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 have a fear of living through the collapse of a nation overtaken by authoritarianism. The first 10 months of the second Trump presidency has shown us how there are no limits to their cruelty and and that they are unendingly willing to recklessly endanger all beings on this land. The effects have been widespread and will take years, if not decades, to recover from. As a student of history, it's extra scary to know how bad it could still get. I don't plan to let it go so much as plan to not let it overcome me day to day. I plan to continue being part of communities that are committed to keeping each other safe; staying informed myself so that I can also keep others safe; and continuing to be creative, imaginitive, and hopeful about how we will get through this dark period in US history.

A fear that I have is that I'll be alone, and that people around me that care about me (esp. my mom) will be sad for me and worried about me that I'm alone. I worry that I will be sad. That it will sneak up on me how desolate I feel, and that it will feel too late. That I will feel less able to deeply connect with friends I was previously deeply connected to as a result of being a singleton. I think my chronic singleness is, at least in part, a result of a different fear, that of my being unlovable, too spiky, to judgemental, to harsh, to be a a soft safe person for someone else to share intimate partnership with. That I forever find too many faults with those around me, and block myself before I even have a chance to fall. I think one way to work though this is to uh, date someone (scary!), another ingredient, to be sure, is doing some self-love and self-esteem work, more meditation maybe. writing down some affirmations maybe, as a first step.

I feel like I've always been afraid of failure and of disappointing people, even if it means I disappoint myself to spare others. The older I get the less I care - no, care isn't right. The less this fear holds me. I have realized that I am a people pleaser, always trying to keep the peace in my family between my father and my mother - Dad can do no right in her eyes; she actively calls him a failure. She would deny this, but, she lacks any sort of finesse when it comes to conveying thoughts appropriately. As kids, we did everything possible to walk on eggshells to prevent outbreaks that were totally unpredictable and mysterious. Years of therapy has taught me that it has always been HER insecurities driving these outbreaks, not us. HER feeling small that causes her to strike out. HER feeling stupid and like others see her as stupid that all make her feel little and dominating the rest of us made her feel bigger. Knowing is half the battle; recognizing the pattern and knowing that it is NOT us, it's HER. That we aren't the bad kids, the bad partners. That SHE's got the problems and we are just dealing with it. I'm working to not pass this on to my own kid, working with my sister. Her kid doesn't deserve this generational trauma either. Long story to a short question. I fear letting others down. This year I want to work on not letting myself down.

I have a small fear that a dynamic in my relationship causes undue financial pressure on our family. Michael and I have discussed a dynamic where I am the dreamer and he is more practical. Although I agree with this characterization, it is an over-simplification. I can be very practical when necessary and Michael also loves to dream. My fear is that the dynamic of my commitment to always dreaming will lead to an ongoing dynamic where my dreams are causing financial pressure on Michael (and I). Will this lead to creating distance or resentment between us? Will it bring us closer through communicating the differences between our needs and wants? 

I know that Michael and I will keep communicating about this fear because this is what we do best! 

 I also fear that our parenting journey will continue to face hurdles and obstacles that are beyond our control. The main fear is that Ashley does not get pregnant and we need to spend significant amount of money on finding a new surrogate. I’m planning on letting go of this fear by staying attuned to my expectations. If I can keep my expectations low then I am less likely to face disappointment. This pertains to both the timing of the parenting journey and the cost. Can I let go of expectations that Ashley is going to be our gestational carrier and might that reduce disappointment if it does not work out with Ashley?

I don’t really focus on my fears. Thank you, buspirone.

One fear I have is that I will never get better. I am in a hard place right now and have been for longer than I am willing to admit to myself, let alone any one else. This limits me because it means that I can't ask for the help I need because I don't even know the full scope of help that I need. I want to work on this by switching therapists to one that will push me more and get me through the uncomfortable things so that I can end up better than I am at the start.

Terrified of everything happening in America right now. I’m breathing. I’m grateful for my answer to this last year. I was full of hope and I still didn’t want kids. Now I’m full of fear and relieved I don’t have kids.

I fear that I won't be consistent as a teacher/parent and I feel like that has caused me to ignore my wise mind when it comes to parenting. I often know when bending or how to hold a line appropriately, but because I'm so scared of not doing it right, I lock down, stick to my guns, and create power struggle. I can think of a few ways of lessening this, but I think it's enough for now just to acknowledge it and put it into words.

Sunk cost fallacy, probably. I have a very deep fear that I should have left the States already, and I only haven’t because of the house. And my parents, but that’s a little different. I’m stressed and nervous all the time, even if only under the surface. It feels like there are two sides to me that are constantly at war—the Jewish ancestry, student-of-history side that is constantly screaming at all the warning sides, and the day-to-day, stubborn optimist side that believes things will get bad but not insurmountably so. But I’m scared. I really, really am.

Fear of connection. Continue practicing.

I think that the fear of exhaustion has been getting to me. Fear of running out of juice. I don't tend to do things during the week because the day to day of working drains a lot from me, especially an anticipatory drain. I don't plan things because I'm afraid I'll be too tired, but it also allows the social muscles to atrophy, and I have let that happen entirely too much. I have a weekday art class coming up, and I want to immediately start up something else when that's done.

Starting over, leaving him with nothing if he were not completely jobless with no likelihood or employment in the near future, and if i wouldnt lose canada work visa and everything i have done to improve the house, and all the things (we combined everything and that resulted in me losing most of my items) i'd likely have just let him kill himself and i would have left not sure i plan to overcome it

One of my biggest fears is not being enough — not enough for my family, not enough in my work, not enough to handle everything life brings. That fear has been compounded at times by worrying too much about what secondary players in my life think of me or the choices I make. It’s limited me by pulling focus away from where it belongs — on God, Micah, Madison Grace, and the life we’re building — and giving energy to opinions that don’t actually matter in the long run. In the coming year, I want to let that go. The truth is, I will never be “enough” on my own, but through Jesus, I already have everything I need. I don’t need validation from the sidelines when the people who matter most are right in front of me. Practically, that means giving myself more grace, keeping my focus on faith and family, and choosing to walk forward with confidence even if others don’t understand. Fear may still whisper, but it doesn’t get to steer.

I have a fear of failure and of being known in a negative way. I’d like to let go of that fear and allow myself to see if I can be successful as myself. I can commit to just writing and working on a consistent schedule, rather than striving for perfection that will never come.

I can't say much has changed last year, the fear that I'm not disciplined enough to be "successful," whatever that might mean at any given point in my life. But I don't know how much discipline one can have over their free time with a newborn/infant/toddler in the picture, so maybe the answer is to let go of benchmarks and timelines for being "successful."

I'm afraid of being honest with my sister (and maybe others) about when she does things that hurt or chafe me. Then that makes me avoid her somewhat, and creates distance in the relationship. I'm glad we've started talking about it, and that I'm talking about it in therapy, and that we're planning on going to therapy together to work through our relational blocks together.

I guess my fear is my writing. Is it good enough to actually publish a book? Will anybody care? Am I writing for myself or others? Do most people write for others? To make a living? I guess nobody makes a living writing poetry. I’m letting it go by taking the Publishing Poetry Class. I believe I will be reading more poets this year: Billy Collins, Gary, Soto, Nikki, Giovanni, as well as being exposed to more slam poets.

I still feel fear when it comes to showing myself and living my filled life and believing in my own capabilities. It is something I am learning to shed but it is a difficult process.

I am so afraid of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. In some ways, I may actually be afraid of losing the life I currently live, particularly the level of freedom I have. Jake wants to know when I will be ready to start trying to get pregnant, and I am working on figuring that out. I know I have a wonderful partner and that I want to have and raise children. But going from a point when starting a family is purely hypothetical to very, very real feels so terrifying on so many levels. I want to travel and have lazy days and spend time with my friends. I don't want to be the type of parent who is a prisoner to their child's needs and schedule, and I know that isn't really a healthy way to parent. But parenthood is something with so many unknowns for many years to come, not to mention all the changes and unknowns of pregnancy and postpartum. I heard recently that you will never feel ready, because ready isn't a feeling, it's a decision. But what do I need to make that decision?

Money--that it's actually worth more in the world than I am. Working on that one. Having a good idea for a suitable profession (aiming for an MA in high school Latin teaching, which occurred to me finally before my 40th birthday) helps a lot. Might finally be in a position to start selling things I make, such as spurtles.

Let something GO?? That's as stupid as telling me to RELAX!

I still have a fear of being unemployable. I am getting beyond it but I think it will be a great relief to take a sabbatical one day and find out on the other side that I have wonderful options I never even imagined.

I have the same fear as last year. I fear for my kids future and what the world will be like for them.

I’m really afraid that we will not be able to stop the Republicans from destroying our country. Even a year ago that would have sounded like crazy hyperbole, now it feels almost inevitable. I work so hard not to let what I learn each day paralyze me. But I have a sense of fear I have never known before.

I’m deeply afraid of being ordinary and not exceptional. Of producing creative work that is good but not brilliant. This fear is extraordinarily limiting! How can I try anything new if I’m so worried about failure? I think it might be time for another 30 Days project. It will be good for my sense of self-efficacy and good for my ability to take risks.

Fear of being left alone. I plan on letting it go by proving to myself that I’m fine alone and can cope with whatever life throws my way.

My fear is living too long. I am afraid to outlive my money and resources, to have to deal with a declining body, and to have to live with all the negative affects of this administration.

I've had a lot of fear of the unknown and lacking direction. I think I am planning to work on letting it go by choosing more activities and situations where I won't know the outcome and getting myself more used to the feeling of the unknown

Was afraid that I would lose my feet due to ulcers, but now healing so there’s hope xx

I think my fear has always been a fear of real success and accomplishment and what I would do with it.

That I will be partnerless as I get older and die alone. It is a deep fear. Thinking of death is hard enough but to imagine a solitary life - after my friends return to their homes/lives - is scarier because it goes on for a longer period of time. I continue to work on my self in hopes of becoming the person/energy that I wish to attract, to acknowledge my thoughts but not be overcome by them, and to nourish my friendships and famships as best I can.

I want to write a book in my life. I find it so intimidating. But I want to do it. My writing group said I need to watch one of the video seminars to get me on the path to doing it. So maybe that's the first step.

Fear of not making enough money, not being able to get a job at all, not being able to get a well paying job that aligns with my values. Just go for it.

Public speaking. I get terrible anxiety and my throat closes up. I don’t have to do it often but I wish I could relax and enjoy it.

I fear getting caught out as an impostor at work. It's limited the amount of talking I want to do to anyone in a position of authority. Usually I overcome it with chat about non work topics. I like to think that I could overcome it by reading around my work more so I didn't sound so ill-informed, but I'm under no illusions that I have time for that sort of thing. Let's say I'll bear that in mind, though, as a useful stretch goal!

What other people think of me or fear of failing are fears that definitely limit me on pursuing several ideas, especially related to career. Social media is a great place to connect, but it's also a breeding ground for judgement. I plan on letting it go by just going for it, and to continue to talk to friends and connect with people who have taken the leap into making a social media account as a creative outlet and as a way to grow in confidence.

The good part of being in my 70's is there is less to fear since I've suffered so many things I was once afraid of and still found my way to joy and some inner peace. But outside myself with what I can't control is the rise of fascism in America. It's a huge fear that we won't stop the tide in time. Overcoming is to do the protests I can in the ways I'm still able.

One of my deepest fears is being misunderstood. I have spent much of my life masking, trying to translate myself into something more palatable, more acceptable, or easier to understand. That fear has made me hold back in public spaces and sometimes even in friendships. I often second-guess how I come across, and it keeps me quieter than I want to be. It has limited me in ways I am only now beginning to see. It has kept me from sharing ideas that mattered, from reaching out to people who might have become friends, and from letting myself be seen in the way I actually am. It has also made me overexplain, overwork, and overperform in a constant attempt to prove I belong. This year, I want to start letting go of that fear by practicing visibility without apology. I want to speak honestly, even if it lands imperfectly. I want to build a community around truth instead of performance. I do not expect to stop caring what people think, but I can stop letting that care dictate my choices.

I'm afraid of seeming like a fraud -- of coming across like I think I'm better than other people when they are clearly more expert. I think I just need to stand in my own authority and personal experience.

I am afraid of being rejected from being someone's friend. Since this just happened at improv, I don't know how to let it go. It is real. Can I change my personality so that I am not rejected? Talk less, smile more. Right now, I am afraid of trying to make friends - I am quitting improv - should I also quit the book group?? I know I talk too much and am off topic - but I don't know how to stop. Where is the difference between knowing my flaws and actually changing my personality to address the flaws.

As I’ve entered my seventies, I fear the advance of old age and increasing health issues. I worry that I’ll run out of time to do the things I want to do (like travel) and that I’ll be limited in what I can do. I’m planning to become more pro-active in dealing with my health problems and to let go of preconceptions about age.

There is a persistent underlying fear that I am not enough, which leads to unsustainable striving. I need to remind myself of God's truth that in my weakness He is made strong, and He is more than enough.

I am afraid of striking put as a full time artist, if it brings low to no income. This limits my time, as I use this time for paid employment instead. The alternative is paid employment that i spires me creatively. And I am keen to continue on this path for thr coming year.

I'm realizing how little time I have left to live. I'm afraid I won't be able to do everything I want to get done before I go. I guess I'll just plug away at it for as long as I can...

Have I said this before? I fear aging. And the various components of it - how I look, sure. But newly, it is how my body has deteriorated.... eyes and my arthritis in my foot now. How to let it go? Keep reminding myself that it is normal. And yet for the physical - keep being active, strong, push.

I fear not accomplishing enough with my life before I die. I think this is legit and not something to let go. I fear dying young and not being there for my kids and I fear terrible things happening to my kids because ya know, life is out of our control. It doesn't affect my life, it's just something I know can happen. I don't have any destructive fears, afaik.

I think I'm working through some of the fear. When I need to do something and I find other things to do, I know I'm avoiding something. I'm learning how to see that happening. I am more aware and am starting to aim for the troubling task sooner and better. I'll continue working on it.

My answer is the same as last year: I fear I will never take my own writing seriously enough-- but I did finish another book, did get an article in the Huffpost this year, and am working with essay-writing groups to encourage myself to improve and submit more. I guess some part of me must fear that if I do write a thing and it goes nowhere then I will have failed worse than if I never finish anything, i.e., that my writing isn't good enough. Lately I am fearful about my passion ebbing with Renee. I fear she will never lose weight, but that is not up to me, so I try daily to let it go. Earlier this year I feared my mother was going to be evicted, but mercifully the assisted living facility where she lives now seems to have accepted that she's staying. I am finally more able to relax and have a regular schedule of visits with her that I can manage (3x a week).

Fear of others, connecting more. I feel that I have to start from square one now that I moved. I'm hoping that I can find my place one day.

I think I must have a fear of change, because I find myself making weak excuses when I'm asked to do something new or why I don't participate in adventures that my peers do. It limits me because I lose contact with people I care about, as they try new things, travel about, and so on. I can overcome a bit of it by having confidence that no one is perfect, other people make mistakes, that I can show who I am without holding on to fear that I don't measure up.

embracing my neurodiversity as well as my partner's has opened up the shared highway. More Please

That I am becoming less and less able to engage in old and new activities. My life is shrinking every year. I am going to try new things that push me out of my comfort zone

not being liked, financial (government shutdown/ job) can you be with today?

I have a compulsive fear of whether I would be able to succeed and move forward in life. It has played a key role in affecting every single one of my decisions and causes regret and a whirlwind of other negative emotions in hindsight (most times). I plan on just going with the flow of life from here on and not becoming too worried about what will happen to me. Everything will work out as long as my willpower allows it to.

New this year: a Modified George Bailey. It's neither a case of toiling selflessly for others without clear understanding of the benefits, nor a case of What About Me entitlement. Rather, the message of our brief instance in a vast continuum of things that have the audacity to change once they are observed is no longer sitting well with me. I'm startled. Entropy used to be my friend. Clarence has ghosted. Happily, I don't think this is a fear one overcomes. More likely shoves to a lower floor through sublimation, if it becomes crippling. For now: living with it to see what it reveals.

OMG I’m terrified that the world as we have known it since the last world war is going to end and be replaced by authoritarian regimes. I’m saddened by the way people get their information in ‘bubbles’ and how this impacts realtionshiops and contributes to extreme views that can’t be reconciled. I can’t imagine where this will end.

I find it hard to cope with daily physical aches and pains. It hurts to move, so I sit around a great deal. This leads to spending too much time thinking it's not possible to feel better. I MUST seek help to address my mobility and balance issues and schedule myself for physical therapy.

A fear is that I will be misunderstood consistently. It puts me in a state of evaluating how others perceive me, and others probably notice my evaluation of the situation and their perceptions, limiting us both. A way of letting it go is more honest embodiment and unmasking. More holding of the feeling of being seen by the people with whom I've felt most at home.

The anxiety I have about my physical health hasn’t limited me, but I can feel an influence. I now have a “that’s for young people” thought that creeps into my head when I consider new things. For example, I would love to go to music concerts to dance and be in community. And my old stopping thought was around a lack of time and business. Now, I am using age as an excuse to not go.

My fear is similar to last year's answer. I fear getting old and useless, a line Robert Redford gives in the excellent movie The Horse Whisperer. We only have so much time, and we all have our mental and physical limitations. Practicing radical acceptance for things I cannot change while at the same time retaining a sense of hope for the future is the challenge I'm constantly striving to meet. A steady practice of mindfulness and sharing compassion with others including my therapist will be key to overcoming this challenge.

Same as last year, a fear of being disliked. That can make me overcompensate and struggle to have basic boundaries, even leaving a low key rude conversation can feel hard. I can also have to amp myself up to express boundaries, makes me punchy and aggressive. When sometimes a lower key “naw, I don’t love that” would do much better.

Money! It's consumed me about what retirement is going to cost and how long we'll be able to live comfortably once we are relying on Social Security and our retirement funds. I want to enjoy this time of life so much - and I also want to be able to be less afraid of limited resources and what that could look like. I am still trying to figure out how to overcome or at least incorporate that fear into real-life in this coming year. I need to pay more attention to what the root is and how I can let go of the overwhelming concerns and the effects that has on our relationship and my day-t0-day living and planning.

Fear of change. Accept my feelings, but then let them go. Courage. Loving myself self first. To listen to and learn from people I don’t share the same opinions. Getting comfortable being uncomfortable.

I read a meme that said if a social invitation stresses you more than warms you, it's a sign of a broader sense of overwhelm. I'm still sorting that out for myself. It's something I actively feel and it makes me want to cry-

I've been afraid to move forward because if I make a wrong step we might lose what little we have - food and shelter and a place to work. Now the money from Mike has paid the rent and my overdraft- and I'm free of debt- however temporarily. I feel I can breathe again. I feel more like myself, like a weight has been lifted. I can raise my head and see possibilities I was too worn down to notice, and I can trust myself again. It's important that I tidy up and I need to do things and trust myself.

Probably still FOMO (same as last year.) That does feel more tempered now, especially that my sister moved back to town, but even today I found out that my son's friend / neighbor was having a playdate and scrambled to make one too. We fill our time well and there have been many things with the baby that have helped mitigate those feelings, but they're still there.

