

The same fear always seems to stop me: Am I good enough? Will 2015-16 be the year I finally put that conversation out of my head and heart?

I have a fear of being alone when I die. I think this tends to make me a bit counter productively clingy, so this year I will try to let that go and live more fully in the NOW!

Perhaps I will leave all that around me, and I come back to my roots. I think it is the better way to letting it.

Dying without having realised my full potential or having made a memorable and meaningful contribution to the world! I have to work harder to change my life by being more focused on pinning down with clarity what exactly could achieve realising my full potential in a meaningful way! Or perhaps I have to reassess what is meaningful and what would be memorable achievements to look back on at the end of my life - are my ideals too grandiose?

My biggest fear is always fear of failure. I have a feeling that this will always be my answer but I hope one day k might finally overcome my inner confidence demons! I'm currently close to getting a new, bigger job. And it's exciting but scary. I'm confident on the one hand that my skills are being wasted in my current role. But I'm petrified on the other that I'll be exposed as not up to the job! Or all talk and no action. Or something similar. This also stretches to other areas. My fear of failure led to an overly cautious approach to the half marathon. I could have done better. The consequences of that are only personal to me and not far reaching. But are symptomatic that at times I may hold myself back unnecessarily.

So many, mostly social anxiety though I have been working on facing them and doing things anyway. I've got much better with spiders, I'm trying to get generally less anxiety girl. And I'm slowly taking my own advice I'm still feeling like I'll be alone for a long time (though that's not exactly a fear as such) but I'm becoming more comfortable with my loneliness, and building a fulfilling life for myself My biggest fear is Elliot. His behaviour, his wellbeing, his development. I'm not sure how I'll ease those fears, but I know I need to let go, accept I can't control everything and just go with the path of least resistance a little

Fear of too little Plan: Continue Therapy Finish the anti anxiety medicine Trust Maureen to make money Accept and live what I have Read about the simple life to remind myself of it Wonder aloud over and over am I afraid to be financially successful ?

I am afraid of everything, especially taking the time to really answer this question. I'm pretty sure if I took the time to assess my fears, they wouldn't be so terrifying, but as a whole, they at so overwhelming that it seems an impossible task. So maybe my goal is just to untangle them a bit more so I can see what I am working with.

Still strugglin' with the fear of being lonely. Or being so misunderstood that people just give up trying to know me. Or they become uninterested. I am not so concerned with not using my talents anymore... I think I have had enough practice and experience thus far to keep me confident in what I'm good at and what I love doing. So no doubts there. I also don't want to turn into an anxiety monster. Sometimes when I have a lil freak out and I can see it in another person's eyes that they think I've lost it and they start to slowly back away... Yeah that stinks. But that also has to do with confidence. It ALLLL boils down to confidence! No self doubt allowed. I am in Quilters rehearsals currently (opening night in 2 weeks AHH), and a common theme is the choerographer will come over to me and say "hey no need to stress, I can tell when you're being hard on yourself, you're doing great, etc. etc." or when we ran top of Act 1 a few days ago, I was being timid with my starting note of "Pieces of Lives." I weakly sang a note and then stopped and asked "Is that my note?" and Teresa went "Yes!" and Dr. B went "yes!" and Teresa said then Yes that's it, Ariel, you got it. You know it. You gotta be strong with it." And then I jokingly said "Self doubt will kill ya, won't it?" and she goes "It will. Now sing!"

I have a lot of anxieties around public speaking that has prevented me from looking for opportunities to speak in front of conferences and panels -- things I know I should be doing to push my career where I want it to go. I do have a lot of self-confidence in the realm of my professional life, but somehow it seems to dissipate when I think about speaking in front of others. Over the next year, I plan on pushing myself further into the uncomfortable spaces because I think those are the areas I need to be. I'm extremely comfortable in my day to day work life and it is boring to me. With the absence of someone else pushing me to take chances, I need to do it for myself.

I fear I have is being scared of speaking in front of big groups of people, it has limited me from getting my point of view out there and meeting new people. I plan on taking away that fear by just believing it is irrational.

Just one? Failure, not being good enough, letting people I care about down...good enough to start. While in my head I know, that God created me, died for me and rose again conquering all sin, and there is no reason for fear, I need to get that through to my heart, acknowledge that doing my best is good enough.

I fear I'm not good enough for most of the things I do. It's limited me in relationships, in improv, in photography, hell even in the job I have which I hate. It's better than it used to be, and I"ll keep chiseling away the only way I know how. By keeping up with the things that I am anxious over it starts to chip, little by little. It's laboriously slow though in my case. Therapy might be my next step (again)

Fear of not being good enough, not comparing well to others, not measuring up. One option would be to work harder on less comparing, less mind reading. Another might be to focus on the appreciation for what I can offer and do, rather than the holes. Both noble possibilities, but they don't feel practical or realistic. Any other ideas?

My fear is losing control of my voice. I believe it's irrational because I am fully able to express myself and it's been a long time since I've held in my opinions. Presently, I have gone to the other side of control by being too controlling. This is where I am now. Maybe I can attempt to let go of controlling, and see how that feels.

I fear that I am getting stuck here - that I am wasting my 20's in a place that is not very exciting because I am too scared to pick up and start over in a place where I don't have a job waiting or friends to rely on. But honestly, a lot of my friends are moving on and moving away anyway. This coming year, I will be working on a plan for my next steps and I'll work on expanding my horizons and experiences while I'm still here in Delaware - not waiting until I magically move on to something different.

Fear of finding a new job. In July I will be at my current company for 10 years. It's been easy to become complacent, however, I'm ready for something new. I'm just worried I won't be good enough. I really just need to apply for other jobs and not just perusing job boards. Fear of dentists! Although I've made attempts (forced due to pain), I have a long way to go botht emotionally and financially to feel confident with my smile. I believe I have found an office and dentist who is sensitive to my fear and has a genuine interest in helping. Haven't always felt that way.

Fear of failure or of being inadequate is something that has always plagued me. I am learning more and more how to trust my ability, and try to understand how others see me, and that has helped. But it's something that I think will be a lifelong process for me. I think I give myself a lot of outs for not trying my absolute hardest because if I do, and I fail, I will have to face that. But if I don't put in my all, and I do fail, well, then I still can save face. But that's just kind of stupid. If you're doing something, do it well and do it all out. It feels good to fully commit to something, and I think working to improve myself physically over the next year will help with my overall confidence to throw my full weight behind something.

A fear. I wish it was one. I mostly fear that I won't ever regain a sense of faith and trust in my husband. That I won't move from feeling like he is a profound disappointment and that the life we both thought we'd have is now completely out of reach. I fear that this will make staying married a chore and separating a financial impossibility. And I don't want to separate. I want it to be better. I want him to be confident again, but I feel like he feels that is such a far off place, a sense of himself that he'll never regain, and that I am only serving to make it worse. He knows that I think poorly of him, and he thinks poorly of himself and....a terrible cycle where the foundation of our relationship just keeps eroding. I don't know how to let it go. I desperately want to let it go, but feel like I'd be an idiot to do so, given how the last 6 years have gone. We have so much less than when we started, and no idea how the future will unfold. The only hope for my marriage is to give it up, ALL of it, but I have no idea how. I'm looking for some huge brain reset, I'm still trying to do the math of it all, I'm so stuck in what is "true" rather than what would work to regenerate.... A plan? To try to replace each negative though, as it comes up, to put in something else. To make as much extra money as I can to shore up my sense of safety. To keep trying to speak to him from an adult place, rather than reacting. To make trusting him a real goal, and generate actions in each moment toward it, rather than require myself to have a master plan. To create messages for myself that affirm the possibility of a string future. To put energy into our family's happiness to put deposits in the good well. To believe that it can be, that we can be content and strong.

I consider myself a relatively brave person. Looking at my life, there are a few things that make me nervous which may limit my 100% commitment to a specific idea. I think I am fearful of the unknown. I am nervous to discover what the future has in store. Although I am nervous, I am also incredibly excited. I think I would be more excited if I knew more specifically what I wanted and how I was going to get it. I need to define my life a little, a lot a bit more. I could easily do that but I would have to give up my love of performing and getting paid to do it. This fear has limited me in a sense that I find myself floundering in the worry of this idea. This year I plan on overcoming this fear by first defining what I want in the short term and the long term and realize it can change but I need to start somewhere. I also need to make plans, network and make contacts in that area of study where I want to be. I feel like right now I am having fun and taking a break because I worked so hard in school. My fear is ill be away from the "real" world for too long and not be able to jump back in. I need to try and do both or during my free time work towards a career goal that is more long term than contract to contract. Although I am only 22, I need to decide what type of a life I want.

I'm always afraid that the wolf is at the door. I deal with this by working long hours to make more money to keep the wold away. This has lead to a life of much work and little play. I am not sure what the solution is, but if I try to save more to have more in the bank this may help. I am grateful I have the resources to in my personal skills and abilities to develop multiple sources of revenue. I need to use my resources to develop ways of having more fun. I am making more opportunities for that.

I fear I am in the wrong line of work but will continue to muddle through instead of switching careers. The constant carrot of "unlimited potential earnings" looms when the reality remains a slightly better than mediocre income that could be easily bested by a different career. I need to throw everything I have into my current job and know that I didn't leave anything on the table, and at the same time be open to other opportunities so that I don't worry about missing out. That's a hard duality to maintain, but I think it's possible.

I always fear action of any sort. I need to try to stay positive and forceful and determined. I can do it, but it actually takes conscious effort.

I plan on overcoming my fears of commitment, future and change. I look forward to learning how these can be less scary.

I have always feared judgement. I had to dress a certain way, act a certain way, keep my house a certain way, but I've become more comfortable with myself and I've learned to let go of all of that. I love the freedom I've given myself to just BE....

For a very long time I was afraid of leaving my house, being in crowds, too much noise & general sensory overload. Those fears are (mostly) gone. I still fear letting strangers in my home, but am in the process of forcing myself to deal with this due to uncontrollable circumstances. I choose to look at as a good thing.

My biggest fear is that my health and mobility will continue to deteriorate. Working on body, mind and spirit to overcome this fear through meditation, appropriate exercise, and brain-training such as neuro-plasticity, EFT, and using all the tools in my giant self-healing tool box.

I fear everything. Failure is huge- even for simple tasks. Fear of boring my friends and family. Fear of the house getting dirty after I clean it. Fear that I won't come through on my commitments to myself and others. Fear that every line I draw won't lead to a masterpiece. Fear that my designs will be laughed at, or fail. Fear that I will hurt too much exercising. Fear of socializing without alcohol. Fear of the unrealized potential of a weekend (or weekday) night without alcohol. Fear that those close to me will die suddenly. Fear that I will die before I start living the life I've always imagined I would eventually live. Fear I may never life that life if I live to be 100. Fear is keeping me from truly living. I plan to take more risks this year, to live more fully in the present instead of dreading possible failed outcomes, and to tally up experiences with alternate, positive outcomes even if I'm uncomfortable attempting them.

