To Fear or not to Fear?

This is an interesting question. I often find myself striving to overcome my fears.  Whether it is my fear of heights or my fear of being in a small space, I will always push myself to a point before giving up.  I will walk almost to the edge before backing away or I will crawl into a small space to get a  ball that the kids got trapped.  The entire time shaking and wishing I wasn’t in the situation but still progressing forward.  However, when it comes to “life”; I tend to avoid the fears.  I find myself fearing a social life more than jumping out of a plane.  At least when you jump out of a plane, you have a parachute to pad your fall right?  But what shelters you when you head out to the local gathering alone?  What shelters you when the conversation goes dry or everyone is busy talking to others?  Some would say the beer takes away the fear.  Well, that can be correct in many circumstances, but you can’t do that all the time.  Or can you?

As always, I reached out to my Facebook friends with the question of the day, “What do you fear the most in life?” I thought it would be best to share (as always):

“Oh please....more like what DON'T I fear! LOL”

“Oh here we go with the questions. I fear your Q's”

“Clowns and Broccoli”

“I fear not having the guts to say what i really want to. seems like it would be so easy, but it's just not in "that" moment, to say what you need to”

I also found it most humorous that the most outgoing friend I have feared my questions. It was probably a “funny” but in most cases the questions do make you stop and question yourself, your actions, and your overall life.  So guess I could understand that fear.  But the last comment struck a chord and made me realize what my true fear was.    It is not the fear of speaking or the fear of a new environment.  It is the complete fear of the response that I may receive.  I mean my friend has a point.  If I say what I “want” and get a response of “no you can’t”…Wow that would be harsh. Right?  It is like telling someone you love them for the first time.  Do you say it if you only have less than 80% confidence that they feel the same way?  Heck no!  Or that guy that you hang out with on occasion, do you tell him you like him more without confidence that the feeling will be reciprocated?  Probably not!  My best friend of course said the following: “I fear the unknown. I can handle what is in front of me, its the "what if's. Yes, I'm a control freak soooo .....what do you expect”.  Organization does play some part in it but I also think she too is on the same wave length as most of us.  So there is a fear of “spoken” word.  Yup that’s right…I only want the answers that I deem the correct answer. If I think that the answer could sway, I will not ask the question.  I am just “KEEPING it REAL”