I've been afraid of talking directly with my daughter about her estrangement with her oldest daughter. I've been trying to give it time and I don't want to worsen the situation. It feels like the best time for that conversation is soon here. I feel ready to have it when we're both ready.

I am always afraid of doing something which could bring negative consequences on me and my family. In the past year, I would have liked to be more active in the social causes of the current climate, but first I was pregnant and afraid something could have happened to me and the unborn baby as it was an at-risk pregnancy, then when the baby was born I was afraid of bringing my baby to places where something dangerous could happen, so I have been powerlessly watching everything that is happening from the side lines and from social media. I am not sure there is a way I can actualy let this fear go or overcome it yet, I think I will need more time and, possibly, more courage.

Ageing and the physical / social limitations that come with ageing. The fear of losing the way of life I have now. I want to learn how to accept change with grace and dignity. . To accept myself in all my strengths and weaknesses. To not pine for the days of my youth. I want to look back on what I did with what I had with gratitude. I want to look forward wirh hope and love. To love the life I am living. To pull push and stretch my boundaries. To embrace and accept change. I want to seek out mentors. I hope to inspire prodigies I want to encourage my peers

That people in new place will find me schmucky

I always free for things going wrong. Basically I am very negative in thoughts. I assume this will go wrong and worst. The entire fear gets stronger painting the picture. I have even met a shrink. No use. I also fear my mom and sister's their thoughts and views. I should let go of them and make my life better

Wow - the last answer is pretty much this one too. I am scared of doing anything that might make me not be lonely. I don't know how to meet people, connect with, maybe even have a relationship again. My loneliness and awkwardness just spirals.

Fear that I am not being a good person, causing harm. Fear that there are no good men. Fear that I’ll never pay off debt and be able to do what I want. BUT lately I’ve been practicing having a mindset of abundance. There’s no point in living in fear. It won’t change the outcome. I value in my heart that I will find these answers.

I don't think I have fears I need to let go of. My personal life is safe, my family is safe. That's enough for me. I am okay with where I am. I 'm not in a place where I have grand ideals or big ideas holding me back from something.

One fear that I have is of being pregnant while raising two toddlers and having a newborn again. On top of that, I'm now in my 40s and already contending with the hormones of perimenopause. Add to that the hormones of pregnancy and post-partum?? And don't forget the apparent self-torture of IVF. I feel like I must be crazy to want to go through with it. I will hopefully overcome by remembering the long-term goal: To be a girl mom, to make our family feel complete, to remember that people NEVER regret the child they bore. As hard as it is to be pregnant while parenting toddlers and as hard as that first year is with a newborn, I'll never look at that kid and regret her. That's ridiculous. On the other hand, people do regret not having kids. I have one life: I have to do this.

Being a US citizen, I'm afraid that I'm going to be detained and taken away. The same for my wife and my kids. I don't trust this government at all.

I was afraid of leading but I am turning a corner now. Right now. In this wretched climate of fascism, I see that I need to lead because our leaders are failing us and people do need leaders. That said, I can't always lead by trying to please others. And I can't waste my time on trying to please folks who do not share my values--and never did. I can be okay with some folks not being happy with me. I am looking at my magic and i am able to better see what others see and i am grateful for all the skills i have learned along the way that I can apply to leadership in the coming year. It is hard earned knowledge and experience that I want to put to work!

Fear of being punished for having democratic ideals. Fear of my rights being removed and violated. Fear of good people being harmed out of someone else’s fear of being forced to be nice. Fear of bigotry and hateful but powerful bigots. I do not know how I will overcome, or at least learn to walk with these fears. But the feeling of ‘Enough’ is more powerful than I expected.

I am SO scared of putting myself out there and being vulnerable towards others. Something I've made strides on but want to continue to do in order to deepen my connection with others and my own sense of personal satisfaction. I may not fully overcome it in the next year but continuing to take risks, put myself out there, and challenge the narratives I have built up for myself over time.

Fear of discussing antisemitism, Israel, my Judaism with people who are antizionist or who are ignorant about it. I don't want to get into shouting matches, but I feel guilty about being on the sidelines and just living my life. It has created a chilling affect, limited my socializing, speaking freely. I'm afraid of at best disapproval, at worst physical hostility and hatred. Not sure I'm brave enough to do that or join the online army of people already doing it.

My fear from last year is still true. Another fear is my parents aging and losing them. My parents are older than others and it is hard for me to see them slowing down. This has limited me in the sense that maybe it has kept me in Colorado too long because I don't want to leave them behind and lose time with them and then regret it later in my life.

I have and always will fear to put myself out there. I console myself with the thought this fear and thinking about this fear is boring and goes against my natural instincts, which is to imagine stories and characters. I basically need to write to get these stories and characters out of my head. I need to do it to show my kids they must follow their dreams, and they must also work hard to follow their dreams.

Now that I am 60 years old one of my biggest fears is not to live my last two decades authentically and to the fullest. I don't want to be a coward. I still want to experience things. One thing I want to do is to go hiking in Colorado. It is a small thing, but it would seem liberating.

My fear for Israel continues and has worsened over the year. I continue to hope for peace in Gaza. A new fear is being isolated from other Jews because of my knowledge and defensiveness about Israel. I want to find and develop friendships that sustain me through this.

I fear making the wrong decisions which always holds me back from trying new things, speaking up or even making goals. In the coming year I am going to say "yes" to things even if they scare me. I am going to try 4 new experiences in 2026. Things I have always wanted to do but have never done.

I am terrified of going to events or even just shopping. It’s caused me to have no friends and be very isolated. I will try in the coming year to do more things especially synagogue because that’s very important to me.

The constant fear that I am never enough. I hope to overcome it by breathing and doing it anyway

Visibility is a huge one. I want to stop feeling so self-protective and be out in the world more, sparking the kinds of conversations that are worth having with others.

a fear i (sometimes) have is... my son will continue suffer for his entire life. I feel sad when i think this. i can let it go when i focus on the present and see all the good right now.

I’m afraid of becoming arrogant and narcissistic. I’m gonna try and stay aware and stay humble.

I fear that the world is becoming more dangerous and less kind. It limits me because I am less likely to trust others. But it isn't something I can easily overcome when every day I wake up to hear about schools sieg healing during assembly, jews being murdered in the streets of north america, another synagogue fire bombed or rammed with a car. Everywhere I go there are pro-Palestinian symbols, and celebration of Hamas. I don't think this is easily overcome. But what I will do in the coming year as I have already done until now, is live more Jewishly. To keep strengthening bonds with the community. To stay open hearted when someone reaches out to me. To spread love through my work and through my art.

My fear of not being enough, not having enough, not knowing enough. I'm learning to lean into the fear (or at least, trying to learn). I'm trying to not let it get the best of me. Hopefully this coming year I find away to release the fear. I've started with a new therapist and that is most definitely a start.

I don't know how to discern what's a healthy dismissal of rat race "surely you want to be the head honcho" ambition grind culture, and what's an unhealthy fear of failure/ trying something new. I know what I enjoy doing, and what I don't. Isn't it alright to know who I am, what my strengths are, and what is a recipe for feeling like shit all the time (and therefore a recipe to be avoided)?

I am worried about the lack of civility in the world. People seem rushed and very self focused. I find myself withdrawing a bit from society. I will try to get involved again with an activity that promotes some social interaction.

As I promote at work, imposter syndrome. I took a big new job so I'm going to have to face it by doing it.

I try not to give in to any fears. I know there is a higher power in control.

I don’t feel or have any fear right now. I only know it when it is happening in the moment. Fear is a great teacher of Faith. I don’t need to let go of anything that I’m not holding onto and so I plan to hold on loosely this year. If or when fear arises, I will allow it to guide me closer to the Truth.

I have many fears. One is (today) a health fear. Not so much that I am fearful of my demise, although I believe life wants to live and the unknown is always a place of instability. The fears I have are about my children whom I love and care for deeply. Their needs are infinite: for housing, for love, for family connections; and I am the grounding cord. With their Dad choosing to remove himself from their lives, I must be a center for them. And I cry for their future happiness. We do need each other, but when mental illness enters the picture, confusion for all of us happens. I still am unsure how I can work with the reality; but I am open to all suggestions!

Fear of anger from my family members, both my younger son and my husband has limited me in the past and prevented me from advocating for myself. I plan on working on this in the coming year by reminding myself that the outcome would probably not be so terrible.

Same fear as last year's response but from a different perspective; I've spoken to my therapist about how being single or partnered with the wrong men makes me feel like I am somehow deserving of this type of unavailability from people who cannot/are incapable of showing up for me. I know it's not true but to FEEL differently means having to acknowledge and validate the parts of me that absolutely believe it to be factual. This is why I feel like Ironman changed me; I showed up for MYSELF consistently for a year and made a goal come true in the best way possible. I need to do the same for those parts of me that are messy, needy, clingy, sensitive, vulnerable, and struggling with seeing myself as unworthy, unlovable, undeserving of being met with the same care and forethought that I bring to those I care about.

Fear of failure, fear of loss, fear of diminishing - all that leads to NOT DOING ANYTHING NEW and therefore, I am going to start taking piano lessons.

At the end of the my relationship with my ex fiance I hate that I call her like that anyway at the end of that relationship my biggest fear was that she was going to leave me and that my friends were going to blame me for it and they were going to stop being my friends because they love her more than me and that got me to be so lonely she lost me and I lost her but at least my friends love me and we’re with me and are with me. I need to stop having that fear that my friends are going to leave me. They’re my friends and they love me and I love them.

Fear of going to social events -- I hate that I don't have anything appropriate to wear and I fear that I won't fit into anything or that I will look unattractive or un Me. Take small bites - start ordering online appropriate clothing that I like and is attractive (start small - PJs...) and start looking in the mirror more often, purchase a mirror for our bedroom so I can start to look at myself more and decide for myself if I am attractive and Me.

I'm afraid of the current administration damaging democracy and the environment even more. I'm scared more innocent people will be locked up and others die abroad because of the cutting off of American aid. I can't hope to let it go. I can only hope to do concrete things such as helping feed the hunger to make some difference.

What people think of me. I remember being embarrassed in front of the rabbi with a family member. For some reason that is still with me. I know that I need to embrace the entirety of who I am, and who is around me and loves me. I will let them be them, just as I will let myself be me. That is my plan.

I lack self confidence in terms of certain areas of my personna. While it is not across the board, I feel it has held me up in personal relationships and in certain cirumstances in professional settings. I thnk now that I am retiring in 2026, I will have an opportunity to work on devl;oping a deeper sense of competence and increased self confidence as a result.

Fear of not being enough, funny enough, nice enough, happy enough and that translates to fear of being unable to make friends, fear of being alone, fear that I'm wasting such precious time because I'm too fearful. The fear of fear, I think that's what holds me back the most, ain't it ironic. I feel a bit ashamed in how I've dealt with that fear so far in my travels, I want more friends, I want to meet more people, I feel so closed off, I need more, I know me, I love people, I need people, I need connection but somehow I'm so shy here. I feel so different to everyone. BUT JUST LET IT GOOOOO. I know that I know how cool I am, and that I can be funny and lovely and nice, it's just so hard to immediately jump into that in every conversation, especially since the language is a bit harder for me. But I know I just need to do it, but I'm also struggling to find opportunities to, but then I also know that like Ezra would make a million friends here within seconds, how does he do it? I don't specifically know, I know that he just DOES IT. So listen to Nike I guess, make a friend, talk to someone. My fear only continues to grow the more I put it off.

Failure, disappointing others. Preventing me from taking risks, really putting myself out there. Continue to trust my gut. Focus on progress, not perfection.

I am often afraid of upsetting people, but this year I have been letting that go. But letting go of that fear has also brought other fears of being too self centered or not listening enough to others. I want to focus on listening this year, even as I hold firm to the things that matter to me.

I'm really scared of another miscarriage. It would suggest there is something wrong with my fertility, and I really want to have lots of children. The fear lives at the back of my mind, even though I've been working on it with a counsellor. I want to keep confronting that fear, especially when I'm pregnant again.

I don't think fear drives me...

Mostly I’m going to have to let it go if I don’t end up having the most complete semester as a professor. The semester feels like it is happening at me, but I feel like my job security is good so I try to remember that whenever I feel I’m not doing the best job. Also my personal relationship is more important to me.

I have done a lot of work in my life on not allowing fear to limit me. I don't believe fear is much of a factor in my life right now.

Not being good enough. It’s forced me to put wildly unreasonable expectations on myself, leading me to stress, health issues, and more complicated relationships. It’s a hard thing to let go but I’m seeing a coach now and really hope putting some of what I’m learning into place will help. I’d love to take my foot off the gas and not worry about living up to stupid expectations I put on myself.

I have a deep fear of abandonment and being alone. It affects my every day. I want to investigate this further in therapy this year and see if I can make progress toward a more secure outlook in the coming year.

Cancer is always my overwhelming fear. When will I truly become disabled? Will I live another 5 years? 10 years? I know no one has the answer to that question but those with time-limited diseases feel it just a little more I think. My brother is failing, even though he won't say that. I'm afraid of losing him in the next year. He has lived with his brain tumor for 16 years, which is kind of amazing. I want to live. I started traveling again this year, and I hope to do more. Live life to the fullest while I still have it and am able to.

Ha! I fear doctors! Not really the doctor, but going to the doctor and finding out that I have a dread, possibly terminal disease. I feel perfectly healthy - but as I age, I worry. I want to make a doctor's appointment - I need to find one who will be empathetic.

My fear is that my country is descending into a darkness and that it will not recover within my lifetime. Every day there is something new and horrible happening. I see this darkness limiting me currently in small ways in terms of the work I do, but I know it is impacting others so much more and my fear is that it will impact so many more of us as this continues. This isn't something I can let go or overcome. I don't see how it can change. I don't even have a clear picture of how I could escape it. The most I can do is look for ways that I can resist it and support others doing the same.

Fear of not being good at painting as discussed with my coach, which I agreed to work on by taking time just to be with the brushes and paint, trying things without caring about a final product or specific outcome. Being in my den to get my brain used to being in there and enjoy it. Expose myself to art in different ways and just enjoy the ideas that come to mind without attachment. Like last year, I also fear what the world will soon look like and the uncertainty from last year is nothing compared to what things look like today. War and AI have reached a new level in the past months and I am still in the same dilemma between learning a trade that would be useful in a new world where AI has taken over or if we lose the power grid for some time. Such crazy thoughts to have but here we are.

I am afraid of being seen, truly. Exactly as a I am, both the good and the bad, the things I'd like to highlight and the shadows that are also a part of me, those moments we'd like the tape to stop recording, because we're embaressed, ashamed, guilty. During this year's Yamim Nora'im, I struggled with being truthful to myself, to others, to HaShem. I found support in Erica Brown's "Return" and in Alan Lew's "This is real and you are completely unprepared" and in Rabbi Sacks' (zt"ll) "The Eternal Conversation". But also in our people, in talking with them, in going to all the services, in the arguments, and reflections, and prayers. I reckoned with some of the worst moments, and decisions of last year, things I'm not proud. And I made Teshuva about it, with the people I'd hurt, including myself and HaShem. At Ne'ila, it felt like I was actually in the courtroom, as a synagogue becomes during the holidays. I don't know on which book my name was inscribed, but I know that I made the resolution to keep doing teshuva every day for this coming year. To return, every time. Knowing that we stumble and fall, but every chance we wake up we can choose to do it, once more with feeling. Being honest, and keep turning feels like the best way to overcome my fear of being seen. Because HaShem keeps watching, every day. It doesn't start at Rosh Hashanah and ends on Yom Kippur. It's ongoing, and our record is written all the time. I will remember the sages when they said, we must turn one day before our death. But since we don't know when that day is, we must turn every day. That is my resolution for this coming year.

I am afraid of having to sell assets just to stay alive. I can't let it go, so I'll have to confront it and sell some land.

I have a fear of being seen. I can get quite insecure and not want to exist in a space. It makes me feel horrible and I often compensate by being louder and silly so people will focus on that instead. I don’t know how to overcome it. I have a fear of conflict. If I feel like it is really deserved then I’m all for it, but often I push things under the table. This can prevent deeper relationships and make things all bottled up. I have to get more used to conflict. I have a fear of not getting attention. Pretty contrary to my whole ‘being seen’ thing. I hate to think school and my life will go by and people will barely remember me. When I’m pushed off or kind of ignored or told to be quiet I jump to a negative conclusion. I guess I have to trust people want to be around me but I don’t know if I can do that easily.

I’ve realized I am afraid of being without my kids and being alone and aimless. I’ve been limited by trying to preserve the unpreservable. Now I don’t care. I just want to live and see the future even while everything comes crashing down. It’s foolish. But I’ve always wanted to be one of the pesky critters that climbed out of ground zero, carapace intact.

There is a commitment to the Earth that I’m afraid not to keep up if I throw things away that could still be used. Of course this fear gets ridiculous when it comes to doing something like eating a gross high fructose, corn syrup, dessert that needs to go in the garbage. I plan to overcome that fear by giving things away, selling them finding individuals who want them instead of putting them in the dump.

A fear I have is of men. I feel so uncomfortable around many and turn red, twist my hands together round and round .I get very self-conscious and my mind automatically runs to thinking about a relationship. I avoid men, shorten conversations... I think I lose out on having friendships. I don’t have a plan but I definitely need help.

My embarrassment at using a wheelchair. By continuing to exercise and meditate on not being embarrassed

I am a pretty fearless person. I decided to be when I was 19 & I have rooted out my fears or else contained them (no bungee jumping). I don't feel limited. This year I traveled by myself, something I'd been reluctant (not afraid) to do, & loved it. The older I get the more I feel I have nothing to lose. Oh! just read last year's answer. I can barely remember that being me! I'm myself again! (Your Answer Last Year: I was always the famously fearless one - & now I can't sleep half the time for fear I'll die in the night. I have a hard time driving and traveling. It's crazy how much I cower. I don't know how to go back to being my real self.)

I believe I have a fear of stability. A fear of the long-term, of the perpetual. I cannot seem to move from focusing simply on this day, this moment in time. Perhaps a week, perhaps more. But it's still limited. It is ever more of an effort to place my efforts towards significance. I am preferring physical work, daily work. Overcoming it will take a lot of patience and meditation. I intend to apply both in this pursuit.

My fear is global and existential. It is about growing movement towards extremism, autocracy, corruption, spread of conspiracy theories and undermining scientific progress. We see it at highest b levels in society, in politics, among top IT leaders, across social networks. It creates divisions and deeply undermines trust in the society at all levels. I am not planning on letting it go. It is no use closing one’s eyes to coming dangers. As for overcoming it, I am looking to develop clear options and get to be prepared to deal with the various risks this may bring. Main thing is to remain calm and vigilant

I am shy and scared of initiating social contact with others. I plan on trying to greet both familiar and unfamiliar people at events I am involved in.

Ooof, my worry last year about Trump winning has played out. I continue to worry about the impact of the current administration on people and the planet and the world my girls will have to navigate. It can be hard to find the right balance between feeling angry and grieving and claiming spaces for joy and activism. I don't know that it's possible to overcome this fear but I can continue to just move through it and stay in community with others.

Probably the fear of my daughter relapsing and my husband getting another cancer are the two things that scare me the most. I’m working on being more present to let go of heavy worries.