I fear never getting back to the life I had - but even more - never getting back to the career I had and my career trajectory. What if I can't return to a professional setting where I was starting to be recognized as a very talented professional in my field? And my other fear is that maybe I wasn't as recognized as I thought. Maybe my understanding of myself was limited to the small world of the organization I was in and my fears are based on an unrealistic and expanded understanding of where I was going professionally. What if I have to take a step backward in order to return to a city and have the life I love? And why does this scare me? I think my fear is not that I'd lose some kind of status (it didn't bother me too much when I took my current job), but that (like now), that others won't know what I can do, and that I won't have thee opportunity to take positions that will be satisfying. Being an ED is my sweet spot. I am certain of that. I need to be able to act on my big picture thinking, I have a talent in applying the right amount of process to get stuff done...and all the rest (while I know I also have a lot to learn). I'm sure there are a few other positions (like Deputy Director) that would be amazing, if I was working with a particularly great ED, but you don't often know that until you're in the role and my experience now has me too fearful to take that chance. I know that. I also believe that if a great opportunity came up that wasn't an ED job, that I would be wise enough to recognize it. I'm keeping an eye out for director of development jobs and all sorts of things with other titles that seem interesting. But how will I overcome this fear? I think one way is to remove the time constraint I've place on our leaving. It was useful to have that, because it gave me something to look forward to and also served as a motivator to get me and Chris going on our job searches. But I've started to relax about the timing. And I also need to remind myself that people leave jobs and have life changing life events all the time - and they are still able to do great things. I'm one in a million who has been in this or a similar situation. It's hard because I've only been here now - this one time. But I know I'm not unique and - like others who have left and returned, I should be able to do it, too. I think the other way to lose the fear is to embrace the possibilities. Who knows what great job I may find? Perhaps if I retain a sense of awe and excitement about the possibilities I will let go of the fear and simply remain open to the great future that awaits. I am working hard to find an awesome job. Chris is working, too. I have to just keep working. I'm not sure I can fully lose the fear...it may linger in a marginal way until I actually get a new job and we move...but I think it helps that I consciously keep all of these considerations in mind in an effort to not be so fearful.

I have a fear of spending my time on Earth in the wrong way, which has been helping to cause me to spend my time on Earth in the wrong way. I need to practice doing things, and trying things out, and maybe thinking less about what's 'right' versus what's good. And I need to remember that there's no perfect career answer that solves everything about my life, and that's okay, because that's not everything.

That I won't be effective. That I won't succeed in leading this school where it should go. That I will let people down. I will continue learning and continue being me. That's the only person I can be!

I mentioned earlier that I do not always trust myself and my strength, or feel I deserve to be successful and happy. I am just going to work through it, push myself harder and prove myself wrong.

I am afraid of people. I do not know how to develop a social life, and I am afraid to be around others. I do not know how to make close friends. I cannot handle crowds. People, frankly, terrify me, when they are in person and not on the internet. I am afraid I will be alone for the rest of my life, because of this. I don't date. I don't develop close relationships, and I don't know how.

The fear of not being able to get work, either because of my age (not being "hip enough" for increasingly younger clients) or because my fees are too high compared to those just entering the market. As a freelance photographer, I'm regularly bidding on work that younger people are willing to do for less, and since my girlfriend isn't working at the moment (lo-o-o-ong story), the pressure to pay for everything is getting more and more worrying. Overcoming the fear will likely require looking for ways to market myself in new ways... I'm still weighing everything.

Speaking in front of a group, asking questions, and making suggestions. It has limited me because I often miss the opportunity to ask an important question or have an important conversation in the end. I'm working on the speaking part, it's been required for my work and has not been as daunting as I expected. But I'm still petrified into silence when I have a question I'd like to ask, especially if it seems very important to me. I need to fix that aspect of myself.

I fear that my life will be full of regret. I try never to say to say no, but I feel like sometimes I am burning the candle at both ends a little too much but that I am not being enough to anyone. I would like to learn to be more patient with life and let things come and wash over me more. I want to learn to be okay with what is happening in the present.

My big fear is for my financial security, far more than it is for my health as I am aging. I don't know how I will let it go, but I know that I MUST or the former will effect the latter.

My greatest fear has always been that people don't like me/love me/accept me. It has made me overly accommodating; made me accept treatment from others that was hurtful; made me no like/not love/not accept myself. I will no longer live with that lack of acceptance or love. I really have wonderfully supportive people in my life and (outside looking in) a really great life. This fear is completely internal and developed over years of emotional abuse and neglect. Now that I realize the problem and the source ... I am able to let this go and not let this limit me any longer

I fear I've got too many walls. Planning to let it go by letting myself know feelings are ok and asking for what I want.

My fear is that I will never be "normal" again; that I will never be whole. My anxiety limits me, my court orders limit me/us, and my horrible ex limits me (although his grasp on us is slipping). I plan to keep working on myself and my anxiety through my medicinal treatment plan and through therapy. I plan to deal with my ex through the court system and the hope that my new attorney will make more headway with our case than my previous representation.

I have had a fear of not having enough good, edifying, encouraging, fascinating, challenging, insight-producing or otherwise positively stimulating stuff to feed my soul...books, movies, art, music, beauty of all kinds. Therefore I have collected a huge library of all these things. I have let much of it go in the past few weeks of purging in preparation for a move. I feel strongly that I am being invited to trust and receive instead of constantly foraging for something to get, to experience, to own, to repeat. The setting of the new home represents at least two things to me, if not more: God knows who I am and what I love, and God is inviting me to spend more time being in the beauty, in the moment, with God, with myself, with others in this new space.

This seems to be complicated for me so I will give a complex answer. I think my real fear is about making a decision or commitment. I'm not sure where I want to be geographically based on many factors. Mostly I have emotional connections to two places and those emotions are complicated. Relationships exist in both places but for different reasons. I'll leave it at that for now. My plan is to spend time in both places over the next year, as in months at a time in each. I am hoping that my relationships will fall into place or become more clear during both the separations and the time in each place. Who knows... Maybe it is time to find an entirely new place to hang my hat. Time will tell and I look forward to reviewing this next year when I see my answers.

I can't think of any fears that have significantly limited me just now. Perhaps my lack of interest in management positions falls in that category, but I think that's mostly about what I enjoy doing vs. not.

Failure and rejection. I'm working on the former by doing more things I know I'm not good at and learning new things. With learning and experimentation comes failures and that should help me to learn that everything can't be perfect all the time. With rejection it's a bigger battle, and my only plan is to accept it can happen and that's okay. But that's easier said than done.

Fear of what is happening to my daughter in an abusive (isolation and control type). And I suppose to my nrewborn grandson Give the situation to God to look after Realise it is HER business not mine Protect myself and my interests (financial and other) from him/them Realise I am not alone in this Realise it happens all the time in the "best of families"

I have a fear of not doing what other people want, for fear of losing or disappointing them. I know logically at this is a false outcome, but emotionally I fear letting people down. However -- this is not healthy. I feel that I am missing things, or letting things go that I would really enjoy participating in. I will aim to do better to make sure that I put myself first at times, and encourage those who feel that they require much from me to balance their expectations.

Spontaneity. Handling small changes is going much better. But I'm still not good at just randomly doing things. If for instance my boyfriend would say let's go to this party now! I still freak out. I want to learn to let that stress go and just go with the flow, provided it does fit in our schedule that is. Can't go around doing those things if I actually need to work ofc.

Fear. I had to think about this one...and am still thinking. I wonder if, deep down, my fear is that my life--my useful life--is over. With my health issues and some major stresses in the past decade, I wonder if I have become resigned to a fate certain, if I am merely treading water waiting to die. And sometimes, even wishing to die as an alternative to slowly withering. I struggle with stamina, strength and mobility. I seem unable to find peace of mind in the rush of chaos that runs down the canyons of my life with too much regularity. I can't seem to get the traction necessary to feel I am living a worthy life or one with much promise or purpose. So I took this question to my therapist this very morning who gave me a powerful image that might serve as an anchor for this next year. When I tell him I am not a person of faith, he says, "But you are. You are a person of deep faith, very deep faith. You are perhaps not a person of dogma, of traditional dogma, but you have your own dogma. It seems to be a dogma of personal authenticity and it drives your faith." Then he gave me the image of the cross, which he says pre-dates Christianity. The vertical structure is the Self, he suggests, our very core, that goes deep down into our being, but also goes up beyond our comprehension. Eastern religions such as Buddhism speak more to this part of the structure. Western interpretations speak to the horizontal structure...the outreach to others, the love-thy-neighbor teachings of Jesus. It is where the intersection of the two meet that the "white hot" center of being exists. In the Christian tradition, it is where the heart of Jesus was pierced. I think about that "white hot" image and know this is where I can feel most alive now, perhaps especially now, in this place in my life. I will find it clearest in silence, the silence of spiritual places...in nature, the visual arts, music, poetry. Perhaps this next year I can best face my fear of obsolescence and find my way to genuine relevance in solitude.

Max Tobin 9/23/2015 English Lang and Comp 10Q Question 9: 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? We all know that feeling: the utter trepidation that the teacher might call on you to answer the question. You look down at your feet and hold your breath; hoping that through some act of mental or physical desperation you can disappear to ANY other place. There is nothing more detrimental to one’s confidence than being in a class setting where you feel completely out of place. A fear of mine, that has developed in the last year or so, is being unable to comprehend a class or work material. This is the result of taking AP classes where the content is expected to be more complex than anything I have taken thus far. There is subtle anxiety in choosing classes for fear that you don't have the mental fortitude to handle your schedule. This doubt or uneasiness has played an unorthodox role in my life wherein it has been less of a physical hindrance, and more of a mental reminder. The fear of being academically over my head has not affected the classes I have chosen to take; for instance, I take 5 AP classes this year including Physics C, which is infamously difficult. However, I do feel a constant sense of inadequacy or need to prove myself that I am worthy to take these types of classes. This is not to suggest that I struggle in these class, and in fact I got all A’s in my AP classes last year. But there is still this inclination to feel inferior because you are not doing more, and this is largely based on the perception at “college preparatory” high schools that you have to be perfect or a genius. You can take every advanced class and study relentlessly for every exam, and still it can be perceived as not enough for elite colleges. An accurate metaphor for this paradox is iPhones. You can wait in a three hour-long line to get the new iPhone, and be ecstatic when you first unwrap it from the sleek plastic. However, about three weeks later, you will get an email or see a billboard for the next generation IPhone that promises to completely reinvent and antiquate the one you just gave a tooth and nail to purchase! Now this may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it certainly feels this way and quite similarly in regards to academics. While you may take Calculus BC, the person sitting next to you could be taking multi-variable Calculus, and you are sitting there wondering how that is even theoretically possible. In the grand scheme of things, I do not believe that paranoia that you are academically impaired in comparison to other high achieving students is not the most pressing issue in the world, but it is certainly an everyday concern for many people including myself. This topic is especially amplified amidst the upcoming college applications. It really comes down to becoming more accepting of your own limitations and realizing that all people have different skill sets. While this fear does not go away after high school, I hope to work on believing in my own capabilities.

A fear I have is driving to places I am unfamiliar with or new places. It limits me because if I don't have a ride I will miss out on doing things. I will overcome my fear by using a GPS to go to more places.

I'm afraid I'm becoming my mother. That's not to say she's a bad lady, but she has some qualities that terrify me. There are other traits she's passed on that I have no control over and those dictate my life. I am working on the items I can control and manage the traits I can't. I think this will be a life long challenge, not just a "wham bam thank you ma'am" situation that can be resolved in a single year.

I have a fear of exposure. Am I good enough? Smart enough? Successful? Or is it all a well-crafted illusion. It comes down to self-doubt. I'm successful and have achieved a lot professionally; more so than my husband has. Yet I he has a way of making me doubt myself. I've confronted him when he does this, and he states that it's not his intent. But it never really goes away. Honestly, the way of letting it go may be to let him go.

I have a fear of having an idea and just acting on it. It is attached to the fears I acquired while being in an abusive marriage. I've been working on it much of the last 6 months and plan to stay the course.

No fears. No limits.

