Fear Factor

There are many aspects of life to be afraid of. Naturally, the first thing that comes to mind is death (and the things that usually lead to death). This causes people to be afraid of heights, germs and certain animals. As a small child I experienced a fear of heights, which was the reason for me not being able to sleep in the top bunk of bunk beds. Furthermore, I have always had a fear of snakes, not that I squeal when I see one, but they make me feel extremely uncomfortable.

My fear of heights has not been conquered, but I have learned where this fear would be appropriate. Bunk beds aren’t scary anymore, but you won’t see me climbing the Mt. Everest any day soon. To me, this seems like a rational fear, as climbing a mountain is a thing that could get me killed easily. I think that determining when and where to fear something (or someone) is important for a person, in order to build confidence and a strong character.

For example, until recently, there has been a person in my life who I feared. Not in the ‘I think he’s going to kill me’ way though. Instead, I was afraid that this person had some sort of control over me and could destroy my future if I didn’t obey. Nowadays, I have replaced that fear with rational thoughts. The only person with real control over my future is me, and the only person who should be able to control me, is me.

Now, my self-confidence has risen (not much though) and I can speak my mind without a lot of hesitation. The person I was talking about seems to have more respect for me this way as well, so that just worked out for the best, didn’t it?