Fear of not being able to get pregnant It's made me feel rushed in a way I don’t like but am not sure how that is holding me back. My doctor suggested embracing a mindset of wanting children rather than fearing not being able to get pregnant — trying to keep that in mind, and also thinking about the timeline is perplexing

The fear of being replaced. It's something I've been working on and want to dive into deeper in the coming year. It has made it really hard to feel confident in any of my relationships because I'm always worried that they're going to like someone more.

A fear that I have is of saying the wrong thing in front of the wrong person. But not in front of the wrong grownup, infront of the wrong child my age. iykyk.

I’m so scared of letting my wife done, if I don’t get an admin job. She’s put such pressure on me to get the job and the idea that I’m a disappointment if I don’t. The fear of not getting it has made me scared to even think about it. I don’t think she realizes or cares how the pressure she’s putting on me has affected me. I need to shut out her pressure and go in unafraid.

I have a fear that my musical performances won't be good enough, especially for my fellow musicians. I plan to focus on making a musical statement of what I want to express with the music and focusing less on being as good as others.

Similar to last year, one of my fears in life is disappointing people. I hate letting people down, and will go out of my life way to avoid it from happening. I need to be more realistic that I cannot control people's perceptions of me. I need to let go of this false assumption of perfectionism and just constantly remind myself that I'm trying my best, and forgive myself when I make mistakes. I'm only human.

Collectively, I feel like 2025 is a year of fear. There's so much happening in the news that makes me despondent for our democracy and for people all over the globe who are now suffering due to the isolationism of the US. I guess the only way to overcome that in myself is to try to take in less news. I think it's important to stay informed, but I also don't think it's helpful or necessary to refresh the NYTimes page a hundred times a day or listen to NPR News every hour. Even just now my scared brain goes, "I hope those media sources still exist in a year...."

The fear that what I have to offer isn’t original or good enough. I will let it go by accepting that it is not original, but it doesn’t mean that people in my little world don’t want to hear it. It is not good enough, but only by giving it oxygen can it grow into the next thing.

I fear antisemitism and war ... and I have no plan or idea how to letting go these fears.

Failure. I think that moving to New York and getting a job in a grade I've never taught has been a step in trying to push myself and risk failure and it has been hard. I think continuing to put myself in situations where I am not set up to fail, but there is a possibility of failure, will help me continue on this path.

Fear does not impact me as much as in the past

I don't really have any fears other than cock roaches (especially the large ones) which I have techniques to deal with lie essential oils.. No fear, but I do have anxiety which is triggered if I'm rushed or running late. I have a technique for that which is an acronym for AWARE: Accept, Watch and Wait, and Actions to take (not to make anxiety go away because it will go when it is ready to go, and you don't have that much control over it, but rather actions to take to make yourself feel better when you feel bad.) Then R for Repeat as often as necessary, and final E is for when anxiety Ends (on its own).

I found a lot of strength this year and while I still struggle with last year's fear, I am less suicidal than I was last year and am actually feeling more resilient. Now my problems are so huge that last personal concerns seem silly, too. My fear of being zip tied and dragged into a van isn't really something I think I should overcome. My fear of economic collapse is also valid. Though I do still have to function and show up for others regardless of whether the American empire is crumbling so I do have to keep them somewhat in check. I guess I hope that in the coming year I can do just that - balance the fear with the calm. I have been in crisis mode for my entire adult life and I have worked hard to learn how to deal with it in a healthy way so maybe I will be OK.

I’m still fearful and worried for my daughter and how she’s going to fit in the world. The depression and sadness I have is sometime crippling. I often feel like I’ve failed as a mother. I’m trying to learn to let her “be” but there also has take steps forward or she cannot be in my home. Finding the balance is sometimes very difficult but I keep trying to move forward in my life and not let her decisions get me down. I might need more intensive therapy…

Well, first of all, letting go of the fear of the political apocalypse that DID materialize after last year's didn't exactly serve me well. The worst DID happen in November, and each month/week/day since there is a new worst. So at this point I don't intend to "let go" of the fear. The fear reflects what is real and true about the now. It is my guide now to try to mitigate what I can for my daughter and myself.

Imposter syndrome has been tough the past few months. I'm aiming to go into the new (Jewish) year with a renewed sense of my own competence. My boss sees it, my colleagues see it, my clients see it. I just need to see it in the mirror

Fear I'm not making the most of my life - at the end of each day, feel I have not accomplished as much as I wish I had. I plan to think each nite of what I want to accomplish the next day and in the morning, focus on staying aware , making the most of my time

Right now? Never being able to eat solid food again. I am in that uncomfortable space where something is wrong, with a doctor that I don't fully trust recommending a dangerous procedure to fix it. I have an appt with a different doctor but the first opening they have is months away, so if I wait it's likely I will be on a liquid diet through the end of the calendar year. I am so, so tired of not being able to eat, and still losing weight no matter what I do. I don't want this to be permanent. I don't want this to be my life. There is so much ELSE wrong with me, and I already have a fucked up relationship with food. This isn't helping. I know I will probably not do the dangerous procedure the current surgeon wants, so I am waiting on that months-away appointment in the hope that they will be skilled enough, kind enough, to explain what is going on and tell me there's something that can be done.

I want to let go of fears of rejection and failure. It keeps me from trying new things and going after some goals and dreams. I don't know how I will let it go or overcome, but I want to keep trying!

Related to Q #8 as well as my response to this one from last year: Not so much a fear as worrying over whether or not I am building something/accomplishing something of "import"/working towards some larger structure. My unthinking brain tends to apply this worry to my career. While I continue to spend a lot of time thinking/learning about education, I also (as I always have) spend a lot of time learning about science, my local environment, literature, societies & social issues, politics, Judaism/Israel, etc., etc. My youth interpretive naturalist program didn't run this year (career-based project), and I will try offering it again. However, I did step a bit out of my comfort zone spending time learning how to drive a taxi here on the island (practicing w/ the dispatching tech was the big time effort) and got my commercial license. We connected ourselves with the ocean this year with more wild swimming than ever and regular cold dips in the ocean throughout the winter for the first time. We connected ourselves more with our community, here--through our new book club, attending more events, as well as my experience driving the taxi. Spending time and attention on these things (and lots of other stuff) has made for a very satisfying year--even as I continue to work as "just" a substitute teacher, and even though my education-related project hasn't yet happened. So, as in the previous Q, the wisdom (and thus the plan) is to not fret about needing a grand project to provide my life with meaning. Instead, keep noticing and appreciating all of the beautiful moments/beads as they are strung and only create projects that bring as much joy as any of my other wonderful moments.

I have a fear of being a worthless man when I am at least 10 years older, meaning I don't have a partner, a well paying job, and my health isn't in check. I am afraid that I will not have the jobs and experience to allow me to have a good paying job 10 years from now. I fear for the lack of technical skills I have in the world and workplace, and the corporate world and rising up the ranks scares me because I can't do that right now and don't know if I ever will.

I think I've been pretty good at working on and addressing my fears since I separated from my husband 27 years ago! This year I expressed true feeling to two of my children that I had been holding in for a long time out of fear of hurting them. It was really hard!! And in both cases, after their initial hurt (and surprise), it actually helped propel them to growth. I guess the only fear that I can say I think about now, and it is more trepidation than fear, is intimacy with a new man. I am actually torn about whether or not I really want it, because I feel it would interrupt the lovely life that I have now. Sometimes I really wish someone would kiss and caress me, but I would have to find someone who would not fawn over me and be around all the time. That requires a serious search and I don't have the patience or time for that. I kind of just keep hoping someone will just show up...

The fear of what Trump, MAGA crazies, 6 members of the US Supreme court, and other corrupt and/or dumb leaders have done and are doing to our country and our planet. God give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.

Tengo miedo de que las cosas se queden igual en mi relacíon conmigo mismo, con mi pareja. con mi vida espiritual (o el sentido en mi vida), y que eso sea un proceso de declive para mi. Tengo miedo de que no se renueve mi vida para bien. De encontrarme un día no tan lejano solo, sin mis padres, sin pareja, sin hijos. Buscando como prioridad la claridad dentro de mi. Teniendo las conversaciones importantes que tengo que tener con mi pareja.

I have a child that I have been wanting to support in a healing from trauma process and I fear I’ll never be able to make a direct heart to heart connection before I move off planet. I have big grief about how it has affected our relationship. I seek a restorative process. So far, this adult child hasn’t been able to release the hurt from decades ago. I didn’t know what happened until many years had unfolded. I am the embodiment of failing to protect her. I wonder if we can heal this pattern or if it will carry over beyond my lifetime. I’d like to repair now. I feel this child may need more time to heal the familiar wound, the hurt, the anger. There’s a part of me that understands this since it has taken me decades to recover from my own trauma. I know the blessing of releasing the grip, the hold of the trauma story, not that it’s easy. Therefore, I do try to be patient. However, I see the child in a perpetual state of retraumatization and inherited substance use that I feel causes more harm. It’s hard to watch. I intend to keep sending love from my heart to this child every day as a part of my morning practice. I intend to stay open. I believe miracles are possible. We’ll see…

I am so afraid of running out of money and having my choices limited because of it. I've been afraid of spending on things that aren't like bedrock societally sensible. E.g. spending on my house, fine. Investing, fine. Taking six months off to, essentially, write - whaaaat? But I'm actually going to do it. I am determined! I will do it and prove to myself that things won't collapse if I spend a big chunk of money on me.

A goal is to loose weight and get in better condition. We will see. I do think about death (72) but I don’t let it consume me. Having taught science for a very long time I do recognize when my switch it turned off… that is it.

Fear of abandonment and vulnerability. Fear of being open to hurt. Fear that I am not enough. Fear that if I get hurt I won't be okay. So really, fear of myself? I'm working on it with this new relationship. It's not about trusting her, it's about trusting that I will be okay no matter what. Taking it one day at a time and processing it without letting anxiety overcome me. Checking the facts. Talking with my loved ones about my experiences. Continuing to challenge myself to face it.

this year my fear of death and illness has been loud and strong. it limits me in that it causes me to brace and hold my breath, to ruminate and worry, at the cost of enjoying the present with all the ease and spaciousness it has to offer. I plan on letting this go through continued trip integration, therapy, tapping, and meds and other modalities if/as needed. I can see this as a phase and myself overcoming it with a more balanced connection to mortality and existentialism such that it doesn’t paralyze me or keep me from enjoying the journey

I fear that I’ve not given my son all of the tools he needs to navigate this life without me. I know he thinks he can and I know that he’s able to do a lot of things, but in so many ways I feel like I fail him everyday.

My own habits. I really need to change them. I procrastinate and I am lazy sometimes from depression. I'm so tired of it. I fear my partner. She's always "right." It's been chipping away at me for the past two years. I'm so thin and tired. And hurting.

Last year's answer resonates -- I don't carry a lot of fear, and I don't let fear limit me. I see a world full of opportunities and possibilities, and I have confidence that everything within my power I will handle well.

Losing my ability to be active and energetic, and, at the same time, be spiritual and creative in all I do. As a Gemini , I see myself as having two sides to my personality. I can use reading my answers regularly to keep my eyes on the prize I am seeking. On the other side, would be working more completely at my routines , which will underlay my ability to stay the course.

a fear I have is of doing harm. I am working on this in therapy--to accept that as humans we all sometimes do harm and it usually isn't irredeemable.

I fear that I will not make it this year financially. I am afraid that I will go bankrupt and not be able to survive. I need to change my mindset as soon as possible so that I can be happier sooner than later.

I am in fear of disappointing others, the only way around that for me is to make things different.

A fear of mine is for something to happen to my wife or my family. I plan on letting go of what is not in my control and enjoy the time I have with my loved ones.

I will be alone very soon. The kids will have their own homes and their own lives very soon. Although working from home allows me a of flexibility it sometimes feels isolating. I am concerned I will be alone like other ladies in my neighborhood and that is not what I want for myself.

Well, I just wrote about a fear, fear of how I will feel when Imma dies. I imagine her grabbing my hand, her eyes full of terror, telling me she doesn't want to die. What will I say to her? How can I comfort her? I don't imagine Abba the same way. He will be satisfied with the life he's led. All I can do is repeat to him that he was my light, my exemplar, and everything I did as a mother I learned from his fathering. And the other fear is poverty in old age. That's easy to begin to overcome, by figuring shit out. At least I'll be hearing soon from Germany about my pension. Then it's just paying off the HELOC and saving what I can, working as long as I need to. With Imma, I need to both push by doing as many kindnesses as I can and pull by reminding myself that I don't know how or when she will die, and it will probably be different from how I imagine it anyway.

The fear of being perceived. The fear of trying new things. The only way to do that is to try them, and get used to them. I can’t wait my whole life wondering what’s going to happen.

Haha! I have so many! I think the ones that limit me the most are the future financially. Not something that you can let go of, but I need to think of ways to not let it overwhelm me but also be proactive.

I am scared to visit the US because of the level of gun violence there is. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if my baby girl or my husband were injured or killed. I can't even imagine a life without either of them. Because we have to visit, I just remind myself that statistically, it's not likely to happen to us. But that's all we have. Random chance. No regulations to protect us.

I guess I’ve had some legitimate fear over legitimate health concerns and needing surgery on my hip. Apparently, I have hyperparathyroidism, which needs corrective surgery, and might be standing in the way of my being able to have hip surgery. Also, I am bleeding when I urinate deep red blood color urine. Not so great, I’m hoping it’s not the zepbound… We will see. I’m trying to drink more water, without floating away. 🤦🏽‍♀️ I am concerned that once these things start “needing” surgery, as one ages, it’s down the dark rabbit hole I go… I plan on moving forward, following the doctors’ advice. I will better know the possible timeline for this, once I pin down what my options/surgeries are etc… My goal is to have pain free hips, get down to 140/150 pounds and do mad reading and writing this coming year.

Death is still my biggest fear. I don't want to be afraid of that.

The only fear I have is something happening to my wife. I plan on working hard on showing her more patience in order to lower her stress levels.

I'm afraid of making the "wrong" decisions. Of doing things I might regret. Should I get married, or buy a house with someone I'm not married to? Should I think more seriously about having a child before I run out of time? I'm paralyzed by making a wrong choice, so I don't choose. I err on the cautious side. I've always done this, since I was little, and now it might have true consequences for the rest of my life. I am starting to feel myself soften in my 30s, and I don't know what the "right" answers are.

I’m so scared of spending my life alone and never having children. That terrifies me. I’m so scared I’ve missed my chance and I’m too old. I need to get out and meet people but I’m so anxious. I want to be more social and more connected. I’m scared of the future.

I am afraid of fascism in the united states and it limits me because it's background static wrapping around my neck and shoulders and inside my ears all the time. I can support my neighbors and my community. I can be a safe place to vent or to visit. I can choose not to comply in advance and I can support others who make the same choice.

A fear of mine that has been accompanying me for the past couple of years is feeling that life is passing me by and I'm out of control and feel like I'm drowning. Sometimes these thoughts overwhelmed me so much that it feels that I'm alone and isolated, preventing me from enjoying the moment that I'm currently in. A fear that I have and I know it's inevitable. One day is the thought of losing someone close to me that I love, such as a parent or sibling or very dear friend. My grandparents have left this earthly round over a decade ago and the only boundary between death in myself is my parents and it's a very scary reality that I had come to when I was 22. I'm 33 years old now about to be 34 in a week, I am afraid of being alone, even though I am very self-sufficient and have a loving friends and family. But I want to be brave for love and to be ready for it for when a potential partner comes into my life. I think how approach these fears is by accepting them, because there is some logic to why these fears exist. However, it’s not to my benefit to dwell or be overcome with such intense emotion that it is debilitating. I think by slowing down and making space for these thoughts and accepting them that I will be able to overcome them. I love myself very much, I can always improve on being kind to myself, but I need to put the ego aside and I think by being part of a community and volunteering my time I will feel like I'm part of something bigger and that will help me approach these fears.

My husband’s health, both mental and physical, has declined significantly in the past year. He’s 86, I’m 81. He’s very anxious before each doctor’s appointment and doesn’t want to dwell on the challenges of aging nor its inevitable conclusion. His anxiety can make me anxious as well, although I’m more accepting of age and death. On the positive side, he’s mostly sweet and generous and encourages me to go to concerts myself, to take part in a social group, and generally not limit myself to his lack of mobility. So I’m trying to balance our lives, appreciating him while I have him.

Over this past year, I have become increasingly afraid that I will never fulfill my professional ambitions or have the impact I want in the world. I think that my best option is to accept that possibility, and to ensure that I am showing up daily with as much openness and curiosity as I can to the evolving world around me.

My fear is the direction this country has taken and how we're losing the institutions we allegedly love. I will work not to fall for the darkness, but stay in the light.

I'm afraid that WWIII is going to start, and I'm living my life as best I can before it starts.

That my future is unattainable due to me lacking in privilege. That im behind in life, that i just do not have enough time. That im settling and not stable but fixed in an unhappy place that i sell to myself as a wip due to fear of change.

I have a major fear of failure and of not being good enough. It causes me to overcompensate by overworking myself, and leads to me feeling exhausted, and honestly, still inadequate. My hope is that by working on self love and self esteem, I can have more confidence that I am good enough and that things will work out.

I'm really not afraid of anything that limits me in ways that I am concerned about. My greatest fear is my children dying, but I'm not overly cautious because of it. Fear just isn't something that I worry about.

I have been over the past year too afraid of rejection because I'm trans. I was weird about it in Singapore, let people misgender me for a long time while silently building resentment. I'm already getting over it. The normalness of it here in Michigan, how chill everyone is and the constant like... anti-validation of my anxieties about it is truly doing wonders to my paranoia. I am hoping to be so normal about it when I go back other Atlanta. I am afraid if I am frank with my family and they are frank with me about the church and about queerness it will destroy things that will take many years to rebuild. This means I can't have good conversations with Isaac about big chunks of my life. I don't know how to work on this. It is hard when we are far apart and it is also hard when we are together because then I just want it to be good vibes. Maybe this Christmas I'll make an effort. I am afraid for my career and my future, that my dreams and plans will not pan out and that my sense of self will be gutted. It makes me irrationally anxious about how I'm doing at Steelcase. It makes me fixate harder on being a good designer as part of my identity and not on other parts of myself. It makes me sometimes averse to doing the things that help me improve because they are so laden with anxiety.

Fear of not having enough money. Fear of not having a partner. Fear of sharing myself?

Oh, I think the fear I have is the same fear most relatively sane people have right now. I fear for our planet, I fear for our country. And to be honest, I don't know how to let it go or overcome any of it. Even though I do know intellectually that I can't be too consumed and try not to be. This feels like the darkest period in our country in my lifetime. I truly hope I'm here long enough to see things turn back around.

I'm so afraid of not being enough. That fear keeps me going, going, going, never letting myself rest (and literally working myself sick). It makes me push myself too hard, and it makes me anxious and irritable when I feel like I'm not doing enough. It makes me sometimes impatient or dismissive or condescending towards people who I think aren't enough (in ways I fear not being enough). It makes me defensive when I feel I've fallen short. It makes me nitpicky and perfectionistic. I'm learning how to recognize when that fear is being triggered, and when I'm letting it control my behavior. I'm learning to let myself rest, let myself "just be", let myself "not be enough" so that I can learn that it's really okay. Hopefully as I work on that it'll get easier to let go of that fear.