My biggest fear at the moment is of the unknown. As I keep telling anyone who comes remotely close to asking - I'm totally single, totally unemployed, and totally have no idea what I'm doing with my life. I laugh after I say this but I'm honestly shitting myself. I wouldn't say that this fear is limiting me per say, however, it's the lack of limits that freaks me out more. In the past I've always had some form of stability and/or constant. If I didn't have a job, it was okay because I had Rob. When Rob and I broke up, it was okay (well not really, but let's just say it was) because I had my new job to move toward. I'm terrified of taking steps back, but I'm trying to convince myself that sometimes you have to take steps backwards to move forwards.

There are two fears, actually, that bring some limitation to my life. First, is my great fear of spiders. I know a few people who are not in the least afraid of this eight legged monsters. But only a few. As a small child, we lived in a woodsy remote area and at that time had no indoor plumbing. My grandmother's outhouse was filled with spiders in webs. She was one of the few mentioned above. She loved spiders abd, I believe, thought of them as pets, or even very good friends. She was firm in her forbiddance of killing them. I sure hurried to be in and out of that outhouse. And these were the benign gentle orb weaving spiders. In Fresno, California, I encountered once a flock? herd? of big hairy tarantulas crossing a country road. Some, with legs extended, were as big as plates. Some jumped onto the car. It was every crawly horror movie I'd ever seen. When I had my children at home, I buried my phobia, so they would not be frightened. Ther were some encounters, but I handeled it pretty well. Now, with no young children in my house the fear is free to live and expand. I have no fear of the gentle "Charlotte" web weaving spiders. I would never harm them outdoors, although I do not like breaking their webs with my face. If I find one in the house I carefully take it outdoors on the end of a broom or wrapped in a tissue. My problem is with the terrifying big, black or brown, wolf, aggressive, tunnel making attack spiders. I've seen results from their bite, several cases of people close to me who nearly had amputations. I have watched them come toward me even as I drained a can of spider spray on them. I have electronic devises in wall outlets in all my rooms. I have sprayed along baseboards. Still, when I enter a room, I immediately scan the walls and ceiling for spiders. Pathetic. I'm not sure how I will overcome this fear. It's been with me a long time. The second fear is not really fear, but discomfort. I am uncomfortable driving in traffic or to unfamiliar destinations. I have a GPS now and that helps but I still let this discomfort limit the places I go or activities I would enjoy. This one I need to overcome, or get rich and hire a driver.

Failure, or insufficient confidence to dream.

As with last year, fear of having too much to do and feeling stressed about it. I really do often keep myself in a negative emotional place by focusing on all I have to do and hard it is/will be to get it done. I make myself feel bad, inadequate, not in control... cutting back on what's in my life does help, to an extent. I love having weekend days and weeknights and even work-from-home days with NOTHING on the calendar. I wrote last year that cutting back on what's in my life was what I wanted more of, and aside from "signing up" to have a child, I have done that (perhaps because of being pregnant...) I crave and need more contemplative time. Alone time. Quiet time. It feels so hard to claim that for myself in this busy life! But I have. At the expense of doing what others want me to do. Hard to do. Worth it.

At the moment my biggest fear is life. Getting on with it, becoming an adult. Getting a job, driving a car, getting older. It limited me in the way that I have become an almost horrible person at some times. I get overwhelmed with fear and the inevitability of it. There is no way but ahead. And part of me wishes to get into the cozy, safe blanket that was life at college and stay there. But that is not possible. There is no way but ahead. I don't now how I will overcome it, but I'm sure I will. I think it's like easing into a bath of hot water. You do it slowly and carefully at first, untill you are more accustomed to the scalding water. But when you have grown used to the heat, you will find it comfortable.

I am afraid of failure. I am afraid of the unknown. It has kept me firmly in a space that I know is not what's best for me. I plan on JUMPING!

I fear not being good enough. That fear stops me from trying--it stopped me from applying to grad school for years, it makes me obsessive and paranoid that people are judging me behind my back, it makes me feel like I have to work twice as hard as I probably should. Wanting to be better is one thing, but I need to recognize when I am good, that I AM "good enough." Awareness is the first step. I can't rely on others' reactions to me for validation, I need to be better at recognizing my strengths and being more confident that I'm not messing up.

A fear that I have is that I will miss an opportunity for true love, for finding that close to perfect mate. That maybe I will be stubborn or indecisive and not see what or who is best for me. That I will miss out on something or someone that could have been. In the coming year I will work to really identify what it is that I want and when, Are any of the people in my life now people that I could see being with. I will continue to date and stay optimistic. I will not put off tough conversations and be very honest with myself and people I am seeing. I will try to distinguish relationships that are solely physical and more deep. I am a bit scared that not much will change in the next year though...

I worry that my poor habits in the past will limit me in the future - work habits, eating habits, exercise, etc. I need to move forward the best I can and recognize that all I do in a positive way is good regardless of past.

Fear (dislike) of authority. It makes me act in spite of myself (or not act, when acting would be in my own best interest). Fear of missing out ... shows up as not getting enough sleep. I don't focus on quality, but on quantity -- of activities, outings, committees, involvement, volunteering -- for fear of missing out on something that 'sounds fun / fulfilling.' Consequently I get overtired, then feel sad. Fear of the future ... a consequence of working in my field (personal finance). I see people all the time who are blissfully unaware of their impending impoverished future, and it makes me anxious for my own elder-self. Reveals the toxic-ness of my "spender" orientation (vs. 'saver' husband). Related: What will my children do for their livelihoods? It's tough out here! Can I let that go, and trust that they will find their path, they will find a friendly economic niche and people who love them? That to struggle is to grow and learn? Bottom line: this particular form of protectionism is an unhelpful side effect of being a parent.

I find it difficult to pinpoint a fear. I don't really have anything specific that comes to mind. I have gotten much better over the past few years at not worrying and fearing things like I did when I was younger. I suppose the only fear I can think of now is moving. I know that eventually I would like to move elsewhere (probably in Canada, but later on, maybe another country, even if it's temporary). So I guess my fear is that of physically making a big move. Other than that, I can say I sort of fear starting a new relationship. I haven't had much in the way of long term relationships since I have been divorced/separated (10 years now).

My fear right now is failing myself. In terms of taking a risk with my savings and going to live in LA and it not working out. It scares me. And I really want to go and give it my all but I try to play it safe. Sometimes if you don't put your all into something and it doesn't work out its easier to say oh well I didn't give it my all so it doesn't matter. The real fear is giving it my all and it doesn't work out. After seeing my dad put his all into his company and for it not to work out and then for him to almost never recover from that is hard.

My husband had a heart attack and is not very well . The thought of being a widow terrifies me .

The fear of not making the right choices literally paralizes me and I end up not making a choice or making it too late. I think sometimes you have to go for what your gut is telling you, and sometimes you have to sleep a few nights on it, or even write pros&cons down. The trick is to find out when to use what method. I'll try and report next year.

I fear of losing my creativity. I fear of not writing songs after years of writers-block. It has limited me by keeping my creativity at bay. All of a sudden, dishes look facinating! And with baby, it's easy to lose myself in the daily duties of motherhood and leave my artistic desire behind. But I want more than just being content with this desire. I want to write songs! But I fear of writing bad ones or of ending up with a batch of half-baked ones. I plan on overcoming it, by surrounding myself on a regular basis with what I learned from inspiring books, movies, the outdoors, and even baby. Then I want to take the little stints of time I DO have and make them count. I don't have time to be scared - I only got 45 minutes or 15 minutes or 30 minutes. Then it's off to seeing why baby is crying.

Fear of not being perfect. Of not being good enough. I'm going to practice saying "I don't know; let's figure it out together," and talking about myself as a learner.

I have a fear of not living life how I want to live it. I have a fear that I'll have to choose between keeping a relationship with someone or having what I want to do in life. It has limited me by having me feel trapped in relationships. I plan on overcoming this in the new year by increasing my ability to communicate what I need and partnering with the key people in my life in creating ways for everyone to be satisfied. I want to love all areas of my life and to feel free!

I am afraid of people not liking me, not being the best, others being better than me. I am also afraid of being alone. This is codependency. It has limited me in every part of my life. I am so enmeshed in what my husband and coworkers think of me, I barely have a personal entity and self-love.

Perhaps it is a fear of 'alone' I try to be with people when and how I shouldn't necessarily be with them. It is something to work on, allowing me to be alone here more hours a day to work and finish the house, alone to practice and learn, alone to pray and meditated and become me.

Flying is still my biggest fear, but thankfully it hasn't hindered my ability to travel. I would like to find a way to stop worrying about the kids so much so that I can feel less stressed, more at peace and more relaxed on a daily basis.

I am afraid of being ostracized. I have always gone along with the crowd, or even the individual. I am learning not to care as much, and not to compare myself with others as much...I especially want to stop caring what strangers think so much, and to offer good will to everyone, regardless what they think of me.

My biggest fear is that I will not have the ability to keep working and it will result in significant financial distress. My only resolve is to keep plugging away and concentrate on the now. I also need to realize what is important and if i have to miss a meeting for a funeral (Helen's where I left early) so be it. In the end, no one will remember that i wasn't there for 1 meeting but I will remember what is important.

I've been afraid to commit to creative endeavors...perhaps fueled by a fear of rejection or maybe not being good enough. I want to let that go by sharing some creative work I've endeavored towards. I'm also finding myself afraid of mankind and being hurt or killed. "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows." - Matthew 10:28-31

Fear of daring to go with my own truth. Putting other people's needs before my own. Not being important to other people. Being alone and unloved.

I fear that I am not loved by those I love and that I will be alone for the rest of my life. I fear that I will be come homeless and not able to take care of my cats, or be able to be responsible for my livelihood. I plan on practicing yoga, meditation, breathing. I plan on taking action - selling the "stuff" that no longer serves me. I plan on embracing whatever the universe offers me with love, gratitude, and laughter.

I only fear Elohim and this fear let's me hold Him in awe. Only fearing Him means that I have shalom in the rest of my life. I don't plan on overcoming this fear of Him but rather strengthening it.

I'm afraid of being vulnerable. I hate asking for help. I hate letting others see who I really am, for fear I'll be rejected. I've been consciously more open with friends and family, and I plan to continue with this openness. It was so hard to take the first step, but now that I have, I find vulnerability can actually be empowering.

The fear seems to be around our health. The fear of one of us continuing to lose ground with our health. We already feel how we are diminishing day by day, in ability our to think sharply, remember easily and just our day to day physical functions, like urine leakage, bowel leakage-loss of control of these, having them act on their own. Eating well and doing physical exercise does not slow the diminishing march. Many of our body parts are losing ground, eyes, lungs, heart, stomach, brain, etc. I think my greatest fear is that something will happen to my love, Alex. It feels unbearable. There doesn't seem to be a letting go as the diminishing is relentless and ongoing. I plan to just go forward, come what may, try to be courageous and adapting, accepting as best as I can if my fears manifest themselves.

My greatest fear at this point in my life is that I'm too old, that it's too late (for anything new or any major changes). My earlier answers address some of the ways I hope to overcome this fear - continuing to learn, grow and travel, continuing to build social connections and maintain physical health. I'm not sure yet, but I often think I should try to get a job again, as that is where my paralysis becomes most profound. If I do get a job, I should also return to therapy to bolster my efforts.

That I am insufficient, inadequate, unprepared to transfer my visions to the world, via writing or music or presence. How to overcome? By diving in! How to dive in? By getting into the well being of para-sympathetic mode. All the time, enjoying being alive, letting the mind wander into our time, who we are, what we seek, all that.

Not being in sync with my partner and whether doing my thing would fatally demolish the relationship. I need to reward the ideas and interests that my partner has to solicit more support of mine. Know how; but need to have more urgency about engaging.

The fear of being alone. I think I haven't pushed my husband to make choices because I am afraid!! My 5 children are grown and totally want me in their lives but they are either starting or have their own paths to follow that I will not be a daily part of. That is scary. What I want for them but scary. So if I don't have my husband of 31 years, I will be alone Have no idea how to overcome this. Still working on it

My fear is that when I'm gone people will see what a failure I was.

Not being able to pay off my bills. It is a constant level of stress in my life that I am trying to eliminate.

Being judged as a gay man. I still can't seem to put the words, I am gay, together in a sentence out-loud. Even if I don't like the way the word "gay" sounds, I can't seem to come over the fear of being judged when putting it so bluntly. Even indirect way of saying it makes me very uncomfortable. Not sure how I plan to overcome it -- talk to people some more about it, therapy -- but I hope to overcome it somehow in the coming year.

The fear of not being liked. I am not going to get along with every single person I meet. But I have genuine intentions and I try to treat each person with respect. Overcoming it: improving self-love. Reminding myself that I am likable and that I am good to people.

My fear is that I am getting physically unable to keep up, whether it be a hike, bike ride or even a long walk. I tend to just sit things out and be less active rather than be too slow or winded. This year I will work on my stamina and endurance to be able to be more physically active.

I fear conflict, and avoid it. I hope to be able to learn that disagreements are not the end of the world and that not agreeing does not mean I can never work with a person or enjoy their company/friendship any more.

Fear. It consumes me. I'm afraid of the leukemia coming back. I'm afraid of the long-term effects of all of the treatment I had that saved my life. I'm afraid of the long-term effects on Bone Marrow Transplant (BMT). I'm afraid that after all of that something stupid will kill me - like a car accident. I'm afraid I won't get to die old and in my own bed. I'm afraid my loved ones will die, or that my beloved will die now that we finally found each other and have this life together - are making this life together. I'm afraid that I won't use this day well, or well enough, and that I won't use tomorrow well, either. I'm afraid. A lot. That is a lot to let go in one little year even when it is stretched before me with so much hope and promise. But maybe, just maybe, I could let go of a little of it. My plan is more life. I had a lot of not dead. I've had some slightly alive. I've had some mostly alive. And maybe I'm lying here with my sword on the bed beside me because I still haven't the strength yet to stand. Or maybe, just maybe, I have plenty of strength. Maybe I can get myself up, stand solidly, raise my sword, and tell my enemies, my fears, that it is time to drop theirs. What I know for damn sure is I'm going to try. I don't have much of a plan yet. I probably need a mask, a Spaniard, and a Giant. I should also probably watch Princess Bride again, while I'm putting a plan together. Maybe I need a whole film fest dedicated to this plan. Alice can help me do six impossible things before breakfast and regain some muchness. A Knight's Tale can help me change my stars. And Princess Bride . . . well, hell, we made it through the Fire Swamp, but I still don't want to live there. There has to be something better.

I have a fear that my peers don't respect me as a scientist. I think it has limited me in the ways that I express myself when I'm around other people in my field. I need to build on my own strengths - strengths that I know I have, but that I tend to downplay. I plan to forge ahead with my ideas and keep being vocal about the things I want to do in the context of my work. I've never been overly "career driven", and sometimes I feel that this has limited me. I realize that this is just my perception, and that ultimately I have been very happy and proud of the things I have done thus far. I do plan to be more assertive in the upcoming year to prove not only to myself, but to my peers that I am just as good of a scientist as they are - even if this is all in my head.

I have a fear of failure, embarrassment or not being good enough, which limits my creativity. I plan to work on pushing through this limitation to connect with my true self. I will try to do this in an organized and step-wise manner.

A major fear is that I am not cut out for academic work and should have exited the game years ago. It has kept me in a paralyzed, anxious, afraid state for so many years now (my whole life, maybe?) and I am just starting to move out of it as of a few months ago. Each time I achieve something work-related in spite of my fears, I feel a little more joy (quietly) that fuels the fire for trying again. I'm trying to really trust this process and stop putting myself down. I think I'm about as smart as most people, and have just as much right to try as the next person. This is a really new inner attitude for me! The plan: just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. Taking action, doing my best each day, being reasonable in my demands on myself. The Slight Edge as a daily philosophy of steady progress.

Being single...I am concerned about having enough money for retirement. Plan to pay closer attention to my finances and develop a timeline to make it happen. I also trust that God will continue to provide.

I'm afraid of failing, of letting people down, of my life being a complete and utter joke. I'm not sure if I will ever fully let go/overcome these fears, but I do know that I am constantly making progress in doing so. After living for the satisfaction of others for majority of my life, it's an extremely scary and daunting undertaking to just let go and only live for myself. I worry about the damage I may inflict on others as I try to pave my own path in this world.

One of my biggest fears is of change. In the past, this has kept me from enjoying new situations, or being able to handle things well. Hopefully this year, which will hold some of the biggest changes of my life, I will be able to embrace change and celebrate the new things I will get to experience because of it.

I fear that my success will cause something bad to happen to people I love. I have a hard time believing I deserve to be happy or healthy, and I feel guilty when I try to make those things happen. I don't know how I'll get past this fear. I recognize it as an anxiety issue, but it doesn't go away.

I really don't have any fears. I realize while participating in this 10Q thing that I don't think many deep thoughts these days. I'm in a very good place with my fears. My biggest fears were the deaths of those around me, but many of those have already come to pass, and they were horrible, but I never have to live through them again. I'm also terrified of flying and probably always will be, but the fact of the matter is you have to fly to see the world, and my desire to see the world overpowers my fear of flying, so it is what it is. I'm moderately afraid that I'll lose my job or the company will go under because it's kind of a startup, but even if that comes to pass, I am confident that I could find work elsewhere. I'm really not afraid of much. I'm afraid of the random shooting sprees in the world, but you never know when or where they're going to strike, so you really can't prepare or change your plans or lifestyle around that. So I'm relatively fearless these days.

Failure. I fear failure above all else. Which doesn't make any sense because I feel like I'm failing all the time. B I would love to learn to let go of this fear. But I'm not sure where to start.

Still kind of scared of being alone. I'm still not enjoying being single. Again, I have certainly improved but I'm starting to get sick of it. It limits me in recognizing all the pros of being single right now -- no obligations to anyone but myself, more time, I have no idea where my life will be in 9 months so now I don't have to worry about another person, etc. Or that I compare myself to other people who have a person in their lives. I want to focus on me more this year and through that, I will be able to overcome those feelings more because I will have the proof that I can do it and be alone.

I fear that I have all these things I want to do or accomplish in my life, but I will just keep putting them off. Then I will have deathbed regrets -- and my whole life has been about "no regrets". I either have to let go of some of these things on my "to do list", or I have to start pursuing them. If I'm going to pursue them, I just have to make time.

I'm working on my fears now Learning that they are indeed in my head and I can replace these images with empowering ones who propel me to take actions in a positive direction One is learning to receive from others Another is allowing love back into my heart without the fear of getting hurt or cheated on Learning to love myself first so i can care for me then others

While I am and adventurer, I fear taking a chance. I fear that publicly taking a stand on a position will define me negatively - that people won't understand. I want to get involved in an organization that challenges the status quo and works toward a better humanity!

I am afraid that my skill set is becoming obsolete and my age will prevent me from making a change in my career to do something I find more personally fulfilling. I know that I can ether become more content with my current work or get training to make a change. I'm not yet convinced I will be able to do either of those things.

I am afraid that I will fail my son this next year in his personal growth an development. I am afraid that I will not be able to do enough to help him grow and learn and that I will be able to let go and have him grow on his own. I am afraid the my ex will continue to interfere in this process and will make it much harder for me to help him grow and feel successful I hope to let it go this next year. I want to try some activities such as family constellation work and therapy

Jealousy continues to limit me some, but I feel I've made a lot of progress this year. I think by this time next year I'll have a lot more tools for my own emotion regulation and self-care and a lot closer to the me I want to be. Life is pretty darn awesome, and there is a lot of positive progress on all the fronts; I am both hopeful and confident.

I don't like to look stupid or incompetent. I also don't like to show my emotions. I have no plans for this, except to try and be real as much as possible.

that i'm going to be really useless from now on. and losing dad and yoda. it's limiting me because i'm not doing enough. just day by day....appreciate what i have and what i can do, and be it / do it. i can only be me, and only live this life, and let the fear go. fear is the mind-killer...and i will let it go around me, and thru me, and when fear has gone i will turn and look...in the end it will only be me. [ apologies to frank]

I fear being unemployed and poor again. And trapped in a city where I can't find work. I'm taking a chance on this job. I just hope it works out. I don't have an exit strategy/plan B.

A fear of death lives with me. I don't know how to overcome it but wish to explore the fear itself in some way to at least confront it. I think if I can face the idea of mortality, it will free me to live today more fully and perhaps less fearfully.

This isn't exactly a fear, but I've realized in the past year just how much I care what others think of me, especially in a professional sense. I give extreme weight to what I think others will think about what I do or say, especially if I think there will be a negative reaction. I want to be able to move forward, gain good standing, and be respected as a professional peer. To some extent, I think it's healthy to care what other people think about you. I think it's good that humans exist in society as checks and balances to each other. And I think my motivations for caring so much about this are okay. But I think I care more than is healthy about being perceived in a positive light. I am scared that it makes me be less myself and that it may cause me to do things against my sense of ethics in order to be seen well. It also stresses me out a lot. I think I need to realize that in general, I am really on top of things and don't really need to worry so much about what others will think of what I do in the workplace. I am respected already and can be bold as long as I'm not cocky - and people may even respect me even more for it.

I think I've always had a fear that my relationships will just be history repeating itself. I fear that I'll fall in love with someone and they'll cheat on me like dad did with mom. I fear that I'll learn to trust someone and they'll shatter that trust by hurting me. I'm scared of totally giving myself in this relationship, right now, because what if everything I know...what if I wake up one day and everything I know changes for the worse? What if, what if. I think spending more time by myself is going to help. It's painful and it hurts a lot, but I think ultimately it helps me learn how to be there for myself again. So I can stop relying on others for validation and love. Because if I don't give that to myself first, why should anybody else?

I still have a fear of building community, I think I've done a good job this year of trying to build it, but having meaningful relationships is difficult to find the time to create and maintain. I want to do a better job of this in the next year.

I have a fear of never being good enough. My fear has brought me down in tremendous ways. Because I always fear saying and doing the wrong things, I have limited myself when it comes to planning and reaching my goals. I've also held back when it comes opening up to other people out of fear that they may not approve of me. My plan is to stop caring what other people think of me. Someone else's opinion of me doesn't have to be my reality. I will overcome my fear in the coming year by learning to accept myself to the fullest.

I'm ready for fear of failure to not be such a motivator. How can I get to a place where it's okay to fail?

That it will be too late to do anything different. Afraid of the truth that I will find in practicing silent meditation. I don't have a plan for my life or my feelings. If I get stuck, I'll move. I'm not afraid of the punch, I'm afraid of not being able to absorb it before taking a swing.

I'm sometimes afraid to take on professional challenges - to meet and engage with people I admire, to push myself forward. I need to "lean in"!

my greatest fear is letting down the ones I love and care for. By letting them down I mean by not being there for them emotionally, intellectually , physically --to help in any way that I can. Each year ( thankfully) there are more and more people I realize fall into the category of my caring...( and more and more whom I loved have died) so each day I feel more and more overwhelmed by how little time there is left to do my best for expanding pool of loved ones!