I greatly fear disappointing people. I don't like to say no. And this means I do things I don't want to do, and I shouldn't do. It means I feel resentful. And sometimes it means not standing my ground. My ground is solid. Remember, self: my ground is solid. I can stand on it. And should. So I think asking myself what I want to do is important. And not being quite so worried about what people think.

A lot of my fear has been self-consciousness this year. I’ve been afraid to speak up or regretting doing so when I did because of what other people might have thought about me. I want to be able to consider my actions carefully and then pursue the right action regardless of popular opinion.

I fear running out of time. I feel it's a legitimate fear because I do run out of time constantly. But the fear can overwhelm an otherwise lovely situation. For example, I dreamed all night about being late for dinner reservations on my big show day in Sacramento, letting fear of running short on time overshadow all the joys of road-tripping with Helen, showing my art to my family, seeing my play performed, winning an award. The fear keeps me in future-tripping mode instead of in the moment. It makes me savagely unforgiving of other people being late or not planning ahead. It grinds my teeth. It serves me too. I impress people by being early. I don't procrastinate. I feel organized. I get things accomplished because of my fear. So it's a hard fear to want to overcome. If I don't keep an eye on the clock, I really do run out of time. Then again, a person who's not afraid of running out of time does not watch the clock. There is balance to strike. Maybe I could respect the value of time and fear its scarcity less. Maybe it is scarcity I'm fighting, or I really fear the ultimate out-of-time deadline that is death. That’s certainly tied to my creative ambition. I fear I won't write anything that succeeds before I die. Or I won't write all the things before I die. But fearing time means I will never have dominion over it. I know I can do better, maybe even manipulate time, make it work for me. To overcome this fear is to transcend time, and that is something I want.

I fear not having enough money in retirement and living past my means to take care of myself. I plan to meet with a financial advisor to make this less scary and to take action steps towards better savings.

I fear reaching a point where I am no longer self sufficient. Sadly I don't think there is really anything that can be done. Does that mean I need to "let it go"? How does one "let go" of a fear that is real and looming?

I am afraid of what is going on in the country, and how so many people seem just plain dangerous. I try to move past the daily din, and also try to engage as possible, but I have a lot on my plate. I'm planning to start taking better care of myself mentally, though, and traveling more and seeing more art.

Probably fear of large planning. Be it large vacations, big projects at work, or anything else. Planning a large-scale thing with many interlocking pieces terrifies me and has limited me at work in life. This year, I'm looking at an international move and job transfer. It's very scary and plays directly into all of my fears. How will I manage and plan everything? How can there possibly be enough time to do everything especially when so much simply cannot be done ahead of time. (I can't start a house search 6 months out of renting.) My only plan is to just do it despite the fear and work with friends and family who can support me in this.

That the US will become even more like Nazi Germany. I have felt the desire to run/leave the country. It has created a clear, moral, divide among the people of our country. I plan to fight, speak out, stand up and show up.

I am afraid of my body changing. I want to approach my body with reverence and respect. I’m turning 30 this coming year and I want to stop pretending that this is a child’s body. I have folds and muscles and shapes that others don’t and I don’t have their bodies. I don’t understand yet what it looks like to let go of my body fear, but I know that self judgement and, as a result, judging or at least comparing to others still happens. I’m tired of it. It’s unfair to not only me but to this world. I cannot expect to help others love their body and be in autonomy without addressing the last of my thought patterns around my body changing. And that means thinking of the things I do with my body as loving it, not as doing things despite or to punish my body, but to love it and love this world with it

Last year I talked about fear of failure, and I don't think I've successful mastered that or managed to let go of it. This year's answer isn't necessarily a fear, but I definitely have a love for comfort and a reluctance to embrace discomfort/come out of my comfort zone. For example, if I have plans to see friends or try something new or do something that takes me out into the world, my initial (very brief!) thought will often be that I would much rather stay at home. And it's not because I have a specific fear of anything bad happening - I'm not agoraphobic and I know it's always fine when I'm out there doing the thing or seeing the people. I think a big part of my reluctance to take my next big leap is linked to this need for comfort and stability and constancy. Even when it's a positive thing like seeing close friends or family, or going on a trip, there's always that sense of... what if I just didn't go? And that translates on a bigger scale into staying in a job that I don't really enjoy, that brings a lot of stress and anxiety, because as Kylie would remind me, it's always better the devil you know. I don't think this limits me on a day to day basis particularly - ultimately I will always leave the house and do the thing, and as mentioned above I will always (mostly) (often) enjoy it. But I guess it is limiting me in terms of keeping me trapped in my job (at the risk of sounding melodramatic). I keep thinking that if I have enough savings then I can make that leap but how do I define what is enough? I reckon my savings will take around a £15k dip in the next six months or so as we pay off our car and credit card bill, but that would still leave me with enough for a healthy cushion. I was going to say that maybe a step towards letting it go would be to calculate what I need to live on, but I suspect that just tackles the symptom and not the cause.

I fear that I am wasting my life. I'm not sure that it has limited me, in fact, I think my more mundane fears of change/loss have kept me trapped in a life that doesn't always feel meaningful or interesting. I really don't know what to do, honestly.

There is too much to fear right now, I can't name just one. This country is disintegrating and it could possibly take my family with it. The only thing I can do is move forward and fight where I can.

I fear being personally and professionally powerless, especially in Alberta but really, it's coming to us all and soon.

I fear what health challenges are heading my way for me and my loved ones. I fear losing my loved ones and my own vitality. I would like to learn how to practice radical acceptance, as this is inevitable.

This question took a while to answer. I fear my daughter, picking the wrong person to date, and that person hurting her. I also fear her picking the wrong person to hang out with. Basically, I fear what men will do to my daughter. I hate saying this because I’m sure that any man reading it is super offended. But I also know that the numbers do not lie. If anyone is going to injure or hurt my daughter in a severe way it’s going to be a man that she knows or think she knows. It’s happened to every woman I know. You could sit here reading this and think how we need to do right by men so that they turn out better but I’m so fucking sick of hearing it. Men behave the way they do as long as they will get away with it. So how am I going to overcome this? I’m going to keep nagging my daughter when it comes to choosing the right person. I’m going to keep telling her to be safe and tell her how to be safe. And I’m going to instill in her absolute fury that will be unleashed toward any man who thinks that he can take advantage of her. Because I’d rather raise a daughter who has great friendships and adopts a child or buys some sperm and knows her worth than a raise a daughter who ends up with a man who continues the cycle that’s been going on forever. People talk about the marriage rate declining. Good. I hope we flip the table. Because nothing else we have ever done before has worked in getting them to understand how to treat us right. Are there exceptions? Of course. Unfortunately every man who reads this will think that he is the exception. But are you? What have you done in the past 12 months to prevent women’s rights from being taken away?

I am scared of opening myself back up to romantic connection and love for fear of getting disappointed or heartbroken again. I fear falling into the same goddamn patterns with love: serving depressed, avoidant people who don't meet me in my communication or caretaking. I don't know that I'll fully overcome this – it's a pattern for a reason – but I'd like to experiment with casual dating and sex, see how moving with clear communication can open up new kinds of connections, and practice being vulnerable without expecting it to turn into a serious partnership/relationship. I also hope to recognize earlier the signs that someone falls in one of my past patterns and trust my red flag radar, then move away from those people rather than toward.

My fear of public speaking and leadership has led me to doubt if I can be a leader in my field. I'm trying to let go of my comfort zone and be more open and understanding.

I’m slowly chipping away on my fear of being alone. I’m in an unhappy relationship that feels more isolated than being alone. I’m also trying to work on my fear of failure and not being good enough. Things are never enough so why does that word hold so much power?

I am coping better with my feelings of shame and inadequacy, but still have a long way to go. I keep trying to relieve my social anxiety, and as a means to address it, we’re now “premier “ (probationary) social members of Oakmont Country Club! A new and increasingly real fear is for American democracy. The current administration, with the cooperation of Congress, is more interested in consolidating and retaining power than governing.

I am extra. I just am. And I think, golly I like myself that way. And I do. And I’m not even worried about people that don’t like me the way I am. And I’m not. Until I am. So I am afraid that I just can’t let go of those judgments, self judgment judgment from my kid, and they make me behave in a way where I don’t like myself. I have focused on unraveling how I feel about individual people and I’m done with that but I think I can focus on catching myself when I’m feeling this way. And just observing that I don’t like how I’m behaving. And then maybe I really can put that behind me.

I fear being vocal about my opinions about Israel's actions because of how it may impact my relationships with some friends, family and community. I plan to overcome it by focusing on building stronger relationships with the people in my life who I feel have values more aligned with my own. If that means my concept changes of who makes up my friends/family/community... so be it.

I have a fear of being perceived as pushy and annoying like a used-car salesman if I tell anyone I want to talk with them about how my offer can help them. I want to focus on the concept that I have something valuable to offer and if I don't tell anyone, they can't benefit.

I can't think of a fear this past year that limited me. It's been a wonderful year and I feel like I've gotten so much out of each and every day.

I fear people not loving me. That has sealed my lips and actions many times. Acknowling it may help.

Being affraid to loose my freedom when in love and vulnerable. the plan is to play along

I have developed a sort of ‘fear’ since Covid and it has to do with travel. I tend to perseverate a lot about making sure I have what I need when I’m travelling and at my destination. And I tend to waaaaaay overthink this! I am currently on a trip to Wales (first overseas trip since 2018 and first with Steve since 2011). Some of the things i obsessed about have come in handy (merino clothes, track pants on plane, travel coffee pour over, laundry line, etc) and some (+++++snacks for plane, Scrubba bag, too much clothing although less than other trips). So I want to work on balance. Not getting so anxious and worked up about the ‘perfect’ set up. The ‘perfect’ amount and type of items in my ‘personal items’. I want to be well prepared but also enjoy that part of the process.

I think I really have a fear of rejection or not fitting in or something like that. Something that causes me to have really, really strong anxiety in new social situations. And at this time in my life, I'm really seeking out community, and it's hard to find that when I never want to put myself out there. For this year, I really want to find something to get involved in where I might find that community.

i fear being let go again. for being discovered that i am an impostor and can't follow anything. i try but omg some days i really can't understand or process anything... maybe the business trip/training in ireland will genuinely help because i do not understand a lot of this.

My biggest fear was loved ones dying. My biggest fear is coming true as my husband is slowly falling apart because of terminal cancer. I can't let it go but at least you're forced to accept total humility before things that happen that are out of your control. I can let go that I have any control, to an extent I have. I have modest aims. There's no point having lofty ambitions for yourself when your love is dying, best to hope for is that I stand between him and a painful death and I can always say I did something for my husband that means something, that I gave him a peaceful death. My fear of his pain is making life unbearable.

I have a fear of being abandoned, left, of being deprioritized, of being broken up with. My dynamic with Andrew has left me feeling alone. I am working on letting that go through therapy, through surrounding myself with people who accept me as I am, and through having cautious, positive interactions with Andrew over time. I hope to overcome my fears, and also to remember these experiences, to move through them and into a confident, strong, aware future

I'm still afraid of people judging me. Perhaps I should just learn to live with this fear somehow.

Fear lives in my bones, muscles, viscera. I inherited this from my mother and she from her mother. Having had a traumatic childhood, fear is my default state. The irony of this is that I write and speak often on the importance of emphasizing love and hope for fear and despair. So, this is a classic situation of the teacher having to learn the lesson herself that she teaches others. This is nothing new. I’ve grown leaps and bounds in the decades that I’ve tried to incorporate this knowledge into my deepest self. Yet, I still awake from nightmares that always are related to something I’m ashamed of that makes me feel unworthy. So, it’s a work in progress.

I fear not living enough in the days I am here. It seems as though I’m in constant survival mode, making sure that I check the next thing off the list. The list seems so important to the moment but at the same time, it doesn’t seem important at all. It’s strange to think that part of me still feels like my life hasn’t started yet.

Kind of like my response last year, I am not so afraid of boredom anymore. I am not feeling a lot of fear. Contentment has some upside.

I'm afraid that I'll give up on my aspirations, like I did with aerial, and so I'm afraid to commit to new things and so dissapoint myself as I've done a number of times in the past. Ever since I gave up on aerial I've been less excited about pursuing new things. It's good to pursue new things without a grandiose expectation of them being THE THING that defines me. There's a time and place for everything, and if something's worthwhile in the moment or for a season or whatever, I can still pursue it without any huge expectations. I need to go with the flow, do what feels the most important or most interesting for a period of time. The way to let go of the fear is to not have expectations of being AMAZING at XYZ thing, but to come at it with curiosity and whatever energy I have to spare for it for any given time.

i'm not smart i think it's held me back form trying and giving 100%... if i don't try I didn't get it because i'm an idiot but because I didn't put in any effort to overcome it- I'm just going to keep doing shit. doing things poorly just for the sake of it. can't achieve anything if you never try or let yourself be bad at it

I fear for my democracy. We seemed to have lost our ability to forge a common reality. I have not idea what to about this, so I am falling back on Voltaire: "Tend my garden."

The fear of sex. How? Wait and see.

I fear that I am too old and unattractive to be loved again, and that no man who is actually a good guy with a choice of many women would want to be with me. Right now I'm doing a bunch of EMDR to get it dealt with. I think that it's slowly starting to unwind things. At the very least I want to make peace with my singlehood, and get through the grieving process to acceptance. It didn't help that I had something going on that was really good and he changed his mind about it. I don't have a fear of being alone, but I also don't want to be without a partner as I go into the next phase of my life.

I fear that I won't be able to get stuff done around the house, either because of financial constraints or, more likely, workers will just not follow through. Right now, I've paid 1/2 the cost of a new deck, which I need b/c the current one is rotting and unstable, but the company seems to have disappeared on me. I maybe can sue and threaten them with a bad review on Angi's List, but basically, this is a bad situation.

I would like to let go of the fear of dying. It is inevitable and I want to meet my "golden years" with acceptance and bravery.

I am afraid that I am just keeping on with my current life because I'm too scared to change it. That maybe I could feel more freedom, but I'm too used to the cage I've put myself in.

I fear that I will become irrelevant when I'm not in a position to make change through my organization, be it my job or a not for profit. I hope that I can continue to drive change for the better throughout my life, even after I retire.

I (still) have to surrender to the Lord my fear of pre-grieving things...His grace is sufficient in it's timing.

Tengo miedo a la atención médica, a ir con un doctor. Me han dejado espantada sin ofrecerme alivio. No tengo idea de cómo voy a superar esto. Dejarlo ir, eso es lo que intento. Dejar de creer que tengo algo horrible. Pienso que confiar en que todo ira bien y que se me irá mostrando el camino es lo mejor.

I fear rejection. I plan on overcoming it by working on the fear in therapy and practice putting myself out there with no attachment to the outcome.

I’m most afraid of this being how far I can go in life. That I’ve peaked or missed my window to really do more. I want to travel, I want to make better art, I want to experience more of the happier things life has to offer, and I hope to overcome that by giving myself the inner grace to actually try instead of dreaming about it.

I am afraid of being inconsequential. I plan on letting go of that fear by being of maximum service to everyone I meet.

My fear about my husband is only a feeling. It's not a fact. I learned that this year and I am comforted. Picture a snow globe where the snow is constantly swirling and rarely slows down. That's my brain. It has come to the point where I am mentally paralyzed - stopped in my tracks and waiting for things to slow down. I fear that they may never slow down and my life will continue to be like a butterfly flitting forever from one thing to another. I need to both let it go and overcome it to whatever degree that I can. I need to analyze what to get rid of - what to declutter - what no longer serves me and give place for growth. I'm attending a Grief Group with the hope that I'll learn what I have already grieved and what I still need to grieve. That will open up some room for me to examine memories - to see which to treasure and which to say good-bye to; to see what I still need to repent of - understanding that repenting or changing as I see it, is also a daily task; who I still need to forgive and what I still need to forgive myself for. I'm looking forward to this and hope to report success next year.

I have tried to come to terms with the fact that higher education will come to an end as we know it and the institution I work for will likely close on my watch. It is sad to think of this place that has been here for so long, will be gone. During the pandemic and in my role, I have come to believe that I could do a lot of different jobs. The end of this phase won't be the end, but I really want to get over that fear. I want to embrace the idea that I could live with much less fulfillment through work and be happy. That I could live with much less money and take a different type of job and have a wonderful life. I want to let go of my fears and enjoy this life and whatever comes next.

I am afraid of regret. I don’t make choices because I’m afraid I’ll regret them later — like choosing to be friends because I might not like them later and I’ll be stuck with them. I want to go all in in the present with the willingness to change things in the future, if needed, even if it is hard, like breaking up with a friend.

I have feared leaving my job in the government, which until recently has been fairly interesting and secure. And I fear being unemployed and I've feared leaving so much work that I started before undone. But I am ready to let go of those and jump to something new... Or perhaps nothing at all.

Losing myself/my identity, losing my parents' relationship with them. I've given up alot of opportunities and moments to myself for the sake of wanting to see other people have happiness too. My guilt for feeling like I wasn't honoring my parents enough was a hardship and I have struggled this year because of it. Recent events have altered things and now it's time to grow thru it. I am seeking counseling to get tools to help when things occur and understand the patterns/the why behind what I do. I know if some issues but I'm sure there's more/deeper reasonings.

I am afraid that I will never be able to stay awake and focused on work all day. And that I will never be able to be on top of my duties as mother and wife. And therefore I won't be able hold a big-time job. This has held me back from taking on any big work projects or fighting for a more prestigious position. My plan for letting it go is to keep steadily working on clearing up my desk, taking care of my outstanding projects, and working on my health and energy so that in a year's time, I will be ready to rock and roll!!

One fear I continue to have is putting myself out there, especially in relationships and new experiences. It has limited me by keeping me from opportunities that could be meaningful, simply because I’ve been hesitant about vulnerability or rejection. This year, I want to work on letting that go by taking small, intentional steps like saying yes more often, reaching out to friends, or trying new activities even if they feel a little uncomfortable at first. I believe that by gradually pushing past my hesitation, I can build confidence and open myself to the connections and experiences I’ve been holding back from.

I am afraid of misjudging my limitations. I am disabled and I understand this but only selectively and in varying degrees. It's hard because my disabilities are "dynamic disabilities," that is, my base line is not the same every day. Sometimes I approach being close to what I think life must be like for a non-disabled person. And other days I need huge swathes of rest and can barely take care of myself, much less the others in my care. I always manage somehow, I get to work, I get everyone at least fed, but it's so hard on those collapsing days. Yesterday I went to work at a different time,much earlier than usual, and I went out to dinner for my wedding anniversary. It makes sense I am tired today. But when my little lay down transformed into a three hour nap I felt ashamed and desperate to get that time back before Kol Nidre. I haven't even eaten that much today. I need to do laundry and take a shower before services. I probably just won't, and that's hard to accept. I guess the other side of the estimation would be that I overestimate my need for rest and end up not living up to my potential, whatever that means. That hasn't typically been a problem as much but it could hold me back especially as I am hoping to get a job I am more aligned with in this next year. I pray for wisdom to understand myself and my ever changing capacity more fully.

I have a fear of other people's judgement. I would like to strive to be unapologetically me. Which also means letting go of my own criticism of myself.