I have said it before and I'll say it again - I am terrified of failure and it has held me back. Maybe it's not even failure, maybe it's worse than that. I'm afraid of being considered a failure, of not doing the most prestigious thing, getting the best job, getting the best grades. You know what's funny? A little tiny bit of me allows this fear to turn my successes sour. I considered it a huge failure when I missed my grades for Cambridge, so now I'm going to Oxford. Yes I'm over the moon and proud, but a tiny bit of me is saying 'well, are you pleased with yourself now that you've 'proved yourself'? NO MATTER BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE STILL A FAILURE' Here's the cool bit though. With age (having just read back my previous answers), I've got better at hearing that voice and just saying 'shut up'. I have a kind of distance from my self-doubt that I didn't have when I was younger. Sure maybe I'm a failure, but I'm still going to keep trying. In terms of next year, I think I'll need to work hard to care a little bit less. Failure is something that I'm slowly starting to accept, and I'm trying to tell myself that if none of the jobs I'm applying for at the moment come through, that won't be the end of the world. I'll get something else. At the end of the day I'm smart and motivated and I won't give up till I have something. It may not be what I wanted but these things have a knack of coming right in the end (I KNOW that when things are going wrong I tend to forget this and think everything is lost. If 2016 me is having a bad time, she'll definitely be reading this thinking 'all very well for you to say, poised on the brink of going to Oxford'. But things will come right, even if it's not this job, or the next one. Sooner or later, you'll get something good. It may not be what you planned on either. But that's ok.)

I think that I'm afraid of making the wrong choices. I need to learn to just make educated, well-thought decisions, and then stop overthinking everything. Very few things can't be fixed, and I have to remember that.

This was the hardest question for me to answer, because I don't know what I'm afraid of. I am perpetually afraid of losing my family- I know we all have an expiration date, and every day it gets closer. I guess it's not a fear, since it will happen some day. But I need to be ready for the death of my parents, my brothers, all those around me. It's not imminent- that I know of- but things happen. Now that I'm in such a good place in my life, I'm afraid of being stressed again. I hate the way I feel when I don't sleep well, eat poorly, and can't workout (which is my job). Maybe that's a deeper-seated fear of losing control? I'm afraid that I live in a fantasy world constructed of my perceptions and beliefs about the world around me. How can I act rightly if my reality is not Truth? I am afraid that I am wrong. In the long term, I'm a little bit afraid of being alone. I have been before, and I am terrified of going back to that. But I have G-d now, and He does not take His presence from me.

I don't know if I have one that stands out to me. I really think I overcame a lot of things in the past year (moving in on my own, leaving a job to start another without any assurance I'd be happier, dropping someone from my life who didn't deserve me...) and I feel like I really try to face my fears head-on. I'll be speaking at a conference this year. I joined a dating app. I don't know what major fears I have right now (that aren't standard to everyone) and I can only hope that if I have to face something I have the means and the wits to overcome it with grace.

I fear I'm not good enough, smart enough, lovable enough, sexy enough. My fear is that I'm not enough. It impacts my work and anxiety around performance; at times causing panic attacks and depression. It influences my eating and exercise habits, sometimes leading to binge eating or starving. But mostly, it influences my marriage. When I'm not "on" - not feeling good enough- my spouse is less attracted to me. We drift, don't have sex regularly, and argue. My confidence in self drives his attraction to me. Yet, I'm finding that if I focus too much on work or school he's also less interested. For myself, I need to define my self as enough outside of him. For me, by me, about me. My next year's mantra? "I am brilliant."

I have feared not being talented or knowledgeable enough to do the things I dream of, and it has limited me from trying. I busy myself with books and articles instead of putting myself out there and agreeing to dive in. From now on, I am going to give myself permission to get in over my head and figure it out later.

My biggest fear is that my son's life will get worse instead of better, and that he could possibly die or go to jail. I am concerned about my grandson's and daughter-in-law's lives, as well. The whole situation has caused my relationship with them to deteriorate and I don't like that or want it at all.

I am kind of afraid that I will never publish a book-length work and that if I do publish one that it will be terrible or (maybe worse) no one will even pay it any attention. Since I'm in this writing program, I just have to do my best work and try to balance all of the commitments. There's no predicting how a book will do, so I just have to keep plugging away and write the best book I can write.

I still fear being alone, although it is dormant now that I am in a relationship. It may limit me in how it colors my interactions with my boyfriend, either inhibiting me from saying something for fear of a negative reaction, or my trying to be over-solicitous and smothering him. So far, that has not been a problem, however.

I am so very scared about turning 60 --- I wonder if it would be possible to find love --- I do not want to go into my old age alone. I have been paralyzed for putting myself out there and I want to change that this year.

Im scared I wont be able to quit smoking and will feel ashamed!

I have a few fears actually: 1. Fear of socializing in the state I moved in and that is completely associated with the weight I have gained. I kind of feel like i have regressed to my high school days where I hid because I didn't feel like anyone could like me. That is why it is a challenge for me this year. 2. Fear of never reaching my potential. I hold myself back a lot because I am afraid of failing or being rejected. Like not writing my book even though I have a solid idea for fear I have no talent.....not going after things I want for fear I am not good enough. I think I am going to go to counciling finally address my demons and baggage. And I am going to just start instead of holding myself back....life is too short to be afraid of failing. I don't want to look back on my life and realize I was a spectator.

The fear of being judged is something I'm slowly getting over. It will always be there to an extent because hey, I'm human. But I no longer have 'guilty' pleasures - I love Harry Potter, Dub Step, Taylor Swift, baby names, and so much more. And I don't have to be ashamed of any of that.

I worry about my health from time to time - but I don't think it limits me. As I age I recognize that I can't do everything I use to do (or at least not as fast) and I appreciate the beautiful days that we have now more than I did before.

Attending auditions. My one audition outside JFed went poorly, and the thought of another mishap is daunting. I think I will just have to go forward and continue to audition.

I suppose one of my biggest fears is that I am being taken advantage of in my interpersonal relationship. Do to our vast income differences and our work ethic, I feel waves of resentment at times. I am a worker. I find it hard to relax, what I used to love about my spouse is that he was kind of a refuge but now I am just frustrated. I think this frustration has only made the relationship more difficult. If I can let this anger and fear go, then I can enjoy the relationship more or not be afraid to let the relationship go!

I have a fear of disappointing others. I believe this stems from an incident in my childhood. As I've gone through my life I learned to compensate; to go ahead and try things even though I may not succeed and I may disappoint others or embarass myself with my failure. I am hoping that in this coming year, after I do what I said in question eight - of assessing myself - that I'll be able to better decide what to do, and to do it for myself and not for others.

Fear of being an total invalid and having toe totally depend on others. Having to leave my house and not have enough money to live comfortably. Instead of just thinking about it, I am putting plans in place and discussing with others. Letting go and enjoy each day and occasion.

I fear rejection. It has and does limit me in personal relationships, both romantic and friendship. I want to explore with Erica how to see it rearing its head, and ways to talk differently to myself/ACT DIFFERENTLY so that I can begin to put this pattern to rest. On the surface, I think I'm pretty cool; underneath, not so much. I want to believe in myself enough so that others can see it, too. (Or I believe it when others appear to see it. Different side of same coin.)

I have a fear of dealing with my past and remembering past traumas. My plan is to work the 12 steps in order to let it go

I am afraid of being my big, true self. I'm afraid I will be too big and too true to stay connected to the people I love. I am already working on letting it go, in part by learning to have faith that I will always be loved and in part by not letting me hinge my movement on others and in part by practicing showing people my vulnerabilities. Wish me luck...

Well I always assume people don't like me or aren't attracted to me. The first one is silly because I keep gaining friends and my calendar is stuffed with things. The second one I have difficulties working on, but my tinderflirt is helping it. After seeing me in real life he still calls me beautiful, and that is just lovely (and weird, stop throwing the word around so much, save it for rainy days dude, make it mean something)

My fear of messing up. I often will shut down when I'm overwhelmed by decisions or things to do, and I'd like to find a way to power through that and learn how to try things that scare me, and admit and forgive myself when I make a mistake.

I am always fearful about health concerns, but have made some strides in dealing with those moments. Meditation and relaxation exercises have been critical to this improvement. I am no longer fearful of making a mistake in my career since I did so last year and survived, perhaps for the better since it taught me to appreciate the good in a job where I had previously taken such things for granted. I plan on using exercise (walking, pilates and the gym), as well as relaxation and meditation, to help me managing stress and anxiety. I think I've also been afraid to put myself out there at school to make friends. I don't quite know why, but I think I'll make more of an effort to connect with other moms and dad so that I can build community there.

I fear that I am not as smart, kind, loved or liked as I believe many others close in my life to be. That I'll find out that the truth is: I can't write my book I can't quit smoking I can't lose weight I can't be in a loving romantic relationship I can't find a safe, loving, permanent home I can't enjoy my life I can't be emotionally, spiritually and financially healthy. I plan to look this fear in the eye, and DO IT ANYWAY. Regardless of my fears and doubts, take action in the direction of my dreams and: Write my book. Quit smoking. Lose weight. Be in a romantic, loving relationship Find the perfect permanent home for me and pooches. Enjoy my life, no matter what. Be emotionally, spiritually, and financially healthy.

I have a fear of futility, of being perceived as useless in this world. All my life I have been cute and short and bubbly, and people do not take me seriously. I need to either accept this and just ignore people, or work on ways to be taken seriously. Maybe start by taking myself seriously. Self confidence grows with doing stuff, not sitting around passively waiting for stuff to fall in your lap.

I continue to be terrified of the possibility of leaving my longtime job for another one, but my God, it's time. It's been time for awhile now. I very much want - at this point NEED - to strike out & find something new & figure out that last step. I don't know how to overcome that fear except to just, well, do it, take a leap. But I know that it needs to happen, & I hope this is finally the year for it.

When I was a kid I was fearless, nothing stood in my way and if it did I would just go through it (over/under/around). I did have normal concerns, but I took chances and was never limited to what should have been my limits. As I grew up I became frightened of everything, I was limited by boundaries I built up in my own mind and was afraid to try anything, even things I'd always been able to do. It took me a long time to rebuild myself to be more balanced between both worlds, I still have fears but I they don't stop me from taking chances, I am more aware of the risks so the chances I take are safer to begin with. Fear is a natural response to a dangerous situation, but when you let that fear cripple you, you miss out on so much life. Being fearful is my fear, it limits the world you live in, and that is often limited enough.

I have a fear of failure and it keeps me from trying, which leads to my failure to tackle the larger issues I face, be they personal (obesity) or professional (time management). My only plan is to try harder, which is to say, I need to try--period.

I'm afraid of not doing a good job on writing the book I am working on. This fear keeps me from giving the book constant attention. I will continue to forgive myself for being afraid and find ways to bring the book to the center of my life.

I am afraid of ageism and how it may limit me professionally, financially and romantically. I am going to work to tackle it on several fronts. It is a form of discrimination that impacts millions of people, so I will tap into effective support networks for help. It is also a manifestation or symptom of my personal insecurities. It's a way for me to put myself down, to not try and play a victim card. I will work at it from that angle too.

i fear letting my family down. And I don' t plan on letting that go.

I'm afraid of not being seen as the smartest one in the room. Seriously just realized this. Work on learning instead of teaching all the time. Yoga class taught me that I don't always have to ask the smartest question, thanks sal for the painful lesson

I think the fear that limited me most this year was some kind of deep-seated fear that ultimately I deserved all the criticism I received this year, and that actually I was not very good at anything, and potentially too lazy to ever be great. I have a small list on my phone of Things I Wish I'd Done. They range from learning to fight with a broadsword to learning German and finally getting fluent in Spanish. This year I plan to pick a few of those and see them through to completion, so I know that I can.

I'm not sure what's holding me back. Maybe it's a fear of putting myself out there, separate from my husband in a work context. Maybe it's putting my needs ahead of us a married couple or business partners. I'm not sure. I have to figure out a niche and a need that I can fill. Somewhere where I can make a difference and contribute to society. Do something to help rebuild Baltimore after the riots. Bridge gaps. Reach out. Make the city a better place.