I have a conflicting fear: one of pushing myself into places that I shouldn't or, effacing myself from situations where I should be firm.

Now that Trump won and has been in office for many months, my fear is how awful he will continue to ruin things that will take decades to reestablish, if they ever can be. The Wizard of Oz line, “it’s a fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves into” comes to mind every day. Again, no control over it. All I can do is to continue to perform small acts of great kindness. I pray that by 10Q 2026 he will be gone.

I'm afraid of getting everything so wrong that I end up neutral, mediocre, or worse. I could be so wrong about the effort that I choose or avoid making based on impact.

I used to be afraid of change and afraid of trying new things. That has kept me in jobs longer than I should’ve because the piercing change paralyze me. More than I give myself credit for I need to believe in myself and try failure is not the worst thing that can happen. This opportunity is the worst thing that could happen because I didn’t believe myself.

I continue to fear for the future of society. Luckily we left the US and things are a lot more civil here but I feel that humanity is working with forces we poorly understand. Like so many other technologies, AI has incredible potential, but it also has the capacity to forever alter the world for the worse. Social media as it currently exists is already a blight on society, I fear AI will only make it worse as we move to a post truth world where everyone's echo chamber is intensified.

Well, I'm afraid of dying and I'm afraid of outliving my money. The second fear is greater than the first, but not by much! SO! "Afraid of dying" - I tend to limit certain activities, and I'm not making plans for next year's big vacation adventure. "Afraid of outliving money" - I'm not thinking that I can afford to retire. Ever. HOW TO LET GO OF BOTH THESE FEARS? Good question. Let's see. Plan the vacation and set a date to retire. One more year of work. Tops. One more big adventure. At least!

I sometimes feel that the crazy people on the fringes of the political spectrum, left or right, will get more and more anti-sematic and they will attack my family. I don't wear my Kippa because I feel that they are getting so incensed that they will hurt the people I love. If I didn't have to worry about them I would wear it, but I fear for them not me.

The fear of not grasping the opportunities open to me, thereby passing up the chance of a more meaningful existence; more and deeper relationships and the possibility of greater happiness, is a fear i have always carried with me. I want to understand better how i could let that fear go over the next twelve months.

My biggest fear is being successful and financially solvent. I don’t know how I will overcome it. It’s kicked my ass for sixty years now.

Abandonment. I have been so afraid of being left in the past that I've settled for less than I should - in relationships, in jobs, in friendships. Becoming comfortable alone has given me a backstop and ability to set boundaries. This is still tough at work - where I carry a lot of FCH trauma still - but this job at MAH is so so much better than FCH or TMS. The ability to even consider leaving is such an enormous freedom.

That our society will continue to blame “the other”, and as someone Jewish, feel the need to hid that or risk safety. Which seems silly in that Im not safe but even though I am now, I know that may not always be true. Im not sure how to let this go, other then doing what I can to make things better.

A fear that resonates with me and I guess many is where is the world going. But to trust that it is heading in the way it needs to for change to happen. It hasn't limited me as yet... and I'd like to not let it... but I will do things perhaps more readily.. resonating with "It's later than you think".

Same as last year: I have a fear of lack or not having enough. It limits me in that I am afraid to try something that may take away what "little" I have and fear will never get again. My intention is to give it to God and let Him handle it. My intention for the coming year is to Let Go and Let God for the coming year.

That he will just die. I’ll enter the room and he’ll be dead. Life alone terrifies me. Not sure if i will ever overcome it

That was the question at seder. And I said that with age, I am shedding my fears - I have faced so many of them already - and now I don't mind saying what I think.

I am afraid that being "on sabbatical" will have a negative effect on Marilyn, so I'm not taking full advantage of the time off. I guess the only way to overcome it is to keep talking with Marilyn about it and be aware if my (and her) sensitivities.

Interesting question. I am nearly 80 years old and really do not need to fear anything. I am healthy, I have lead a fulfilling life, I have great kids and grandkids so while I would love to live much longer to watch the grandchildren become adults, I can approach each day with excitement and curiosity.

Previous fears were: getting rejected, failing, feeling disappointed, and being seen. Since turning 40 I've made more progress on these. And not a moment too soon, because I've needed to be resilient in all these areas to continue working for Palestinian liberation. Currently I feel limited by despair, but I am resisting it with all the strength I brought to my previous fears! After all, sumud.

I am a bucket of fears. I call it my fear of impending future doom, but fascism has already arrived. I have to let it go with collective action. More collective action.

I think I consistently underestimate myself. My leadership work at Next Stage has taught me that. Like I still think of myself a too young or too inexperienced or too whatever. I have to quit it with that somehow, and step into my actual power and authority.

I am realizing that I might "fear" romantic intimacy. Unintentionally, I've not been in traditional monogamous relationships in many years. In that time I've built beautiful, deep connections with friends. But I haven't been putting myself out there to explore finding a partner, so maybe that's something I'd like to improve in the next year.

I gave up piloting my own raft. After my frightening out of boat experience last year, I realized that I am not willing to put in the time and effort to become a safe pilot. I don't enjoy it enough to make the effort. My wife and I had a talk about it. She was disappointed but accepted my decision. I sold the raft this year to a person who will use it well and enthusiastically.

Hoo boy, my anxiety over doing things "wrong" or looking silly keeps stopping me--I need to take the feedback I give to clients and just put myself out there!

I'm afraid of not being able to do my creative passions enough and never getting around to them. I want to retire in the next couple of years in order to do them more, but then I'm afraid that I'll feel lonely without my current role.

I'm terrified, entirely, of ending up alone. It's consumed so much of my time. It's made me so sad. It's literally ruined days, weeks. It's made me fear the future. It's gotten me stuck. It's made me feel depressed, despair. I think it's probably made me date people for far too long. Date people who are not right. Question myself. Question everything. Feel completely hopeless. I'm literally terrified. Concerned it'll never happen. I can so easily work myself up. I'm trying to surrender this year. To accept it may happen. Or, maybe not. I want to find happiness. Not to get worked up because of my own anxiety. Not to fall into that hole. Allow my worry to exist without making it worse. Not believe it too much. Believe that just as much as it's possible I may be alone, it's also possible that I can get married. It is just so hard, and so scary, and so lonely.

I've been afraid of asking for space and time for myself. I don't want to seem ungenerous or selfish. But I need to have balance or I will disintegrate. I hope to find the ability to allow myself to do at least some of the things I really want to do without holding on to guilt or self-criticism for doing so.

I fear that the fuhrer will get us all blown us as gun violence becomes ever more commonplace, and he continues to anger, mock, and threaten foreign powers. Eventually there will probably be an egomaniac as crazy as him who will have had enough and will just bomb the crap out of us. Hopefully I'll be gone by then. In 36 weeks, I'll be out, and will never look back at this burning pile of trash. IDK if that's as much "letting it go" as it is just "getting gone!" But the situation here will not improve, so like any other toxic relationship, I will just commit to removing myself from it. Good luck to the rest of you!

I have a fear of saying what I really think out loud, for fear of losing friends. But if they cease to want anything to do with me based on my opinion, we weren't really friends.

Oh my...I wish this wasn't the case - but the US government scares me. I deal with the federal government each time I cross the border. I am a older white woman - what do I have to fear? Yet, I often turn off my phone, so they can't see my social media. I limit what I say on social - since I do cross that border. I would be much more active in the immigrant rights community - again, my fear keeps me from speaking louder. BUT...I will find my own ways to resist. Simple things like getting the Covid vaccine...and voting - no matter where I am. In addition - I will get involved with Democrats Abroad - finding more ways to help keep the US Democracy ALIVE!

I am so afraid that my children will live in a world of chaos and possibly even war. I am afraid I do not have the courage to do what is needed to prevent that. And I am not even sure what that is anymore. I can't let it go and I don't yet have a plan to overcome it, so I had better get to work.

I'm afraid of regret but also afraid of failure which sometimes makes me hesitate to do things that I'm not certain of success which makes regret more likely. I guess I'll have to take more chances and risks.

I am afraid of not getting validation from others which prevents me from acting for fear of disappointing someone or making a mistake. I would like to resolve this by worrying less about what others think and conduct my actions for the betterment of myself. I want to put myself first.

I always try to reality check any fear that I feel personally. I choose to never operate from a position of fear so it does not limit me. That's nearly seventy years of experience talking. My fear for my country and this world energizes me to do all I can to work for freedom and peace for every person.

I am an adoptee, and my most limiting fear has always been my fear of abandonment. It has affected my relationships and my work. I have been in therapy for a long time, and I believe it is now "right-sized," more or less. But it can still pop up in various (surprising) situations.

Loss of ACA affordability. Made financial decisions when the world was sane before #47. Now I'm overwhelmed and breathing into the chaos of not knowing if I can afford my meds and health insurance next year. I've made an appointment with my healthcare insurance advisor, so for now I can let it go. Overcoming it involved heading out of retirement and into a difficult workforce.

I think since my breakup I have been fearful I could end up with the wrong person. 2/3 of that is anxiety and the other third is a normal worry. I have worked through it this year a lot by dating different types of people and also being intentional about who I date. I am dating for me, and I have to live with my forever person for the rest of my life. So it is an important choice!

My fear of being too much or not enough is always just at the surface waiting to pop up. i hope to find a place workwise that wants me as `i am, but I'm also going to care a bit less. I will do the work I know how to do and soldier on in other parts of my life that are more important

Imagine Worst Case Scenarios. I'm keeping a log of my negative predictions that didn't come true.

Fear of being perceived by anyone as inadequate: bumbling/incompetent, stodgy/unfun, confused/incoherent (a biggie for me - my husband reports that I speak a language all my own, many-a-time). There are so many pitfalls that I dance around. Well, more like stumble over. This fear is a self-fulfilling prophecy, the driving force of coworkers shying away from connections with me. My coworkers also connect easily with each other, having matured past where I’m at- my middle schooler ways. It is quite lonely. I’m stuck in the “charm” of immaturity - the childlike party too - that only my lovedd ones appreciate. Whenever I let my fear tumble away, with truly genuine people, I have no trouble connecting. And coworkers don’t see my charms :) They see the awkwardness of insecurity and choose to avoid walking with me on shaky ground. From one environment to the next, I morph into a different person. What a clear sign that I struggle to be true to myself! Whenever I don’t find trust in myself, I see others as less genuine - through a veil of doubt cast all around. I am of the world and I don’t filter my fears to exclusively find fault inwardly, toward only me. I find it too easy to lose my grip on hope and faith. I find these redeeming feelings most easily when I encounter people with a certain level of weirdness. My husband, my family, my boss, my assortment of lifelong friends. (I find those friends whose bond will know the ways to outlast bumps in the road. This brings me a great happiness - ideally to be remembered whenever I experience my great fear.) It remains a gripe of mine that it is so easy for my trust in myself - and quite automatically, in the world too - to “poof:” evaporate. Then, in my day (after work), I must gradually shake off the hurt in my heart. I take work home. I attempt to find the levity. I effortfully share those moments when I managed to feel connected with the adults at my school- aka a quite stressful workplace. They’re there. Moments just buried under a pervasive fear, mixed up with dread. Angst. Frustration. Sadness (the sweetest one that blankets me in my workplace experience). I can spread hope. My hope. It is my responsibility. My way to be more devout. A beautiful journey up a tall mountain, with the promise of vistas along the way.

Fear of failure and that I am not smart enough. Buying the Master Captains Course and working diligently to complete it.

I have a great fear that life will happen and I wouldn't have taken it in or been an active part in it. I will just float about making sure everything is as it "should" be and will have forgotten about the "wants".

Honestly I'm afraid of the world. There are just so many things happening that make it scary to be, scary to raise kids, scary to speak up, scary to stay quiet. I know that it has all felt too much and I've buried my head. I don't know what to say and I'm afraid of repercussions, but also staying quiet will have (and dors have) it's own repercussions. I don't know what to do, but I also know I don't want to live afraid of everything.

I have a fear that I may have let a big love get away- by messing it up with bad communication and not moving quickly enough. It's made it hard to be in the moment with others, and made me melancholy missing her. I am moving to acceptance, and will overcome by accepting I can't change it now. I'll also work on myself, though, to stop that happening again.

I'm afraid of everything. Looking at last year's anwer, I realize I've become afraid of becoming estranged from my kids. I'm not sure if that's a rational fear or not. (Most people whose kids cut ties claim not to understand why, right?) I'm also afraid of potential health declines. Again, a theme.

A fear I carry is the fear of not being good enough. It shows up in different ways, like over-preparing, second-guessing myself, worrying about whether I’m doing enough as a teacher, a mother, or a partner. This fear sometimes keeps me from resting when I need to, or from celebrating what I’ve already accomplished. Instead of feeling present, I can get caught in striving to do more or be better. In the coming year, I want to keep letting go of that fear by leaning into trust... that who I am, as I am, is enough. I plan to practice this by giving myself permission to pause, by noticing when I’m chasing external validation, and by returning to the things that bring me inner peace. I also want to model this for my children, showing them that their worth isn’t something they have to earn, but something we all already hold.

I am afraid of jumping back into work life again. I feel burned by what I had been doing before becoming burnt out and losing the job. I know there is a good work place out there with great people to work with. I am afraid to take another chance on that though. The path to overcoming it may lie in doing something as different as possible from what I was doing, so I dont have to beat myself up over the anxiety I feel when looking at job postings I don't like.

Aside from a true existential fear that some very evil men are in charge, and truly don't value me, I have to look inside and start with me to then go and fight. My physical limitations are continuing to close my life off. I don't want to be weak and in pain. I think about my physical state more than a normal person should. I need to take all these loose threads of my life. Time to braid it all up. I need to be a better student! And truly listen.

A fear of future in the midst of rising right wing, fascist and antisemitic movements, politics and threats. I am too small to be able to overcome them but for my fear of the future they spin for us I can only have hope and believe in goodness and gratitude.

Related to question 8… my fear is that in order make money regularly, I have to burn myself out, suffer, sacrifice and it won’t be worth it. I have some FOMO around losing single life. I also have a concern that if I don’t look for something serious soon, it’ll be too late and I’ll be too old and undesirable. Now, having said that, I don’t feel desirable now because I’m not earning enough/any money. See the cycle? How do I overcome it? Sounds like I need a business plan I could stick to for starters.

Getting Alzheimer’s

I fear being alone again - my current relationship not working and me being back at 0 on my pursue of starting a family and having kids. As much as I am in a happy relationship, it is also a very misaligned one when it comes to our short term goals and the idea of not knowing when I'll be able to fulfil my dream of being a mom really scares me. Currently it limits how much I can enjoy the life I've achieved because I can't look past the fact that every day seems like a day less with my "potential family". I hope in the new year I can make peace with my reality and hopefully make progress in my current relationship or accept that I need to leave and follow this dream a different way. I've started to think about an 'independent production' and the thought that I could do it by myself has helped lift a bit of the pressure from having to insist on a defined path (marrying, having kids with my partner).

I'm afraid to even talk to C about love. I'm more afraid that my expectations of him would change were we to become lovers than I am afraid of his not wanting to be lovers. My fear could be keeping me from happiness, but it is definitely keeping me from the possibility of heartbreak. I do not have a plan for overcoming this fear.

I just lost a dear friend & I'm in shock--still processing. I've had so many losses in these past 2 years: My cousin, my aunt & three friends. A fourth friend moved away & we haven't been able to maintain our connection. My circle has gotten small & it frightens me. I enjoy my independence, but I don't want to be isolated. I'm quite shy & when I was younger, I used to push myself to attend social events, but it's gotten harder with age. This year, I will expand my social network, by taking a class or joining an activity. I'm too young to be this old!

I am worried about my copd getting worse, I will try to quit smoking, and lose a lot of weight. And worry less.

This is a hard one for me to answer. I fear death, but not mine. I fear it for my family, my parents, my pets, and I find myself consumed by thinking about it and cycling through scenarios in my head, almost like I'm "pre-mourning" so that when something happens, I've already sort of "dealt" with it. I'm not fearful of it in a paralyzing way, but definitely in a way that feels a little obsessive and unhealthy. I think going back to therapy might help and plan on trying that. I also fear overwhelm and burnout, but have found ways to manage that much better through coaching and plan on carrying those lessons forward.

I am afraid that I am not good enough as a clinician - that I could be doing more, researching and advocating more for my caseload. I need to let it go and trust that showing up and giving my best in the moment is enough, and a heck of a lot better than some.

I fear what will happen to our country with Trump at the helm. It limits me by making me fearful. Reading the news traumatizes me. When I didn’t read it for two days, I felt significantly energized and capable. I fear for the people being deported. I fear for the people of Gaza. I fear for our freedoms. I don’t know how to overcome it except to live my best life and to not allow myself to become frozen with fear. I am careful to be kind to every person I encounter. I want to begin contacting my congresspeople more often again. But I don’t want to traumatize myself anymore.

I'm afraid of not having a job for an extended period of time again. I'm desperate for stability and the ease and comfort that comes with that, and I've been burned by the difficulty of getting a job before. This fear makes me afraid to take risks, to wait and hope for a better job, to go on month(s)long trips because I have the time and money and flexibility at this point in my life. It's not immediately affecting me because I should be stable in graduate school for the next two years (or really, the next twenty months), but I'd like to work on overcoming this fear and allowing myself to take risks in the way that I can at this point in my life.

My greatest fear is that of never knowing what exactly G-d wants me to do with my life. I realize He wants me to love Him with all my heart, with all my mind, with all my soul and resources, and to obey His mitvot. Even though I’ve asked, prayed to know, tried different things, including practicing Tikkun Olam, and keeping His mitvot. I’m trusting He will guide me through the rest of my life by inspiring me to do His will instead of mine. I hope this year, G-d willing, He will continue to enlighten me with the wisdom, trust, faith to transform my will into His will.

Currently my biggest fear is a combination of being afraid of hurting myself - broken leg or arm, concussion, etc. - and worrying about losing my sight. That might all seem sorta paranoid, but not only would either (or both) of these outcomes affect me, but both would severely limit husband’s ability to live the type of life we both want him to live. His recent accident has shined a light on this. His already-limited mobility has been even further curtailed by a very painful upper humerus fracture. This will eventually pass and I fully expect him to get back to where he was last week, but as far as a portent of things to come…well, I’m not as strong or as sturdy as I once one. My back is sore from helping him (tiny violin - I’m fine) and if he fell, we’d have to call the paramedics. I’m pretty confident I’d heal if I broke something (although my close and very fit friend C - who has a couple years on me - had an injury that may never completely heal). Losing my sight completely would be more devastating, but I suppose I’d be to a point where some sort of assisted living would be tolerable. But not being able to drive would really suck! Anyway, I stay active, work on my balance and strength, put in my eyedrops, and try not to do things where I could fall: that’s how I stay safe and keep my fears at bay.

Processing fear, especially the deep and abiding kind, takes time, and is nonlinear. I guess that's why I always have the reaction I do to this question. I would love to set a timeline for curing myself of all my fear and pain, but it doesn't work like that. I hope that, in the coming year, I will make progress and be able to do things I wasn't able to do before. Getting any more specific than that will be, at least for me, counterproductive outside of the context of therapy.