That of always being apart. By many years of small-scale ostracization by a thousand cuts. No idea. It may be inappropriate to insist that I change in this regard at this point in my life.

Death. Not planning on letting it go. Just living with the thought.

I have a fear of hard work. Or surrendering my time. I have a fear of the loss of freedom. I fear success. I fear believing in myself. I fear seventh grade. I fear the day when my daughter becomes less interested in being my friend. I fear predators will scar her. I fear drivers ed and SATs and college tuitions. I SHOULD have more financial fear. I have some, but not enough to do too much about it.

I don't like failing. So I don't always try new things. Next year I want to try one new thing and see how that works out.

My fear of rejection is difficult. My fear of failure is becoming less important as get older.

I fear consuming depression and despair, even tho' meds seem to mostly keep me above this. It is there, waiting if I am not vigilant. It limits me in planning because what if when the time comes, I don't feel I can comfortably be with people. The more or different med route is frightening. I will consider all avenues in this regard.

I'm sooo afraid of flying, but have now, purchased tickets on Jet Blue to Houston...Here's hopin!

My fear of being alone.

Fear of what other people think I am. I am the Bear That Wasn't. It has limited my ability to be successful in work and at qigong teaching. I plan to continue to open myself to the opportunities of nonjudgement, of remembering that I am a child of the Gd and the Universe born of the same, and forging ahead with an open heart and an empty mind!

Fear of rejection and/or not being liked. It has hindered me from properly expressing my thoughts and feelings and opinions. I will remind myself that life goes on, regardless of the outcome of my actions.

I've been increasingly scared to share vulnerability over the past few years. It wasn't always this way for me: in high school I was happy to share all my feelings and faults in nauseating detail. I was an over-sharer. I've cut down a lot on that, which was a good thing, but the pendulum has swung completely the other way, to the point where I come across as disinterested and too-holy-for-thou. More fundamentally, I haven't been able to get in touch with my shame and empathy recently, which has really hurt my ability to get involved in serious relationships, relate to my friends, and be an authentic political activist. There's something about being a transient young professional that demands a certain amount of emotional shielding, but I need to watch myself to make sure that shielding isn't excessive. This year, I'm going to make a point of giving people genuine compliments, and sharing more of my "bad thoughts" and vulnerabilities. I hope it will lead to a bit more balance.

Disappointment and expecting and not choosing joy or outcomes! Choosing and speaking truth into my heart and life!

I fear really leaning in to my life, particularly in a professional capacity. I think I'm really good at what I do but I don't do some of the things that would get me more noticed and recognized for my contributions.

I dislike how easily I can feel fearful of my partner in the bedroom. Not because of anything he does, but because my last relationship was abusive. There's a difference I'm looking for, between why sometimes I feel a setting is erotic, and sometimes I feel it's fearful. I hope I've got that situation all broken down and figured out within the year.

My fear is what it's been since I've begun my relationship with my husband. It's being fully honest about me. I know that he too hides aspects of himself - but I feel I know more about him than he does of me. A part of me knows he would accept me warts and all - he knows so many things about me and loves me with those aspects - but fear and letting go of that fear scares me. Perhaps it comes from being candid with my ex-husband and others where I changed in their eyes and became a foul creature that deserved to be despised that keeps me at bay from sharing all of me. Perhaps it's just my discomfort with myself. I think I need to learn to love myself just a bit more so that I can come to a place of comfort in telling my truth.

Fear of finances. I ignore my investments and procrastinate on a budget. Need to trust that I have enough to last me my life long - however long that might be. Do the budget and stick to it.

I'm scared of myself and people! I judge myself relentlessly and it creates a fear in my mind that other people will judge me too. That I'm not worthy of love and belonging. This is my EGO. It couldn't be more clear. My heart is full of love and compassion and my egoic mind blurs the clarity of my heart leaving me in a place of false separateness. This limits me in my social, educational and professional relationships. I plan on overcoming it this year through therapy and self love and compassion.

I have a fear of doing and saying the wrong thing. It has limited me because I feel immobilized and lost. I plan on letting it go in the coming year by stepping over and through and around the fear and thereby giving me more opportunities to trust what's true about me, which is I have gifts that I want to give myself and the world.

I fear that i will get dementia like my mother. it hasn't limited me, but i'd like to find ways to keep my brain stimulated and find exercised.

That it is a problem if I fuck up. Fuck up a bunch, Emma. You can handle it.

I don't have fears unless they are healthy responses to dangerous situations, even then I could probably benefit from being a little more fearful. I do have biases and intolerances that I should probably get over. For starters I should try and learn to put up with people a little more and be more social.

I don't think I have many fears. I used to be staunchly against dancing. Now I find myself dancing in front of Fran to amuse her. I'm not sure I'm ready to do it in public yet. I'm sometimes afraid of being found out at work for slacking. If I was managing myself, I'd want to see more productivity. But my clients and my line manager seem to be happy with what I do. I could overcome this by developing better habits and getting rid of the bad habits. And also by being less tired, getting more sleep.

I have fear of water - swimming. I will try to learn swimming. Also will concentrate on saving.

I think a fear of financial failure has limited me in some ways - on the one hand I am willing to take risks and go for it. But on the other hand, I keep the game pretty small because it's scary to confront the unknowns of doing something I've never done before. But the reality is, I have learned from every failure and I have SO much to offer, there is really not a lot of risk in going forward with my ideas of monetizing my knowledge, and sharing my abilities for a reasonable exchange. Helping people experience personal transformation is something I am good at, but it's also scary to go out there and do it...a fear of failing at that has limited me, I'm sure.

Last year I wrote something that punched me in the gut hard when I read it back this year. It was about my terror at being alone for the rest of my life. It was uncomfortable to read because it sounded like the howlings of a women who had lost her sense of self and could only achieve happiness with another. But on reflection I know it's simply the want to do life with another human being. We are a pack species - I am especially that. It feels easy to drop my guard now that Steve exists. I've found someone who matches me, mirrors me, fits perfectly with my idea of a wonderful life. Surely life has thrown me a bone? I want myself to keep in the back of my mind that I must not drop my guard too much. I'm in love with a married man. A man who loves his wife. One who is married to his best friend, values his promise to another, and in an sense has been unable to come to terms with the idea that he cannot ever leave this union no matter how incredible he and I fit. Steve can see a way through this with the two worlds co-existing but I guess I know that there will come a time where I want more, and I'll need to choose. Life has given us the keys to the kingdom but there are caveats. There is an existing union and a love of another country to overcome. I have focused on his marriage but I've forgotten the love of my life - England. I would need to leave her behind too. Will Steve and I choose our childhood sweethearts I wonder? But not now, and not in the immediate future. I want to find balance. I want to enjoy what this is. Allow myself to accept that it is what it is and experience the joy of it. The guard can't be too strong that it conflicts joy.

My greatest fear...being alone, and yet I have been alone for years now. My alcoholic husband leaves me alone on Friday nights and lives his life on his computer, Saturday's he sleeps in to recover from the night before and is in no mood to do anything. Nursing his hangover with another drink/drinks. No visitors, children do not visit, too difficult. I have been alone and I just have not wanted to accept that. Now looking at it, there is nothing to fear, I have been alone all along.

Impostor syndrome. I'm terrified of applying for all these postdoc type positions because I don't feel prepared or qualified, and I know the acceptance rates are laughably low. What can I do? Keep working hard and continually remind myself I am just as qualified as anybody else to do the work I want to do/am doing.

Not sure I have any fears other than facing the application process for college - LOL. Maybe I'll kick that one in the butt this year. Baby steps...

It will be fantastic!

Like all artists, I fear my work will go unnoticed by the general public, that I'll labor in obscurity, and that my faculties will slowly diminish. One area I no longer experience fear is in romance; I feel great security in my relationship. I am loved by someone who shares my interests and intellect, and that supplants all fears. I'm grateful to truly feel this for the first time in my life.

I'm afraid to drive. This causes me to lose independence and puts a terrible burden on my hubby. Also, I'm stuck in place.

I have a fear of debt, of not being able to pay my bills, which is very real right now. Even with my parents helping me. I don't know that this fear is limiting me ENOUGH. I wish it would motivate me to save more and not spend, but I end up just not being able to make end meet. I also wish I was more motivated to get a second job, because that would cure this problem. I also have a fear of my becoming lazier and lazier. I'm not sure if this is a legitimate fear or one motivated by the ever efficient and increasingly fast-paced lifestyle of my time and country. I am lazy sometimes, like when I screw around at work on facebook or something, but I also make sure I accomplish the things that HAVE to get done like cleaning and taking care of Cameron, etc. I would like to overcome my fear of debt by bringing in more income this coming year, and I would like to let go of my fear of laziness by accepting that I need time to do nothing (but maybe filling that time with tv isn't the best way to take advantage of it).

My most general fear is being perceived as stupid and/or weak. This has haunted me going back to my childhood. I want to work on overcoming it by reminding myself that I am as good a person as anyone else - that I have as much worth as the next person.

Another 10 years of depression. I (try to) protect myself. I see my therapist every week. I take my meds (twice) every day. I see my psychiatrist regularly. She says I'm probably on meds for the rest of my life. I don't know that I'll ever overcome it. Does PTSD go away? The 10 years happened. It doesn't go away. It's one thing I don't forget! But I function well. I just need to stay this way.

Gee, I guess I really am stuck! My fear remains that of letting someone else help me handle my money. I know that I am foolish in not investing for future growth, but I don't trust that anyone really knows a "safe" and successful strategy to do so. I fear losing what I've got, which prevents me from risking the possibility of earning more.

The fear of rejection with women is what has been limiting me. But quite honestly just being afraid of life in general is really what has been limiting me. The fear of taking risks beacause I fear failing so much. I don't wanna take any big risks because I'm afraid I'll only fall deeper than I already am right now. If I fall any deeper than I already am I'll only get more depressed and hate myself even more for it! I fear that I will die an old and lonely man filled with so much regret because of the things I didn't have the courage to do. I don't wanna die having regrets! I wanna live a happy and fulfilled life. I don't wanna feel like I missed out on anything big before I die. I don't wanna die alone! I wanna die happy and healthy! I wanna feel like I did shit before I die. Like I had all the fun that I possibly could have had. The way I plan on letting it go or overcoming it is just to keep reminding myself that life is short and that I'm not getting any younger! I need to do everything I can before I can't anymore. I need to live life to the fullest. I need to stop caring what other people think and just do whatever the fuck I want.

I genuinely fear success. I have no idea how to overcome it other than to keep trying things until one of them works.

Though it surprises me, I realized recently that I fear spending too much money on myself. It costs a lot for me to maintain my health so I tend to not spend money on things I want to own or to do. Getting over it but it is hard.

My fear is that I will become vulnerable as I age due in large part to severe back pain. The only way I can overcome this fear is to prepare myself for possible surgery. I would need to go into it with the best weight I could achieve so that recovery would be as easy as possible.

I fear intimacy, I fear making the first move with a woman. I fear a good part of life as a whole. I fear that hard work does not actually equal success in the long run. It keeps me from making a commitment to anything that would require a significant amount of time/work because I just don't feel like there's any point.

Fear of being invisible. So?