Fears this year are everywhere in the world. I feel like getting shot at is low risk, but wayward politicians, war, fear mongering, and who knows what's going to happen in Israel, are fears. And, I have no control over any of it. I'm not at the point that I'm thinking of moving to Canada. I hope that doesn't change. Yes, there are many comparisons of America today to Nazi Germany and I see the similarities but still have faith in our democracy. I hope I'm not wrong. Yet another plan to end the war in Gaza was announced yesterday. I'll believe it when I see it.

I’m afraid for our United States! Under the Trump administration things are going from bad to worse… How to overcome this fear? Continuing to create, build community, and resist like hell!

I fear the rising tide of hate and anti-semitism in my State and in the country. I am looking into leaving before it's too late. Too many parallels to 1930's Germany...

how others view me. setting my boundaries & remaining grounded in what give me joy & energy.

Overall, I still have the same basic need/fear that I have typically had. I don’t want become (exteremely) dependent on others; I don’t want to feel isolated and alone either. On some level, it feels existential. I’m not sure how much control I have over that. In an effort to be more positive however, I do recognize that I have been able to live independently in my own home by myself (with appropriate support) all the while living with cerebral palsy, for going on three years now. I need to recognize that accomplishment; that fulfillment of what my parents instilled in me: that I have the ability to be independent as much as I can be. I told a friend recently, my parents didn’t raise me to fall apart when they were gone, they raised me so that I had the idea that I can do for myself, and I will live independently for as long as I remain safe in my own home. I will continue. I am working am motivated by the sense of the need for independence more now than ever.

The fear that I am not doing enough. Well enough of that! Right now I need to take care of my body. She has been through a lot. I know what she needs to thrive and I just need to allow her the time and space to do that. I could make a long list of things I should do, but that is not helpful. It just drives the idea that I am not doing enough, I am not enough. I want to be present in the day, with my clients, with my friends, with my partner. We are learning we can't rest on our laurels. Democracy does not thrive by herself, she is the people and we need to actively put her back together. I don't want to dwell on the fear that we will lose her, or that I will one day lose this precious body. I need to celebrate her as I celebrate the community that sustains me, a community of people committed to walking in the light. Loving the diversity that makes us strong.

I fear that I will live my entire life without learning to set healthy boundaries. I fear that I won't ever truly see my own value. I fear that I will continue to doubt myself. I am doing deep work with my therapist, I've been seeing her for a year and a half now, and it has been the most impactful relationship with a therapist that I've ever had. This work is helping me understand why I am the way I am, and also realize that it is a choice to continue old patterns. Not to say that it is easy to change them, but if I stay conscious of them, I do have the ability to choose differently. My therapist gives me hope that I can do better, it helps me believe in myself and value myself more deeply than I ever have.

I fear intimacy and letting people in. I honestly think I am mostly ok, but it does sometimes cause some problems.

I fear some pretty fearful things: state violence, mostly, and the things that can lead to state violence being used against me: being too poor, looking too dark-skinned, seeming too "foreign-looking" or "foreign-sounding", looking, sounding, or seeming "too ethnic" or "too queer" or "too female" or "too male" or too gender-ambiguous. The worst sorts people now have the machinery of state violence behind them, and they hate those who fit into any or all those categories. Kinda hard to let go of that fear because the cause is still fully armed and operational.

My fear is that I will make the wrong decision, which causes me to delay and prolong my anxiety. My plan is to concentrate on my decision and deal with whatever happens.

I have been scared of not having more: more money, more things, a bigger house, better vacations, a better job, etc. I have been trying to look around me now, and realizing that what I have now is enough. And I also trust that better things will come, with time, with effort, and with patience. Years ago I was dreaming of having many of the things I have now, so I that is proof that Hashem is caring for me and that good things will continue. I have to do my part.

I don’t need to be perfect and not make mistakes but I worry that I am not good enough. That some how I don’t measure up. I keep trying to focus on just being myself and I know this is good enough. I will continue doing this.

As I’ve grown older, my skills at expressing my self verbally has decreased markedly. So I have withdrawn from trying to express myself verbally with any topics that require depth and recall. Coexisting with it realizing, with gratitude, the life I’ve led before this tie. I give thanks to my faith life.

I am prepared for whatever may come next. I am ready to dismantle whatever needs to be dismantled and to cause good trouble. I have found that I can be my authentic self without fear and will be accepted and appreciated by those who matter to me.

I have a fear of unresolved situations. I don’t like the unknown and the way people just disappear from your life without explanation. I am learning to let this go by realizing that “I am not for everyone and everyone is not for me”. That often it isn’t about me and that so many people are overwhelmed and it’s not personal. I don’t really have a fear of anything but this is the closest I can come. I feel like I have overcome so many of my fears this last year mainly of being alone and not finding love.

On a big picture/political scale, I’m afraid of fascism and autocracy encroaching in on the US. I’m not sure how I want to contribute to making sure that it is stopped or at least significantly curtailed. What to do is very unclear. Marching and contributing money are an answer but not the answer. I plan to figure it out. On a personal level, I am afraid that I am stuck mentally debating if wanting to help David get his life back on track is because that is something that I need to do as his mother or if it's my co-dependency talking. I'm afraid of being stuck in my head and not doing anything. I’m planning to see him much more frequently during the upcoming year and rebuild the rapport we had when he lived closer so that how to help is clearer and more organic.

I try too hard to be liked. At least I now notice, albeit after the fact most typically. I guess old habits die hard. I would like to engage with others w/o feeling like I need to charm them (perform), or justify why I belong. The fear is social rejection, but it feels like a risk of being (permanently) ostracized. I am trying to just be. In my own skin. The best I can at any given moment and be willing to accept a take it or leave it outcome.

My fear of letting people down at work. I get very anxious making sure I'm constantly checking my phone when off work to try to front run these imaginery bad emails that will get me into trouble. Its part of my overall hypervigilance that I have ad all my life that led to heavy smoking, then heavy drinking then over eating. I wish I knew the answer :-(

Rising fascism and anti-Jewish hatred. Fighting with building community and appreciating each moment. I frankly don't have any hope for the future. But all the more reason to grab these moments of joy tight and build lifeboats.

I have a fear of losing my job and becoming homeless and having to scramble to find a job in place to live… Again. This has happened to me many times in my life and it is a childhood and adulthood trauma that is embedded in my psyche. It happened to my mom too. But I have always found a job and gotten back on my feet...even if I did have to stay with a dear friend for seven months. I have to remember that I do have friends and people that care about me who have and would help me out. While I don't have any living relatives left and I am a single woman middle-aged woman, I have true friends. I also feel my friends at the Temple would not let me go homeless... because as Jews, that's what we do--we take care of each other. At least my car is paid off so if I have to live in it at least it's a really nice BMW.

Fear of perfectionism. It limits me because I feel the need for everything I do or make or say to be perfect. I know that just starting is the hardest part. But I feel like I get bogged down even midway through the process because I know of a flaw and I'm worried others will see the flaw and judge me harshly. That I'm not able enough, not adequate enough, not enough.

My fear is to the future when my independence is gone; when I can no longer drive myself. It hasn't limited me yet, and I don't dwell on it, but it is in the back of my mind. It won't go away, I just won't let this fear hold me back now.

I fear losing my Mum and what my life will look like when that happens. I try to do things with her that I think she’ll enjoy and try to realise that dying is a part of life and to enjoy the time I have with her instead of worrying, but it’s not always easy.

My minor kid was assaulted. A lot. Over the course of 4 years. I am afraid of the blow back we're going to get when it comes to light. How we will be blamed for harming the offenders (plural). I plan on blasting it right back: how could THEY do this to US?!

Fear of all the mistakes I made as a parent. Total fear that democracy is ending in this country! Fear for my grandsons to be called to some made up war for no good cause. I will let it go by continually working for the betterment of humanity through reaching out to neighbors, staying close to family, working with college students and children any way I can for the oneness of humanity. In those ways, I can be fierce and won't back down.

My fears are so deeply ingrained from my cruel childhood that no matter how hard I try, I always fear that others are watching me critically and that I will be judged negatively. I wish I could stop caring but I just don't know how to end this fear.

I have a pretty overwhelming fear for human life on earth, both from an environmental and a political stand point. This fear makes me anxious and depressed and pessimistic and negative. I'm afraid that I miss the lovely things in the moment and fail to appreciate all the wonder around me. I plan to remind myself regularly not to get lost in future worry . It is important to do what we can to avert future suffering, but there is so much that is beyond our sphere of influence.

My fear of failing financially. I'm starting a business and I freeze up thinking about not being good enough to get my next client. I actually signed up for a 3-day conference for this field. I'm jumping into my fear by attending a large event where I don't know anyone.

I have had some fears of the unknown based on what is happening politically and culturally. It sometimes takes over and I take a wild ride in my mind that is totally out of control. What does help though is releasing it through conscious deep breathing and a kind of mindfulness where I totally focus on my breathing, where I am seriously in the moment. I can then allow it to loosen my psyche and let it go.

Many of my answers this year have been about my fears for the nation. I’m an immigrant-thankfully I became a citizen when it was possible. My greatest fear is that we will be consumed by this era of hyper-partisanship. To overcome this fear I plan to volunteer within my city. Our only hope is for the rational majority to start us on the road back to normalcy. I don’t want to be involved in partisan politics. It’s more important to do what I can, as grateful citizen, to make improvements where possible.

I fear not being good enough, being a failure. I plan on getting rid of that belief.

I guess I'm afraid of rejection and failure which is silly because both of those things are part of growing. I'm afraid of being poor and struggling financially alone but that is also a fear that would happen if I don't put myself out there to grow. So I guess my new thing is just to try stuff and see what's part of god's plan for me and what isn't can just fall away and not hurt me other than my ego.

I still fear that I am not smart or talented enough for some kinds of professional challenges, whether it be leading a big business meeting or speaking publicly or writing a book.

My fear is that those who stood by and said nothing these past two years will just be forgiven. While most people do know this is not complex and requires condemnation from the world, there are still some unforgivable people who are still unwilling to call it a genocide or demand that it stop.

I do not fear dying itself, but I do fear dying before I get my affairs in order. I need to stop procrastinating and do this shit!

My limiting fear is centered around my Judaica and other artwork. I feel very un-confident about it and I'm afraid people won't like it and/or will actually ridicule it. I don't know how I'm going to overcome that.

Again, it's the end of democracy and the rise of fascism.

My fear that I will not have enough money to retire in the US has kept me from pursuing more meaningful employment. In the coming year I will pursue more meaningful pasttimes to offset my disappointment at working jobs that are not fulfilling but pay the bills.

Faith has always extinguished fear for me, and I am thankful for that! Still, there are things to overcome - tendencies toward clutter (delayed decisions) - and other ways of being I'd like to conquer/overcome. I plan on doing this as I have the last couple ways - capitalizing on the earlier mornings now that Ryan is managing the Hilti account, tackling all I am able each morning before the business of the day.

There is no letting go or overcoming a national descent into theocratic fascist oligarchy. No petitions, marches, or stern letters will fix it. We’ve reached a crossroads that could spell the end of democracy and it’s easy to drift into high anxiety and hysteria about it. Take a break from the news or only read in the morning. Take moments to clear the mind. Breathe deep. Keep your nights peaceful. In 2026, elect the fighters who are ruthless and vicious about protecting democracy. Don’t settle for the status quo. That time is over.

My worst fear was realized and has come to fruition. Trump and his mafia cabinet are undoing our democracy,and wreaking havoc in every crevice of society. What is there to do? We must help those who need it most, and I am still figuring out how to best convey empathy,compassion and material help.

Even though I've been waiting for this moment for years, and even though this country is becoming a shittier place to be by the second, I have such trepidation about being away for too long. All I wanted to do was travel when I retired, and now we have the time, money and we don't even have our beloved dog preventing us, and yet... Scott has planned a 6 -week trip for us this Spring. I either go, or cut myself out of part of it. Both options feel perilous right now. I think I have to go and experience it knowing I have a home to come back to.

Added to my usual fear of becoming mentally debilitated with a healthy body is the growing fascist movement in America today.

I'm pretty afraid of not being liked, I'm realizing, even when it's not actually that important to me to be liked. I don't think I'm necessarily a people pleaser, I just feel like there's enough pain and bad energy in the world and I don't want to contribute it. But then I feel like I end up eating a lot of it and holding it, and not really getting the grace I give. I'm going to work harder on standing in my own power and trusting my own abilities and strength some more. I'm not a student any more, I'm not a little girl, and rather than mourning what I'm losing as I age, I want to try and sit in what I'm gaining: wisdom, authority, legitimacy, maturity, perspective.

A fear that I have is to not live up to the potential and goals I have created for myself. I actually use it to motivate me to get better in different pursuits I have, such as with improv, working out, and writing being the three main focuses of mine. I will make check-ins with myself monthly to see how I am striving for these goals and what I can do to make these goals as manageable for myself.

I have all my usual fears for myself, compounded by not knowing where I am going to move, and alleviated by some of my experience around illness and death in the last year. There is no overcoming the fears I have around my children's health and well being -- and that's okay. Ditto my brothers and dear friends. The ways in which they all limit me have been long absorbed into my life and that's also okay.

Not that I'm 'fearless' but there's really nothing I particularly fear (except grizzly bears) and nothing I need to overcome (but I won't be playing fetch with grizzly bears).

I have a fear of taking on more of a leadership role in my community and/or at my work. I’d like to be more confident in my own abilities and power. I plan to overcome it by thinking ahead more, prepping better, prioritizing, and asking for help. I could have more influence or a job with more responsabilities potentially by giving myself a chance and believing in myself more. I know it won’t be easy and it’s probably not just a one year project so I don’t suspect that I’ll read this next year and feel like things are very different. I may try therapy as I think it could be prior but even that is another barrier I’ll need to overcome.

Socializing. Not making friends. Going out more.

I continue to fear failure. I want to progress on letting that go by continuing to try stuff I am not going to be good at.

I have no fear, fear limits you and I refuse to be limited. I strive every day to create positive momentum that leads me onward.

A fear of mine is that I might not be up to the task ahead of me, that I am too old, too unknowledgable, too slow, etc. that things are overwhelming, confusing, a feeling of falling short, not being able to… I will try not to fret before the task presents itself.

Year after year I look for a fear that is limiting me, probably at a deep unconscious level there will be some fears, I suppose, but they don't reach the consciousness. I was considering what I have heard many times, that the opposite of fear is not courage, it is love. So probably I don't feel fear because I love. I love life, people, places, occasions...

I'm sometimes afraid to express what I'm thinking and feeling to Fran. I'm worried that it would upset her or she'd take offence or take it the wrong way, or doesn't want the feedback. I'm conflict-averse. It's limited me because sometimes my reticence is a problem in itself: she can tell when something's wrong and it causes a bit of an atmosphere between us. I don't know if I plan on letting it go or overcoming it, but the very act of writing about it here means she is likely to find out about it by this time next year. Take last night, for example: during the day I brought in from the garage our final four jars of Fattoria pasta sauce. I mentioned this to Fran when she got home in the hope that she would use them when making pasta and sauce for dinner. Sometimes, when we have tomatoes to use up, she makes her own sauce with tomatoes, onion, and olives. For my taste, this isn't always as saucy as I would like it - particularly when we're having pasta parcels (ravioli). I also think our homegrown tomatoes are a bit bland and tasteless (particularly compared to the Isle of Wight tomatoes when they're in season), which doesn't help. She actually asked me yesterday, when I peered into the pan, if I wanted her to use the tomato sauce. Of course I did, but I didn't say so because I didn't want to offend her and make her think that I didn't like her sauce. I didn't want to hurt her feelings, but I end up hurting my feelings and creating an awkward situation; and also not getting what I want. I should have just said: please use one of the Fattoria sauces and add fresh tomatoes to it. That's what I wanted, but I didn't have the confidence to ask for it; I tried to get there with subtle inference, which didn't work. I also think that I don't really have the right to criticize or give feedback when she does so much of the cooking. I actually think I'm quite good at pasta and sauce (and cooking generally), but (particularly on a Monday night in NFL season, when I have "Sunday Night Football" to watch and the bins to put out), it doesn't make sense for me to cook. We have a good share of the domestic labour, I think; but we also have relatively inflexible jobs that I don't like to delegate because a) I like them done a certain way and b) because I always do them, Fran doesn't have the experience and therefore might not do them to my standards or know how to do them properly. I always feel bad when I give negative or constructive feedback. I don't want her to feel she's not good enough. We just have different standards and different ways of doing things. It's a silly catch-22. How can I overcome this? I've been wondering whether we need to have regular (weekly?) "state of the union" meetings where we can openly discuss issues like this without fear of hurt or reprisal. It needs to be a safe space where we communicate openly. I should probably look up what the agenda should be (I've seen something like this online). I want to feel secure enough to say what I think and feel. I want to feel safe in the knowledge that I can have and share these thoughts. I want them to make our relationship stronger. But I'm afraid that this kind of openness would be damaging. Maybe I'll suggest trying something like this.

I'm afraid of losing people I love. It's limited me by reinforcing my rejection-sensitive dysphoria and my people-pleasing tendencies. I act on my fear by focusing too much of my energy on others, which takes energy away from me spending it on me and taking care of myself instead. I plan to let it go more fully by acting on faith instead of that fear.

Get the finances straightened out. Prepare for disasters of all types. Be ready. Just have to do it.

Ohmygosh, which fear should I go with on this? Fear of small heights? Fear of embarrassment? Fear of being a major disappointment? I'm going to go with fear of embarrassment. This one has limited me on many occasions thoughout my life. I am too embarrassed by my singing voice, so I tend to avoid singing in front of others. I am embarrassed by wearing certain clothes, so I tend to wear dark colors, t-shirts, jeans, tennis shoes, etc. I usually say its for comfort, and it is, but it also stems from me being so uncomfortable in anything that is clingy, low cut, colorful, shows bra straps and such. This has limited me on enjoying things that are in my closet, things that I've seen other people wearing and liked, and things that I've picked up in the stores, only to put back because it "wouldn't look good on me". I would love to get past this hang-up and enjoy things because I want to, and not worry about being embarrassed by what other people think. I think that I can start small, moving forward in the coming year, start by wearing an item of clothing in my closet that I've been putting off wearing, and add that into my "wear" rotation. Find others who are supportive of me and ask for feedback. Let's hope by the time I'm reading this in one year, I will have added some fun items into my wardrobe. :)

I always fear I will be awkward in public situations, even though I speak publicly regularly. I just know it's down there. Not sure how to overcome it other than to continue doing what I have been doing. Just do it!

Fear that all my hard work and commitment will amount to little or nothing. I plan on overcoming it by examining the source of the fear and rewriting the narrative that has kept the fear in place.

Definitely fear for our democracy. We cannot let it limit us. There is no "letting it go" we have to push back & stop the madness. March, Protest, Make Our Voices Heard above the "noise".

Fear of expressing my opinions. Especially in university backgrounds when the political context is referred to. I am sometimes afraid to say where my family is from or where I've been (Israel). Joining JUPS is a good start at overcoming my fears about this. Hopefully i will find more spaces where my opinions are welcome and the discussion is open.

Fear of rejection. I plan to talk to people I find attractive.