I am so very afraid that something bad will happen to my husband or our daughter or the new baby I'm carrying. It makes me paranoid when my husband is late getting home from work. I don't know how to let it go since I know terrible things can and do happen. A girl I was friends with in USY was recently killed in a traffic accident. She was driving to work and a truck hit her car and she died. Now her husband is a widower and her three children are motherless and I can't get it out of my head.

oh the 'fear' thing...well, that is something I have been actively working on. I have so many little fears, they are so numerous that it is hard sometimes to even recognize that they are there...so I have addressed some of the obvious ones this past year. The fear of looking stupid - how dumb is that? I have put shorts back on and flip flops, if someone thinks I don't look good, who cares? I have gotten off the sidelines at the beach, I'm too young to hang out with the grandmas...I am in the swimsuit and jumping off the dock!! I am going down the water slide! These seem small, but it is the forward momentum I am going for. Banish fear.

I'm going to fast to be scared. Maybe I'm scared on missing out on my own life...

Fear of making decisions. Fear of committing. Fear of being wrong. Give up more to instinct, reach out to help others, say what I think, don't wait to be asked (!!!!)

I have a fear of getting ahead of myself. I have a really hard time being in the moment and therefore I tend to worry about what my next move is instead of enjoying where I am now. In this next year, I will continue to seek new opportunities, but I will try not to be as impulsive when something isn't going my way. I need to remember that I'm still young and I have time to make changes in my life. Whether it's moving to a new city, or really focusing on my writing. I need to remember that there is time for all of this, and not to get ahead of myself.

Fear of being phony or fake. Simplify, downsize, make sure that the building blocks are solid before building up any facade.

Ultimately, I fear being trapped. I fear being stuck in a situation where I have no choice and I have to just surrender. It limits me in many ways. I think it's the main reason why I run from people who like me and run towards others who don't. (It's also the reason I hate flying in planes over water.) Being trapped is petrifying. This year, I hope I can overcome it by putting myself in situations that challenge me and force me to go with the flow, even when I can't control what I want to. I think of myself as a fairly easy-going person, but I also like freedom and to run with my hair in the wind (literally and figuratively...okay mostly literally). I hope I can expand my mind this year, and stop letting this feeling keep me from doing things that I know I want to do.

I think I fear too much coming across to others as a fraud, or as unskilled or unqualified. I want to overcome this fear by recognizing that I have equal right to an opinion as anyone else and that I have spent as much time or more than the average person to read, educate myself, study, practice and constantly attempt to better myself as a human being. And for that reason, I am a person who should always be confident that what I have to say has merit.

Fear is declining health. Plan of attack is more exercise, more dance, more music, more focus on being alive.

My greatest fear this year remains the same as my greatest fear last year, that I will never find love. I have spent much of the last several months convincing trying to convince myself that I have accepted that as an inevitability. And I can live with it, I just don’t want to. I can accept that ALMOST without pain, but I know that I will never be HAPPY alone. I miss having someone to share my life with. I miss the physical contact of intimacy; kissing, holding someone’s hand and yes, sex. The idea of spending the rest of my life without real happiness is beyond depressing, it almost makes life not worth living.

I have an awful fear of death, and getting old. It scares the shit out of me. How will we survive financially? What if one of us get's sick? Will we ever be able to retire? I actually freak out over this, and I'm far to scared to talk about it out loud.

I have a fear of living big--daring, spending, going for broke. I plan to try in small ways to get to the bigger letting go.

I have been scared that my feelings will be so strong that they will engulf me and I will never get out from under them. This is mostly related to my grief and sadness. Ever since Mama died, it has been very hard for me to just sit and be with my uncomfortable feelings. So I distract myself as soon as an uncomfortable feeling arises, with food, drink, TV, etc. I hope to let go of it by trusting myself to make it through any darkness on my own. Meditation might help.

Of losing my dad. Letting go - not so much Overcoming - I would reframe this as accepting and being more present.

Not sure if there's that much I fear. The one area where it seems I feel unable to move forward is with my creative endeavors, and that is something I would like to overcome. Still...not sure that it's fear per se.

I fear feeling too much and not feeling enough. Wanting too much and not wanting enough. Taking too much and not giving enough. I fear that my fears and insecurities will ruin my relationship with my boyfriend. That my inexperience will scare me. I hope that being honest and communicating with him more will help me overcome those fears. I hope he's the kind of person that is willing to work with me on that.

I think I always fear "never finding someone"/ being alone. And I suppose that fear translates to "not being good enough" or abandonment issues. The only thing I can do is work towards my own growth and happiness, knowing that another person can't do that for me.

fear of losing my mind. I am not sure the fear has limited me as much as deterioration of my memory has. I plan to continue to work at acceptance and staying as active mentally as I can.

I have a fear of the pressure of having to always make the tough choice... The healthy choice... I am afraid of growing old and not being able to be wild anymore... I need to find acceptance.... Trust my path...

I have a fear of my moms future. This is not something I will let go, but is something that I need to come to terms with. I need to make sure that I am living my own life too and getting a chance to experience everything it throws my way.

I fear letting people down and being a disappointment. This is a huge struggle for me at the moment and is limiting me from living the life I actually want to live. To overcome this fear I need to face it, there is no easy way to overcome it. I believe meditation can help me hugely in this as well.

The fear that my husband will die before me. The fear that I will die before him, leaving him alone. Nothing much I can do about it, except living well and doing what we can together.

Fear of failure/rejection. This is the 'Big One' for me. I have let it limit me in so many ways-it kept me in a relationship I *knew* was terrible for me, it kept me in multiple jobs which didn't fulfill me, and it's kept me from really putting myself out there and expressing my authentic self, my beliefs, and really connecting with others. I'm tired of living in this lonely little bubble; with 9 billion other humans surrounding me, there is NO REASON to consistently feel like I have no one I can trust or relate to on a consistent basis. I plan to let it go by contributing more-finding causes I can support with my time and money, spending more time catching up with old friends and making new ones, and investing in a coach or mentor to help me get through the hard bits I avoid or may not even see from the inside looking out.

I have a fear of losing the people I love. I constantly think about it and what would happen if someone in my life dies or leaves me. After dealing with so much loss the past year, it has become very clear to me that I need to focus on the now and spending time with the people I love. Asking questions, learning from them, etc.

Failure - it causes me so much stress and anxiety. This year I hope to work on letting things go and being kinder to myself.

The biggest fear I have is of too much stability, and although it generally propels me toward exploration and adventure (both positive outcomes), it can also make it difficult for me to focus and devote sufficient time to tasks that only pay off in the long term. I hope to overcome this fear by finding the ideal balance between stability and shenanigans.

I am plagued with the thought of my own mortality. It crosses my mind dozens of times a day. I don't think think it's holding me back, but it does weigh me down. I know life is brief and I want to spend that time living the fuck out of it.

Fear of regret. Definitely the lead actor in my daytime and nighttime dramas. Sometimes, I can recognize it. Sometimes not. I hope to attune myself more fully to this particular saboteur (and occasional ally) in the coming year.

FEAR. It's still my bully. Still workin on it. Still trying to make friends with faith (instead of hanging around with fear - cuz he's a jerk.)

I fear failing at my dreams. I fear being a success and then failing at my dreams. I fear being alone forever and I fear being vulnerable, loving and then losing. I fear the void that I sometimes feel, the panic and sadness that overwhelms me for little to no reason. I fear my own weaknesses. I fear I will never be good enough. I am letting go in as many ways as possible - I aim to slowly but surely chase avenues that allow my dreams to be fulfilled, by taking risks and writing as much as possible as well as possible. It's slow but I'm working on it. And if I fail that's ok. It's not a permanent failure. It might just be a failure for now. I'm trying to remember that. But to not even try...that's already failing. To not even give myself the chance. That's certain failure. At least if I try, and try again, I might succeed. I am in a relationship with someone and I am terrified but I do believe it's got the foundations to really last. I want to be with him for a long time. I am letting him in and I feel safe with him. At first I was terrified of being with him and now I'm terrified that he won't want to be with me. I'm terrified of losing him but I'm doing my best to look out for him and not worry too much. I'm letting him look out for me. I believe it will last, but even if it doesn't I know I can trust another human being and give of myself to one, romantically and intimately. I can do this. Ever try, ever fail, no matter. Try again, fail again, fail better.

I will never be financially responsible. I plan to overcome this fear by giving unscrupulous attention to my financial affairs this year.

I'm afraid of my greatness. I am afraid of being smart and powerful and sexy and good at what I do. Because I'm afraid of falling down and looking stupid and failing. Of achieving something greater than me and then losing it. I will find courage in the fact that the world needs me to be my best self. Playing small is not in service to anyone or anything. I will accomplish big, improbable and impractical things.

Mostly I'm scared of making mistakes, messing up, making wrong decisions and also being judged for my mistakes and missteps... Basically I'm scared of too many things. Even driving. I want to overcome all of that. I'd like to try to be less hard on myself and allow myself to make the mistakes. I'll try not to think so much about what others may think and just follow my desires more. Believe in my ideas and competence more. Just leap... But not in one big leap, but little jumps. I could set myself little goals and just be happy with achieving those

the future and the unknowing I don't know exactly how to overcome my fears but I do know I need to work on them so I can live a better life.

I’m afraid of thinking on my feet and speaking my mind. I’m worried that people will point out that I have not done my homework and I will be seen as incompetent. The only thing I plan to do is get prepared … and then when I am prepared, don’t hold back on participating and being involved. Enjoy the fruits of my labor and contribute in earnest.

I have a fear of finding true love too late to have my own children, or even worse, not finding it at all. I fear that I'll be alone for the rest of my life, and that I had my one chance with D and it got fucked. I plan to work on letting go/overcoming this fear this year by: reminding myself it's not a truth, not grounded in fact; by re-reading that article from The Atlantic that the scary statistics on childbearing are based on people who lived in the 1600s; by continuing to take proactive steps to continue to meet new people and make new friends and lovers; by having a crystal-clear understanding of the man and the relationship I seek; by continuing to improve my relationship with myself and increasing my self-esteem and self-worth; and by focusing on gratitude and recognition of all the joy I already have in my life

I have a fear of feeling imprisoned by gratitude. To be Asirat Toda. I don't want to be so exposed and shattered and broken and let someone help revive me- and be forever in their debt. I don't know how to repay that. And I fear I will be shackled by indebtedness. I have a fear of memory loss. I have a fear of not asking the right questions in time. Before they go. Before I can't hear the answers. I will try- to let him love me, they way he is trying to. And I will take what comes, whatever ending, Ill withstand.

Health, especially depression. Is that what keeps me from moving forward in ministry? Am I afraid I won't be able to work at it full time in the way I want to? Also afraid of bringing up the topic of tensions with my daughter--and with my mom. I've been discussing all of these issues in therapy. It helps if I decide on a specific action (write a letter) and a deadline for completion. A treat for timely completion doesn't hurt.

My fear of being alone. I guess right now I am really dependent still with other people. Next year, I want to be able to say that I can live on my own and not be scared that I'll be taking care of myself.

Fear itself! I hate that nagging voice that echoes everyone who I allow to make me feel worthless, uninteresting, dreary, and ineffectual. I want to remove their influence from my life and be the positivive voice that moves me forward every thime I do something new, scary, and good for me.

I am afraid of missed opportunity, moving on too quickly. I am afraid of moving so fast that I'll miss what's right in front of me, that I'll forget to appreciate what I have when I have it. I am afraid to move on from the boy I was with this summer because I am so passionate about our relationship and what it could have been. He and I care deeply about each other, but he needs time to adjust to a new life situation. I just don't fit into that equation right now, and that's okay. I'm afraid, though, that I'll move on and as soon as I do he'll be ready for me. I'll be long gone by then. But I deserve better, I deserve more. If I can't find someone for me now, I am enough. I am good and I am strong and I am enough. I think this will have to be a conscious decision making process in order to get over this fear. Really analyzing what I'm doing and if I'm holding myself back from reaching my full potential. And if things are meant to be, they will be. I always seem to put myself in great situations, in the right place at the right time intentionally, such that my skills are fully used and I have the capability to really help those around me. If things are meant to be, they will be. They will come back around, or I will take those once in a lifetime opportunities and run with them. I will be okay with my decisions and letting go. Really making an effort to reflect and do so.

public speaking and its derivitives has limited my salesmanship .... not sure about the coming year

Finding reasons and excuses to not pursue what I believe in

Consciously I think I'm over most of my fears. I'm sure there's some unconscious stuff that is still holding me back, and I'm working to dig through and overcome that.

Loss.

I fear that everything that I do will be ultimately unsatisfying. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, generally I only want to do things that are entirely unproductive (jog, sing alone, etc.) or produce something that I see as among the best in the world. Most pursuits require some journey work, and I just can't stand making things that are flawed. I'm also terrified to expose vulnerability. Generally when I get interested in a thing, I lose interest at the moment where to improve any further would require asking someone for help. It prevents me from doing any very well, and limits me in many ways. Honestly, I don't think I can let it go or overcome it, my therapist might have some suggestions that help in one way or another, but this is just how I've always been, and nothing I've tried so far has much changed this state of affairs. I do think I can push harder against my fear, be bolder, but I think it will be there, and will prevent me from doing what I really want to for the rest of my life, at least to some extent.

That I will commit suicide. Maintain and expand connections to meaningful people, efforts on behalf of others, to let go of past expectations, fears, shame and regret. To move on into the present.

I fear the loss of loved ones. I don't know how to get past it other than to spend as much time with my family and friends when I can and appreciate the memories.

I'm too much of a penny pincher. I need to turn my money into experiences more than i do today. I need to stop letting a price tag deter me from a great experience.

Last year, I worked on my fear of trusting my feet. It was a tough one, and it's still there. I need to keep working on it. My big fear that limits me now is my fear of not being self-sufficient. That has led me to a place where I am afraid of not having a job, even though I'm confident I can get a job if needed. My fear of being risky with my self-sufficiency has gotten in the way of my own happiness. I discussed this in a previous question -- I'm letting fear drive me to prioritize security over happiness, and I don't need to do that. I can weather a storm just fine, and I have Chet to support me, too. Overcoming that will be a great gift to my happiness.

I have a fear of judgement and it holds me back few making new friends and I hope to get rid of it this year.

Two fears and somehow I believe they're related. I have a fear of heights tho' actually I think it's a fear of being out of control.Loosing control over myself, the people around me, etc. is useless. In fact, I have learned this year, how little control we actually have over the world around us and the people in it. I plan to let it go by living more in the moment. Day by day. Listening to what the universe is trying to tell me. Physically I plan to try swinging on a trapeze as a way to tackle the fear of heights.

I fear I am unlovable. It has prevented me from living to my potential. It has prevented me from bringing my gifts to the world.

Fear of failure and of being negatively judged. It freezes and paralyzes me in regards to my dissertation, and I also think that it leads me to self-sabotage or not put forth as much effort as I could to protect myself from the possibility of failing at something that I've given my all to.

Not a fear, really. But certainly a concern. With my older son, I could easily see his future path and how it meshed with his skills as I see them. Not so with my younger son. I have to continually remind myself that I can only assist this 18 year old and only on his terms. I can only offer in various ways. Nothing more.

I am very fearful that I will not find a career where I am able to utilize all my skills and intellect and all the experience I have gained over the years. These past couple of years have been really hard on me from a professional standpoint. I have made poor decisions regarding my career track and have had some set-backs. I want to regain my confidence by finding a job where I can learn, grow and thrive - and stop fearing that every day will be the day that I get fired.

I'm not sure if it's a fear I have, but something has limited me. I have no idea how to let it go.

Money is my fear....not having enough, not finding a rural area that I can afford to live in. If I had to stay here it would literally break my heart into a nonillion pieces and it couldn't ever be pieced back together.

I am fearful about where my children's choices are leading them. Given their ages and what little effect I've had thus far on their choices, I feel for my own sanity I have to let this fear go . . . insofar as that's possible.

Fear if success fear of speaking out, fear of being me. I'm always holding back . I want to get past that, i want to live my full potential, be full present, and fully me. i think time spent being in myself, working on my health will help some with the confidence/acceptance. I think more meditative time will help with grounding. I hope making goals to push myself in word and deed will help me as well

I am afraid that I can't do it. I'm afraid that I will fail no matter what I do. I'm afraid that I am not who I know I am. I'm going to focus of success. Not failure. You are what you eat. So I'm going to eat success. I can't stop me. I have to let my life unfurl.

Ugh. I continue to be afraid of disappointing others. Of offending others. It holds me back in my writing. In conversation. And, sometimes, in pursuing what I want to do. I hope to continue to increase my awareness of when I am doing it, so that I can begin to let it go.

I have a fear that I will not find a full-time job in my field. I know that it will not be the case, but the fear exists. I know part of the driver is being in DC. There is immense competition of very smart and capable people for a limited number of positions; and part of it is not being technically finished with my graduate degree program. I think once that paperwork is signed, a big weight will be lifted off of me (and I won't have to keep lying to my mother!).

I have a habit of sitting and waiting for my mother to pick me up. I feel it clearly, even though this goes as far back as my first year of life. I wait, sitting in front of the TV, playing hearts on my phone, eating. I believe the underlying fear to this is rejection, and loneliness, however, the behavior manifests just that. I just started working with a food plan, and use WebMD to track it. It feels good to be honest there. I hope to sign up for the new Yoga Studio opening in November in Novato; they are offering a discount monthly rate, however, I'm not certain I can afford it. And about 3 months ago I started a hiking group...I email about 15 friends and 2-3 of us hike almost every Saturday and Sunday. I am also looking for ways to be more social during times I'm not with my son.

I am afraid of speaking up sometimes. I'm getting better at it. I am learning to say what needs to be said.

I don't like to admit this but I'm definitely afraid of failing. This applies to school, where harder and harder classes have slowly taught me that it's okay not to be perfect, but also to almost everything in life. From a very young age, I would get irrationally upset with myself if I was unable to complete something easily on one of my first tries. I remember crying for hours when I first got contacts in 5th grade and struggled getting them into my eyes. College has forced me to begin to accept imperfection as being successful 100% of the time no longer became possible. I think that working has helped with this a lot as well, and will continue to help in the next few months. Learning from my mistakes really is the best way to get better at things and figure out the real world. In the next year, I want to continue to work on not being upset when things go wrong, but instead looking at them as an opportunity to improve in some way.

Fear of failure. Fear of change. Fear of the unknown. It has kept me safe and secure and successful, but am I happy? Am I even safe? I feel like our company is dying a slow, long, drawn out death and I want to jump the ship before it starts to sink. I'm not sure if we've even hit the iceberg yet, but I'm going to do it. Or find some way to feel more creative and genuine.

That I am not enough. I'm not sure, really. Work harder? Hang out more with those who love me?

I am always afraid of not being well thought of...actually being thought of as too uptight, intense, joyless. I sometimes see myself that way, so I understand it from others. I am afraid of never meritting being called a Woman Of Valor.

That people I work with may not like my transpersonal, empathetic, organically creative style, and that it might cause me to be ostracised or not taken seriously as a business thinker. That I might be misunderstood and penalized for it. I plan to be myself and let that go more and more.

My fear of not living up to the professional standards that are requisite to employment comes to mind. If I choose to keep that fear, it will only stop me from achieving the goals I want for myself and coworkers so I need to be more communicative with others.

I fear not being kind enough to people. It limits me because then I only give and I don't take enough. When I talk to people, I am always on the alert for their feelings, for their needs. I talk to them like I am their therapist. And I do this for everyone I see. I never get me time. I don't talk about my feelings, about my negative feelings, or even my positive feelings. I don't talk about myself at all. I feel isolated. But I don't want to bother other people with my problems. I also feel it will disturb my standard of being dignified and withdrawn and not needing other people. It's an ideal for me, not to need other people emotionally. But apparently I do need them. Also, I am becoming somewhat of a public figure, and I am aware that anything I say can be used against me. I don't want people to remember something I said or wrote and share it and say, "See, X who runs X said this," and then my work on my baby (my somewhat controversial organization) is down the drain and its reputation tarnished. Maybe I worry too much. I don't really plan on letting it go. I don't want to. I should though.

I'm afraid of getting fat. I'm afraid of settling into a loser job and I'm afraid that I may have some crazy health problems and just generally am I doing things right. I wonder if my mental health will deteriorate. I'm afraid that my boyfriend will change his mind about me cause I don't want kids and I'm afraid that he'll want to marry me and that's huge commitment step. Basically I'm afraid of a lot of things but try not to let it consume me and just do the best I can.

I still fall prey to the fear of "not doing it right". I will face everything in the coming year by just starting and not worrying about the outcome.

As my mom's tumors grow, I worry about the things I would like to talk about with her that I haven't even realized I want to talk about yet. I will work to make time to talk with her regularly and share the important (and hard) things while we have time together. And to trust that our love isn't weakened by any conversations we may not get to have.

I have lots of fears around making the "right" choices for my kids in terms of schools, etc. I know there are no right or wrong choices- only lots of good and better choices and it's hard to just trust myself and sit with what is and let it all unfold without stressing out about it in the middle of the night!

What if doing things to improve - losing weight, saving money, learning French - really have no effect on my life? I wouldn't know where to start then.

Fear of everything. Move from fear to love! Believe in miracles! The universe is here to make things happen!

I'm afraid of getting close to people, physically and emotionally, and this fear has limited my ability to form a loving, intimate romantic relationship. As a baby step forward, I plan on taking a partner social dance class like salsa or tango, so that I can get used to holding another person and being held in return. Maybe it will lead to a connection beyond the dance studio!

I have a fear of intimacy and also a fear of someone stealing my freedom. I am seeing a therapist and also hoping to be more spiritually aware to find out why, and deal with it. I also close up sexually so i would like to change that.

Fear of failure is what I wrote last year. And sadly, my previous year's answer remains as true as ever. I suppose now, though, with my expensive (not relatively, though!) apartment in the city, and my lack of a full time job, and my lack of a good idea (supported by my skill set and resume) of what career/full-time-job I want...I'm looking that failure gift horse RIGHT in the mouth. Cross your fingers this works out, guys. I plan, in this coming year, to swallow my pride (though, keep a little bit for self confidence; that I still need), so that I can open myself up to new experiences and opinions and advice and input. And I plan to lean on my already existing support group, small though it may be--i.e. mostly my parents, and my brother occasionally, and rarely a few other friends. And I shall grow this network of support, and reach out to others, and make new friends and contacts, so that in the future, when I face failure, I will have a way of combating it. And then maybe, just maybe, I won't be as afraid of it anymore.

Fear of totally blowing my interpersonal relationships, especially with Peter, which causes my anxiety and stres to skyrocket. I'm going to try and get better about dealing with my anxiety. And trusting that Peter loves me and that even if I do mess up we'll work it out and be good. I need to work on trusting others to not hate me at the drop of a hat in general.

I fear losing people in my family. I haven't dealt with a death bigger than my 12-year old dog so I don't know how I'd handle when a someone of actual significance passes away. I hope this is something I don't find out soon, but one day I'll sadly have an answer to this. I'm just scared about that and don't know what it will be like and that scares the shit out of me.

Fear of success and perhaps love... I plan to overcome it by achieving them!

My fear right now is that I'm doing too much. Starting a company while pregnant and still doing my full time job is just not great timing. It's working out ok right now, but I worry I'm stretching myself and putting a strain on other people (mostly Deepak). He's been a star - the most supportive person I can imagine. I'm so thankful for him and what we have. I hope by this time next year, I've figured this out!