At 69 and with now 5 back surgeries in 4 years…. Falling, being off balance. I limit my social activities so as not to panic myself or others. Now that the last of the surgeries are over, and recovery mode is a full “go “. Strength and balance through PT, exercise and yoga ! Also, fear of never finding companionship again. I would love to fall in love, but more importantly to have someone to do things with. To not always be the third wheel or lone wolf …. I have no idea how to reconcile or change this, but definitely something to work On changing

I am terrified of the government and it has made me afraid to travel especially to Canada. At this point I am afraid of almost everything. I do not think I can let go of it.

I fear dying!! I try to be real careful with my life choices, nothing crazy. I'm afraid of never getting a decent job again. The economy seems to be in the gutter. I have to fast and pray and study Torah. It's best to cling to God than not.

I have the fear I and others who oppose the viciously cruel policies of the current regime will be persecuted, jailed, or worse. I am very worried that my gay son, queer daughter, and other LGBT+ people will be targeted for violence and have their rights stripped away. It is easy to feel frightened and paralyzed in the face of all of this. I don’t know if there is a way to completely let go of the fear, but I intend to continue to resist and protest out of love for my family, out of love for vulnerable people and, yes, out of love for our country. Above all, I cultivate hope. Hope is not wishful thinking; it is robust and audacious. It says to the darkness, “I’m staying right here and you will not have the final word.”

Never being good enough. No matter how hard I try, somehow, I always feel like I'm never enough. From relationships to work, I always feel like I'm falling short. What could my life, my romantic and platonic relationships, my work -- what could they all look like if I trusted I was enough, and capable. If I didn't let the ways other people value (or not) my perspective, time, and energy, how could my life be different.

I think I have a fear of vulnerability and deep intimacy to some extent that has Limited me in my ability to build a romantic relationship with Dewayne. I plan on overcoming it in the coming year by practicing authenticity daily by sharing information at my tender edge of my comfort zone with those in my life. I want to continue slowly pushing myself to share more and be more open knowing that my friends and family will love and receive me. When I'm ready to start dating, I want to also share at my tender edge as the relationship continues to deepen, knowing that if I present my authentic self the right person will love and accept me.

Right now I am afraid of what’s to come. It feels like we are on a precipice and about to fall, and just don’t know when or how far and whether we will survive. It’s not something I have control over - it’s the state of the country. I also don’t know how to know when it’s time to leave, before it’s too late.

N/A

I think I fear anxious situations before I even get into them and then I’m anxious because of the anxiety. I think I learned to manage my anxiety more and more and I really hope that I’m not scared of it anymore and that I know I can deal with it because it’s always gonna be there. It’s just how I react to it when it starts And it limits me to a lot of things that I decide not to go to that I decide not to meet certain people or go to certain places and I really hope that it doesn’t limit me as much and that I trust myself again and again to know what I’m doing and that I know myself better than anyone else.

Its's the end of the world as we know it and I do NOT feel fine, as I feel that my days on the forward end of life are realistically shorter than those already passed, and this is NOT what I wanted for those waning days. As one friend said, she does believe that we will somehow get through this insanity and recover, but maybe not in our lifetimes, and that really makes me angry and sad.

Afraid of financial instability now that we have a child. It makes me more risk-averse. Trying to trust that things will be ok and that we are responsible with our money so it is very unlikely we will end up destitute.

My answer is really similar to last year‘s answer. I am usually afraid of not having enough money. I think it puts me in a negative framework and therefore into the potential for they are not to be enough. I think it also was what drives me into being a workaholic. I think it drives a lot of my anxiety. A lot happened this past year to drain my finances and it was necessary. It could not be helped. So into the coming year, my goal is to really look at my personal and business budgets and see where money can be saved and see where it can’t. In cases where it cannot be saved, it will just be spent. In places where it can be saved, it will be saved. Maybe I’ll stop losing sleep over whether or not there is enough if it becomes tangible beyond the checkbook balance, and the annual tax return

my biggest fear is disappointing others. it limits me as I refuse to engage fully, connect deeply, fearing that disappointment. I don't fully have a plan, but I will share this with my therapist and we will come up with one.

fear of falling fear of dying alone

Losing someone I really care for. It’s affected me because I haven’t been focusing on myself but instead, them. Start focusing on what I need and want for myself more than I used to

There are a few fears. Fear of failure, fear of the unknown, fear of not knowing if it's the right move. I'm still trying to figure out how I can let it go in the upcoming year.

This year and including through that process of the eight dates book, I’ve allowed myself more to dream and think big. I find with that it also brings up the fear that that big dream is not achievable or that there just won’t be enough money. I’m allowing myself now to think about these bigger things or imagine something really incredible that I believe my creativity can bring something really good to the world. At the same time, I can feel that tension pulling me back saying it’s not possible or where will you get that money or how can you find the site or who is going to pay for this? More than anything it is the money in the imagining of scarcity when it comes to funds that clearly scares me, and I do feel the sense of limitation. I can imagine if I can manage to let it go that I will kind of suddenly or by accident or by chance meet people who are excited by my idea and are willing to put money behind it. I know there are so many people out there who have that money and are just looking for a place to put it a way to make something good come from their good fortune or just plain their fortune. So intellectually I’m starting to believe that those people are there and that my idea once it’s refined and honed can be ready to come into contact with those people and then it’s just a matter of finding them connecting those dots. Yeah something tells me it can happen and it’s the fear that holds me back from believing it.

fear of failure. fear of having to rely on someone else, so I just have to keep striving. I am overcoming by remembering I am not my job, I am not my money, I am not my career. I am just me

I fear anti Israel people and medias lies fueling anti semitism around the world and their brainwashing lies that people publish on social media. I fear the next president of the US will be anti Israel and we will all need to leave and move to Israel to prevent being killed by the supporters of the liberal left. What to do, pray for a president that is pro Israel and for media (including the book publishing industry) to check the facts and publish the truth about Israel. And have the anti Israel groups like Pulitzer exposed.

My fear is fear itself. I am very fearful of everything around me and fearful of my physical inability. Penelope is helping me a lot to overcome it.

My husband's declining physical abilities and gradually diminishing mental capapability. I have a support group and a plan b.

I fear I will never finish the memoir I started writing two years ago. I will complete the first draft in this autumn and winter.

I think one of the things I worry about most at this point in my life is that I'm getting close to 50 and I'm not married with kids yet. I am pretty certain I want to be a dad and I feel like that gets less possible as I get older. Finding the right person has obviously been a challenge over my lifetime and sometimes I wonder what life really has in the cards for me. This isn't anything that limits me, and I'm somewhat ok with "letting go" of the worry that comes along with the thoughts. All I can do is keep pushing forward and try to make the best of where I'm at and keep trying to find that someone where we want to share our lives together.

Ha! Fear is the theme of the year. I have never been so aware of how fear can limit my life as I have been during the past year. It's interesting that the question is about letting go of it or overcoming it, which of course I want to do. I have also been trying to find what there is to learn from sitting with it, embracing it. I don't know the answer to this yet, but I know it's still here. I can only hope that if something acute happens, I will know what to do.

I fear for our democracy. I'm not sure America can survive the effects of Donald Trump and his band of white supremacists.

I’m scared of letting go of my dreams. I’ve centered them so much since the summer started and I don’t want to lose the drive or ambition that has been motivating me until now. I’m so proud that I’m now following my passions after a long time of uncertainty, doubt, and questioning myself. I want to commit to continuing to learn and grow despite any hurdles I may face in the year. I want to see through all the creative projects I started. I aim to continue investing in myself and never forgetting my worth.

I still struggle with the fears from last year. This year though fear seems to be amplified because of the state of what is going on in the USA and the rest of the world. It feels so overwhelming. As a way to cope and make life a bit more manageable, I plan to keep my world a bit smaller and to focus on channeling my feelings through my art.

I fear succumbing to dementia. When I forget something (which is also caused by stress), I wonder, 'is this the start?' All I can do is exercise my mind, reduce my stress when I can, and put coping mechanisms in place now.

A new job is a time for people to get to know me who know nothing about me. I want to go into this new position without being so shy and introverted and let my co-workers know the "real me." I know it's not in my nature, but I hope I can be a little more outgoing and get to know people on a more personal level and have them know me on a more personal level as well. I don't need to be best friends, with my co-workers, but I'd like to have more than just surface-level relationships like I typically seem to have at work.

I fear everything. I am made of fear, anxiety and stress. I have no control. Respites are like exceptions to a rule. The breaks result in nothing. It’s been with me forever, it will be with me til I die. I’d be happy just to discover the reason if in fact there’s a clear explanation.

Fear of developing physical limitations that interfere with doing the things I want to do in my life. At the moment, this specifically refers to a problem with my hip, which I have been experiencing for the past couple of months. As walking is my favorite (and sometimes only) form of exercise, and as walking all over is what my husband and I love to do on vacations, I really do not want to lose the ability to walk pain-free, and walk long distances. I have been told in the past that I would probably need hip replacement surgery; maybe that time is coming (or here), but I am also afraid of that, and of the possibility that the results will not be what I would hope. I do need to seek medical attention, and deal with it in some way, in the near future.

My biggest fear is dealing with our health issues, both short and long term. Can't let it go because it's not going anywhere. Just have to take the blows as they come and swing back hard!

I am afraid I do t have enough time, that I’m not using my time wisely, that I’m spending too much of it on one person… instead of fretting about this, I choose to surrender my will to God, and trust that if I follow the guidance from the still small voice within, that I will accomplish exactly what God has in mind for me to do. All I have to do is my best….

The fears don't change overnight. It's a little harder now that the end of the world (at least America) seems to be at our feet, lapping at the shoreline in front of us. The thoughts that consume my tossing and turning late at night, between tossing my phone aside and trying to enter the void of sleep, are the fears that seem to be the most prominent. It's beyond irrational fears like my partner leaving me, or people dying, or catastrophe striking multiple times in a row. My brain likes to cycle through the recurring idea that I have amounted to nothing, that I am inherently "bad," and I am wasting my time. These are the thoughts that OCD spins together and makes sure I do not forget. Late at night, when I cannot sleep, I almost believe them. They seem to not hold power in the daytime but that doesn't mean my sleep is not affected or my morale does not wane. How does one let that go? A lot of therapy, maybe. A lot of unlearning. Then there are the more realistic fears. I fear, but I also know for a fact that antisemitism will ramp up. Not because of what Zionists believe; but rather Zionism is perpetrating the conflating of my Judaism with an apartheid, genocidal regime. That inextricable tie will be harder to dismantle, and that is exactly what Zionists want. I do not want that. I am afraid of returning to that dark place of hating my heritage, my religion, because of the political project and manipulations of colonial powers. Of course, this has no measure on the immense violence enacted against Black and brown people, especially Palestinians. It has never ceased.

I overcame my fear of swimming in a pool. I just dived in. I was ok. Now I want more. I am going to carry on going.

My fear of failure stops me from taking risks, or from trying a new thing. Even a thing that could only benefit me, I don't want to be seen failing and so I don't tell people I have tried until I have succeeded. It's silly, because everyone fails sometimes and I don't judge others when their chances don't pan out. But I hate being seen trying a thing that doesn't work. (Job, social situation, etc)

The fear of not having enough money for my needs has dogged my life since my parents divorced when I was twelve. This fear has overshadowed my quest for a life filled with music. I plan to have more emunah in HaShem, sing and play music more, and read from Torah more often.

My fear is for the health of Benjie and Jana in the survival of the marriage between Bruce and Amy. I don’t know how I would deal or could deal with any of that. I choose not to think of the bad things, but only focus on the positive so I can be supportive to them and not drive myself crazy about things I can’t control. I can’t let my fears go and there’s no way to really overcome them. But I can put them in one of those boxes in my closet and ignore it for as long as possible.

I always fear being out of my element and doing a poor job in front of others. At the same time, I have a more enduring fear of life passing me by. Solving for the second means getting comfortable with the first.

On a personal level, I am terrified of becoming unable to take care of myself. On a global level, I worry about the survival of our nation and the restoration of our values, our institutions, and the rule of law. What I do is try to stay in the present, and do what I can right now, right here, to make every effort to support and sustain my own strength and the power of the people. May it be enough.

Dat ik heen en weer schiet in wat ik wil of denk te willen en in extremen terecht kom in plaats van in een weloverwogen en rustig midden. Ik probeer nu besluiten alleen in momenten van innerlijke rust te nemen en de voor en tegens af te wegen.

I’m fearful of my cancer returning and I also know that worrying about it is robbing me of current pleasures. So I’m trying to limit my worrisome thoughts and be in the present more.

fear becoming mentally incapacitated, unable to manage my own affairs

Trusting men. Mending relationships with my siblings. Processing my emotions and allowing the Torah to guide me. Journaling.

Driving again. Been 6 months and in 2 weeks I will be given the chance to drive again. Im afraid something may happen again. Dont want to ever let it go because I want to remember what God had done for me and where I have been, am and where Im going.

being weird - that's what popped into my head upon reading this question. I think that the word weird does not even begin to encompass all of that. While I think that I have, and will continue to accommodate myself, I also sometimes want it to be easy. To fit in. To be social. To feel like I am firing on all cylinders. To quiet my brain and its thoughts. But also, if I think more about it, those things make me unique and special, and me! And while I do have a lot to learn, and a lot of things to grow into, I don't want to lose sight of it all?

Spiritually I am working with my fear of death, through sangha discussion, dharma study and willingness to walk towards that fear. No illusions about conquering the fear, but rather cultivating acceptance and even curiosity. The avoidance of the fear of death limits my spiritual growth, as a sincere practitioner, I want to face the work. As far as living goes, fear of traveling alone perhaps although I do not have a big urge to address that. It may be just as easily addressed by finding a travel companion, or by simply staying put and enjoying my life in my vibrant small town community.

I fear that my disability will prevent me from being “Jewish enough”. Because of my disability and my Autism, it is often hard for me to be in groups of more than 1 or two people. I’ve decided it’s time to re-read Rabbi Julia Watts Belser’s book, “Loving Our Own Bones: Disability Wisdom and the Spirtual Subversiveness of Knowing Ourselves Whole” for a second time. It helped me tremendously the first read.

Conflict which I fear will lead to ostracism or ending a relationship/ rejection. Toddler sexual trauma still has some sway over adult me. Being willing to call out the elephant in the room is not always popular. Still working with befriending the scared and angry 2.5 year old who wasn’t protected, acknowledged, supported.

My biggest fear is not being able to find a new job that will be rewarding and allow me to use my skills.

Supporting my lifestyle. Find ways to earn money

My fear is the power grab by the current administration and its impact on religious freedom. I do not know if I can let go. what I will do is work to let the administration know how wrong I believe their actions are.

A fear of heartbreak and that limiting me in relationships and feeling like my full self. I think time will heal and continued reflection and conversation. I also think doing something with untended consequences is still something to be mindful of.

My fear from last year has come true. I have had tremendous difficulty in finding a job. In turn, the fear I expressed last year about my financial health has also come to pass. We've been living off savings and have done little to establish a real budget when there's no income. I'm not sure how I can overcome these fears until I have a paycheck. One other fear...it's one that I've had for years: if I try it and it doesn't work, does it mean that the dream is dead? I've been talking about writing a cookbook for more than a decade. But I haven't done it. It's easier to talk about something than actually do it. If I only talk about it, but don't do it, I won't fail. There's always the potential for success. I'm afraid of really going for it and having nothing come of the effort or not being able to achieve the task. I know that the only way across is through, so I have to stop procrastinating and talking about it and just do it. I'm hoping the act of starting is enough to get over the fear.

I don't have a lot of fear anymore. It seems strange to say that, but I know that I can accept whatever comes. Maybe it is something to do with getting older. The one fear or worry that I have is that the country will collapse and my daughter will not be safe or will not be able to get the medical care she needs. But I also know that we will handle that as best we can. Fear doesn't stop a thing from happening, it generally leads you to act in ways that make that thing more likely to happen. Embrace uncertainty. Embrace not knowing the outcome.

Actually not a fear, I think procrastination is more a symptom of depression. But I'm not certain. Rephrased as I fear, I worry that I won't accomplish all that I'd like to tackle, and that I'm not living up to my full potential. The choices are many. Expect less. Try harder. Find a way to bring more joy and laughter into my life. Take myself lots less seriously. I choose all of the above!

I fear how well I will handle dealing with the closedown of my in-laws' condo and affairs when their health declines and/or they die. My wife is going to be of no help, and probably a hindrance, due to anxiety, etc. The logistics of their condo is going to make cleaning it out extremely difficult, and it is going to be a monstrous process. The in-laws themselves will be of no help since they don't even want to talk about the inevitable, much less start to consolidate anything with the thought of having to move/go into assisted living, etc. What I'm going to have to do is research tag sale vendors, etc so that when the time inevitably comes, at least I know what buttons to push immediately.

Afraid of starting to write the memoir I’ve been wanting to write for years. I will work with this fear this year by devoting myself to learning the craft of memoir. I will sign up for a memoir-writing class

I am afraid I won't know what to do with myself when I fully retire. I'm semi-retired, I like the work I'm doing, but when I'm not doing it, I tend to waste time with computer games. I like to read -- but I don't sit down to do it. I think I'm going to have to actually schedule my days, put blocks of time on the calendar that say: READ; or HIKE; or CLEAN THE GARAGE; or WALK WITH [person]

I still have a fear of doing things on my own, so I am hoping this continues to get better over the next year as it has slightly this year

I'm afraid of everything and that limits everything I do. But the good news is that I still manage to do a lot. I think I equate fear with intelligence. It makes a lot of sense to be afraid. I had someone refer to me as fearless once, and it really hit me in the solar plexus. Maybe I don't know what fear actually is? Interesting...

Same as last year. And the fact that Im saying that makes me feel like a failure. In addition to that, I am older now, and Im afraid of dying. I don't know where the years went. Do I have a plan for dealing with this? I haven't got a clue!

I think I've had a lot of fear around aging come up recently. Suddenly I went, oh I'm turning 39, and that means I have x amount of years to have another kid and y amount of years of a career ahead of me and z amount of years left of conventional attractiveness and what will that mean? What will I feel about my worth and my value? What happens when I can't sing as well anymore? What happens when I look old? What happens when my son moves out and goes to college and "Mom" isn't one of my primary daily responsibilities and identities? It's actually really, really scary thinking about these questions. Existential, honestly. I've never actually sat with the question of my own mortality before. Or at least, the idea of the second half of my life, of only getting weaker, less healthy. I don't think I'm there yet--I think I'm in pretty good shape, and I have time to be strong and healthy. But eventually, that will change. And I guess I have to start sitting with where my value lies when it's not in my voice and it's not in my looks and it's not in being a young mom. That's a big, huge question. I look in the mirror and I see these wrinkles on my face. I am putting this face gel thing on on at night that my dermatologist said is the only thing that's clinically proven with biopsy results to make a difference for your skin's youthfulness, but I am seeing no difference. The wrinkles are there just the same. Next year when I look back at what I've written here, I'll be turning 40. And it's totally possible I'll have way more peace with that than I did with 39, for whatever reason. The way I was at peace and had a lot of joy around turning 30. I hope so. Age is inexorable. So I just have to accept it. And I have a long time before all those things I'm worrying about come to pass. But still. My baby boy is getting older and more independent. And I am getting older. Every year. Every minute, actually. That's life. So knowing that, then what?

I have a fear of doing anything like a zip line or anything where my weight is involved. I am honestly not sure if I can let it go since I have come to terms with my weight.

We used to have the fear of outliving Jared. That’s been replaced by the fear of suffering in old age. Suffering could mean losing one spouse or the other enduring loneliness or illness without the other. Our finances would allow us to move to a friendship village where perpetual care and activities are guaranteed or even senior living, however the ghosts we have in the house were in for 45 years is very real and moving feels a little scary. The house is so big for the 2 of us there’s some rooms we never go into. We’ll see what the year brings.

Fear: that it will be too much for me. That I can't--can't last, or can't overcome, or can't triumph. That Mom will live for another 5 years and I can never be ME until she is no more. That I can't figure out a way to be a Death Doula (for or without money). That I will never get rid of the mess in my living room Plan to let it go? One day at a time...Make things priorities.

I have a fear of not being heard or respected as a human, which sometimes prevents me from seeking help. I plan on getting more familiar with seeking help.

I fear losing more and more of my abilities due to Myasthenia Gravis. This year I've been disappointed several times with the realization that I no longer have the strength to do things I've always managed with little trouble. Part of me KNOWS this is part of aging plus MG, yet I feel defeated when I have to ask for help, or (worse) live with things not fixed or taken care of. I honestly don't know what to do about this, other than accept it and move on.

I fear loss of control. I want to control how I spend my time, my health, my money, my environment. I also fear other people's judgment. And I hate myself when I notice that I am judging others or feeling competitive - that is, trying to be "better than." I wonder if some form of meditation would help with both of these fears. I will explore that.

I’m afraid if I say no to people I like, they’ll stop taking an interest in me. But maybe the best friends give you space.

After nearly 30 years of working as a digital artist in the VFX and Animation industry (in Los Angeles), I have become unemployed for over a year now. I have been spending almost all my time studying many computer programs, working on my own art, learning new skills, and still have not found a job. I am getting fearful of how things might end up in the future. I was always so busy and became successful, now the future is uncertain. We've scaled back a lot on expenses. A little bit of the fear is irrational so I can work on that and stay positive. And all else I can do is keep trying.

I have a fear of being alone forever. Of never finding a romantic partner that sticks. That I have always been and will always be too much. I am focusing more on myself and loving me. If I find someone, great. If I don't, I think I can have a pretty amazing life with my chosen family as well.

Ha! I'm still working on this issue, apparently, based on last year's answer. I still worry that my husband will stop loving me and leave me (not because of anything he has done). I worry that his liver issues will become a disease and that he will predecease me. I worry that I will not age well and become less able to go out into the world and experience it to the fullest. I sometimes worry that my children will never come around and be as close with me as they once were. So, I guess I worry that I will lose people I love or be lonely. It has happened from time to time in my life, but it has not ever been permanent. Losing my mother at the age of 13 was probably the first, deep pain of loneliness that I felt, and I probably have some attachment issues, even though I do well to manage them outwardly. The truth is that no one can guarantee that I won't be lonely or alone when I don't want to be. But I take comfort in the knowledge and my experiences that I am curious, intelligent enough, and kind, that I forge good connections and community in all sorts of ways. I see the impact that I have on my students, and they respond so positively to me. I may not be able to lock down the exact way that my life will unfold, but by remaining true to myself and trusting in the goodness of others, I will continue to live a fulfilling and happy life full of positive connection.

I have always known that I was unlovable. I'm finally beginning to see that I am not just loved but worthy of that love. It changes everything.

I have a fear of confrontation, especially with family members. It especially shows up when I don't talk about things that need discussing. I will continue to try to deal with them respectfully, and not shy away from necessary conversations.

My fear last year was that I'd never be able to focus my attention or manage my time OR put aside my self-criticism to return to art or writing. I'm working at it. Writing has been easier than art, but I feel I'm ready this year. I'm understanding where doubts come from. That insight will help.

I am scared of not being a good enough mom and fucking my children up for life. I am scared of our country's demise and not doing enough to feel like I fought for the right side before it is too late.

The fear of the bottom falling out but there’s always a plan b

What I'm afraid of is everything associated with the Trump administration. I honestly don't know how to overcome this, but I'm not giving up!

I have a fear of not measuring up— usually to expectations I have made for myself or assume others have of me. Especially work-related imposter syndrome. As I prepare to start a new and very exciting job in one month, I plan to lean into the facts: I was hired for a reason, people believe in me and I am capable. Trust my experience and instincts and be bold.

Driving continues to be my biggest fear, as it just does not feel safe because of my vision issues. It has limited my ability to participate in activities that are not close to where I live. I have definitely made more of an effort with public transit this past year, and it has expanded where I am able to go. This year I want to make more use of ride services (Lyft, Waymo), which I have stayed away from due to cost constraints. I need to change the way I think about spending money this way to offset my negative feelings about driving.

I have a fear of intimacy, yet I crave connection and love. I have a fear of being overwhelmed, but I want more. I have to trust in myself and in God that I have enough to do what I am being called to do. I want to be still and listen for the voice that will help guide me.

Normally, my fear is always AGING. But there are scarier things. Aging when the world falls apart, when I might not have the stamina and resilience to FIGHT. I mean, my middle finger has been injured for more than a month, and I can't seem to heal. I can barely open a bag of chips or a jar, so how would I effectively wield the weapons of the future, to keep myself and my home and family safe? I don't want to be the one who slows everyone else down. I don't want my kids to have to deal with me while they try to survive. I need at least another two decades of health and sharp thinking, especially if things get so much harder for all of us. Kevin last night said "we all here have had it so easy, we can't even picture what it's like to really suffer." We were watching a scene from Band of Brothers where a French nurse, after weeks of treating dying soldiers with almost no supplies, sat eating a tiny piece of chocolate, not even thinking about the fact that her hand was covered in blood. We are not ready for that reality. And neither are my sore hips and knees and shoulders and feet.

I think I’ve been afraid to move away from the entertainment industry and it’s limited me and career options. I plan to focus on finding work in a different industry and turning down the noise on the entertainment industry.

Democracy in the US is over. I have the overwhelming fear of impending doom and am constantly thinking of ways to get my family to a better place.

I'm afraid people will reject me because I'm chronically ill and have limited capabilities, so I don't even try to make friends or join a congregation. I'm going to try the new-ish congregation in my town that encourages wearing masks to prevent airborne illnesses.

I fear for U.S. democracy. I fear we have already fallen into fascism. In the coming year, I will do my small part to work for my DEI's - Democracy, Environment, and Immigrants.

Fear of dying alone. Fear of not being financially independent and now I have achieved that to keep it up. To growth in my management position and to keep adding to the company in away that nobody else can. Keep improving myself and looking for new opportunities. Bring the cookie company to Allen’s Nek or opportunities overseas. Be open be alert and be open to possibility in the most unimaginable way. Fear of being single at 35. Fear of not having a family and dying alone.

Trump’s increasing authoritarianism. I’m not going to overcome this fear

I fear financial failure and repeating the mistakes of my father who was 89% good and 11% bad.

All my life I have feared that I wasn't enough. Thin enough. Smart enough. Funny enough. Beautiful enough. Lovable enough. Talented enough. Kind enough. The list goes on and on. This has been the year of learning I am enough, just as I am, flaws and all. I'm good enough to be a wife, just as I am. I'm good enough to be a mother, just as I am. I'm good enough to be an author, just as I am. And no, I am not perfect. I never will be. And I am still enough. May I remember this all the days of my life.

fear of being irelevent and forgotten start working on new projects

I'm scared of change. It makes me stay too long in situations that are wrong for me. There's good reasons though in some ways...I need the financial security. So I don't know whether I can. Life is more complicated when you have two little lives entirely dependent on you

I fear being alone and being bad at my job and being trapped in a job situation I don't want. I will lean on my support and do my best to find balance in my work life.

My fear that things in the world will get worse and are not likely to get better again, has kept me in despair and worry, and prevented me from taking mindful, values-aligned, fulfilling action in the present moment. My fear of not being lovable and desirable enough has kept me in relationships that could not meet my needs, because a lot of it worked, and I hoped the rest would work out. This year I plan to release that fear and look for everything I really need out of love and partnership (without becoming rigid).

Ah, my fear is so common. It's fear of failure, every time. I finished the draft of my novel, and now I must re-write, and if anything, the fear has come on stronger now. I also fear going broke, which is irrational and definitely comes from my parents, who were raised during the Depression. So I have a weird relationship with money. As to the fear of failure, I am going to keep chipping away and tell myself that it's OK if I can't write a bestseller or even get it published as I want. And as to the fear of going broke... I'm just going to continue spending as I like, trying not to obsess about it.

Fear of becoming overweight and sluggish when it comes to movement. I really don’t want to be complacent in that regard! But, I know myself to love movement and feel better after being active. I plan to continue to trust myself and take it day by day

Now I've got a new fear that I've been contemplating. Feeling less relevant as I advance in my career, as a volunteer leader, and in my retirement, whenever that is. I found that once I became a past chair, I was no longer needed in the way I once was. In some ways I cherish the freedom that gives, but I wonder if I will miss the limelight? When I'm no longer showing up for work on a daily basis, will I find fulfillment? Will I be bored? Will I feel challenged? Time will tell. My plan is to fill my life with activities and new challenges.

I am afraid I won't regain my strength. I am now super vigilant when I walk so I don't fall. When my knees and wrists recover from the falls I am going to return to a gym and lift weights, and also return to my regular yoga practice.

This is the one that always gets me. At the moment I’m stumped. I pray for wisdom in the coming moments. Living with chronic pain and facing back surgery — these are giving me lots of in the moment material to work with. Just do it! Life is too precious to waste on worry. You have so many resources. Use them and Let them feed you.

What is a fear that is limited me? Oh my goodness, fear has ruled my life and I didn't really realize it until the last few years. I have a lot of trauma, and I don't trust people readily although I like them. I've been burned so many times because there's a child inside me he wants to believe that everybody is good and kind. And I think we just have to look at the news to know that that's not true. So I have a hard time knowing whom the trust. This is not so much a big deal in my social life as much as it is and my professional life. Sometimes I still feel like a child when I go to work. I don't know why. There's this part of me that just doesn't know how to function in the professional world largely because of fear and also because of I guess an area of immaturity. I'm very very smart, and I'm very very good at what I do do, but I don't do well with bosses or authority - - I don't get into arguments or anything with them - - I just feel uncomfortable. I've had too many unhealthy bosses. Maybe we all have! I mean I can count on one hand the two that have been fabulous. And I just don't get politics very well. So, fear of success, of really having money, I know that that limits me. I don't know why it frightens me so much but I would like to address it because I'm not living up to my potential, I'm not using the gifts that God gave me, and I really want to do that before it's too late.

Fear of failure and taking risk means that I did not leave my last job and grow professionally and can feel it is stopping me throwing my whole self into my new business. Pushing myself to do one thing that makes me feel uncomfortable each week and looking into getting a coach.

Losing my income due to disabilities that are hard (or expensive) to diagnose and the government gutting unemployment services. Also finding a place to live is hard.

I have been surprised as how stressful this year has been because of Trump and the uncertainty he has caused in my life and globally. The stress and maybe just my age has meant that I have heard a voice from within saying that I don't really need to know some friends people or engage with them. It is a weird feeling to feel just done with some relationships that were are one time important to me and I worry what that means about me. I am not usually one who is o.k. with making my world smaller and there is no penalty for me keep up the low stakes, low contact friendship with them - but at some point the lift of talking to them started to feel not worth the effort - or in the case of Deb Drache - that she was on a path I didn't want to be a part of. The jury is out on if I need to overcome my fear of letting go of these friendships or I need to delve more deeply as to why I am done with these people.

I think that I have started to feel more of a fear of aging, and a fear of the physical, visual signs of aging on my face and my body. I want to continue exercising and doing a better job of eating a healthy diet, but in addition to this I think I need to work on overcoming this fear with acceptance of the reality of the aging process, and the reality of getting older and entering my 40s.

People seeing me as less than what I want to be. I'm still figuring that shit out

I have eight years of 10 Q answers in the vault. What were my greatest fears over the last eight years? Gaining weight. Getting fired. Becoming irrelevant after I finish my work life, a soul no more, dust, poof! I feared illness and I feared death, my own, Tootie’s and the death of my loved ones. I feared the dissolution of the United States of America. I feared the cycle of existence, of birth and rebirth and I feared the decay of my physical strength and well-being in this turn of the merry go round. Almost a hundred months have passed. Except for that fear of the cycle of existence, not one of these things happened. That’s how fear works. Fear or no fear, life goes on until it doesn’t and then there’s nothing to fear. How does fear affect me? It distracts me and sucks my life energy. Instead of reducing pain and suffering, my own and that of others, I fear and I plan and I worry. My thinking is unrealistic and ineffective and my suffering increases. A nasty pit to be mired in! How do I overcome it? Attend to the mind. Take in the air and be still. Challenge unrealistic thoughts, lusts and hatreds, attachment to things and people that are not really there. Be more Buddha. It has to be actionable, not only an idea. I will work, meditate and read, switch off the chatter and spend more time investigating.

I fear being judged for my disability because it's become very visible. I'm going to overcome it by continuing to put myself out there and answering questions about it matter of factually.

Speaking in front of people and talking to new people

Once again, yesterday's answer outlined my very well founded fears, and last year's answer was in hindsight wildly optimistic. We have the midterms to look forward to, but the system is now so obviously rigged by the unfettered and shameless actions of the MAGA minority that it's going to take a tsunami of voters to overcome their thumbs on the scales. And yet day to day life continues. It's downright eerie and deeply reminiscent of what I imagine the WWII years were like in Europe.

Dying from prostate cancer is my number one fear. Living is my way of overcoming this fear. Also, I am aggressively working on my health at the fitness center. And, I am following all of my oncologists directions. I read as much as I can about new treatments and new medicines.

I am afraid that people will forget about me, and that I will be lonely. I am trying find purpose for my life that I can pursue without needing other people to make me whole.

I fear betrayal and abandonment. It has limited my ability to receive love. Has limited my ability to trust. It has caused me to live in a state of hypervigilance in which I frantically scan the perimeter for threat. It has allowed my mind to believe that the worst possible outcome is the most likely. I have already done lots of work in the previous year, in preparation for letting this go. My significant other has been a gift from God in the process of moving beyond this fear. His love has been a shelter for me and at the same time a catalyst. Much like how the buffalo run directly into the storm, this love with him has given me access to my fear. This access, along with the process of 12 step recovery, has me now experiencing periods of freedom from this fear that I have lived my life believing I would never be free from. I plan to continue wholeheartedly in this relationship with him, and in this process of recovery.

Honestly, I fear for the safety of me and my loved ones. I’m brown-skinned and living in America, so I can’t feel safe. I’m still living my life and not limiting myself, but I definitely post less on social media to stay “under the radar.”

I think the constant fear that I am not enough for I am not worthy has gotten in the way of my life. I am fully embracing me in all ways. I am doing my work on my terms and I am not letting other people get in my way.

Last year's answer remains the same - different job, same B.S. health is getting weird, eye floater - right foot hurting probably from being on my feet 8/hrs. day! Major fear remains - this year and ALL others is financial. The rent in this place, and everthing else is going UP while I'm working my A-- off just to stay slightly above water. Not that much "fear" of getting fired.. AGAIN, but I'm not betting on anything! It IS a much better, more positive environment than AZ was, but it's still weird "stalking" Home Depot customers, not to mention all the other weird shit going on, but at this point it's easier to just GRIN and pretend everything is OK - and eventually I'll convince myself it is! Have no choice but to "let it go", not worry about what may or may not happen and live for TODAY - which is rather hard - always has been. The rest of my answer is the same as last years... TURN OFF THE NEWS!!!! oh, and GO YANKEES (The Mets really tanked this year, but NY STILL has a chance!! (but I really hope they don't replay last year's championship against the Dodgers - But if they do I hope THIS YEAR WE WILL IT ALL! Oh, and GO BUFFALLO BILLS!!!

Honestly nothing really comes to mind. I have fears that something terrible will happen to my family, but that's not debilitating and it's not going away. I have fears that our country will continue its march toward a fascist dictatorship. I don't think I want to let that go, but I sure do hope we overcome it.

My belief in God and my nature make me courageous unless I'd be in the midst os direct attack. Prayer helps me keep worries and fear at bay.

This is a repeated answer, I am still scared of being an unhealthy elderly person. I fear being alone and left with no one to care for me. I fear being immobile and unable to take care of myself. I fear being in pain.

The same as last year: I fear that this war will never end and that it will have significant impacts on our lives. I fear that the comfortable life we have — that we’re so privileged to have — won’t be possible anymore. And I think the only way to overcome it is to keep working on mutual aid and create the society that will support us when everything falls apart.

Sliding doors. There are many paths to a good life; there is no one path to a best life.

My mortality is a huge fear I have, not the act of dying but the finality of just not existing any more. The "one day you're here and the next your not" Is what I fear. I always wonder what's the life for why are we born and why are we here for such a small period of time in the whole grand scheme of things. What's this all for?

I guess my only real fear, if I'm honest, is that I will die having never had love. I have tried many ways over the years to change this or cope with the lack of it. But I always thought it would eventually come to me. Now I must resolve that I can manage inner peace without it. I will need to dig deep so meditation is in order. Lots. Sigh.

Fear of being seen as a fraud. Fear of being insulted or mocked or being seen as dumb or weird. It’s caused a lot of anxiety. I have found a way to have a voice in spite of it, but I am always on pins and needles and super sensitive and push away people because of it. Not sure how to overcome it. I’ve tried a lot but the core belief that I am failing just seems to live inside of me.

I do fear technology will outrun me. Over the past year, every major appliance in the house has needed repair or replacement. A cable accident knocked out TV internet and all. I fear as I get older that I will just not be able to successfully function with speedy tech changes.

I’ve always had a fear of the unknown when looking at the future. I’m a planner and always “have a plan in place with a backup plan.” Now, while I’m excited to move back to Michigan in the next several months, I’m fearful of driving through the mountains. I get vertigo and feel like I’m going to fall off the mountain. I didn’t feel that way 25 years ago, but my body has changed, and I’m dreading the trip. Plus, we are bringing the 4 cats in the truck with us. I am fearful for them (ears popping at elevations, for example). My logical mind says it will be okay, but my physical body is filled with anxiety about what I’ll be experiencing. I’d much rather fly, but my husband wants to bring a trailer full of things not added to the moving semi. I’ll be placing my trust in him and asking God for fortitude to do something extremely easy for others.

I have a fear of losing my parents. I need to continue to pray and let go and let God.

I fear that the future. It isn't a limiting fear. Existential dread due to this country's slide into authoritarianism, lack of action on climate change or plastic pollution is a rational fear. If you aren't bothered by this, you are living in a fantasy land.

I feel fearful about all of the arrangements I have to make in order to do my big move. I will overcome this by getting on with it and making it happen. I'm always fearful of inadvertently ruining relationships with my family - I have to work that one out!!!

I fear having a separate life from my parents and my sister. I wouldn’t know what to do when I have all the control over every decision. The fear that I will fail is not lost on me.

Unfortunately my fear is the same as the last 2 years: I fear that Trump, along with the MAGA and GQP, will take over and turn the US government into an authoritarian regime. It makes me feel helpless and hopeless. The amount of time and money I can put towards preventing this won't make a difference, but I shouldn't give up. Especially as this year is even worse.