Due Kudos for Facing Fears!

I was thinking about this a lot tonight: We face fears a lot in life, and I think sometimes it's a good thing to vocalize them so you know your not alone in those fears as well as receive kudos and encouragement when you face them! It's a big deal when you succeed and win! So what are some of the fears you have had or have currently? How are you facing them? How did you win them? How did you get up and try again? How can you encourage others?

My current top fears:
-Driving, which I do almost on a daily basis right now, so I'm really working hard to over-come the fear! Also, I'm going to cheat and get a GPS!
-New Job- Learning and selling in a new culture and again..driving! LOL! (It's a B2B sales job) Will I be successful? (Then come the dreaded "what if" questions!)

When I moved, I had loads of fears from fitting into my new home and making friends, leaving family and everything familiar and work and just overall settling into the culture. I still get homesick and it intensifies when I'm scared because I go to the though of "If I were at home in the U.S. this wouldn't be a problem" but overall, I try to face my fears straight on and tell myself that "I CAN do it!" with a positive attitude. I have found that a home is where you make it and all the reasons why I choose to be here and having that attitude has really helped me move forward in facing those fears and really finding happiness in my settling and adjusting...But I'm in baby stages here.

How about you guys?

My current top fears:
-Driving, which I do almost on a daily basis right now, so I'm really working hard to over-come the fear! Also, I'm going to cheat and get a GPS!

I really need to face this fear!  I keep putting it off for a few reasons. 1. it makes me very nervous learning "stick" and all the different road laws 2. The cost of lessons are outrageous!  3. I walk or ride my bike most of the time anyway 4. Roundabouts! Yes, Roundabouts has it own category. Driving....I am going to make you the fear I face this year!!


I hope.....

A third for driving... but also not doing much to face it. I took my theory test and had intended to get the practical in before the baby came... he's 12 weeks now. Whoops.

I got my license (in the US) back when I was 17 and then never ever drove! Living in Boston/Cambridge made it pretty easy to be carless -- but basically I was scared.
Anyway, roll on a few years (decades) including living in the UK where it is also possible to get around without a car. Even scarier! Anyway, my father back home had to give up driving and my mother didn't drive, so every time I went back home it was a pain getting around. With the wisdom of 50-odd years I realized that I didn't have to be a perfect driver for all situations. Since I already had the license, I could pretty much avoid those things that made me nervous -- like parallel parking  or stopping on hills or driving on the highway. All I needed to do was get from point A to point B and I could plan my trip to suit myself. So I took a few lessons with BSM as a refresher and when I moved back home I hired a car and soloed for the first time! Bought my first car, taught my son to drive and have been driving ever since. (Whether I will try to pass the test in the UK is another matter  )
But my point is that facing your fears can often be accomplished by realizing that you only have to do what you are prepared to do.

Driving is one for me as well- though I think if I just had a Tom Tom I wouldn't be all that bothered. So maybe it's more of a fear of getting lost than driving.

I have a fear of speaking to people here on the phone, a lot of the time I have to look at people very closely when they speak in order to figure out what they are saying. Talking on the phone I can't do that- and anyone who has heard a scouse accent might agree it's a bit difficult to understand on a good day! So maybe my goal should be to have my husband let me do all the talking on the phone, maybe I'll get better at it then.

The other fear I have no intention of taking on is Spiders and other creepy crawlies- they can all just burn in what ever version of spidey hell there is!! ... and no I don't believe I'm being over the top at all.

I've had phone phobia all my life. I'll do anything to avoid the telephone (thank goodness for email!)
Then there's fear of flying -- not very convenient for someone with connections on two continents.
Can't stand snakes -- even in pictures or on TV.

I don't have many fears.  I currently struggle with a bit of anxiety when performing, but am pushing myself to do open mics a bit more to work through it.

I'm pretty sure I have a fear of death (my own, my parents, loved ones), but don't we all?  I do believe in reincarnation and death is merely a transition, but still the fear lurks.

I used to be terribly afraid of human skeletons whether they be illustrations in a medical book or something more morbid, and to this day have a love-hate relationship with them.

I have claustrophobia and am writing this whilst on a crowded train... slowly training myself for a flight in a few weeks that I'm already having panic attacks over! I'll take kudos points if I manage it, but I would much rather be able to be beamed to Portugal Star Trek style.

All my best to those learning to drive. I have yet to summon the courage for that, so definite kudos to all of you!

I have to confess a fear of being on the phone as well (which I have to get used to because I will be on it a lot with my work!) But it's more of a fear of not being able to understand people! When I first moved here, I had a hard time with that...I'm NOT a shy person AT ALL and I felt myself shying away because I knew I was different and some of the reactions I was getting when I talked made me feel very awkward! (I got up one day and decided I needed to get over it and so I did and purposely went out and talked to people! I found the more positive I was, the more positive the response back was as well!)

Round-abouts make me CRAZY!!

I have a really stupid fear of wax figures! (especially the one's that move and talk!) But it stems from childhood experiences I had!) the last time I went into a wax museum (because I was trying to over-come my fear) I silently teared up (I was trying not to be noticed by other people!) through the first two rooms then proceeded to edge walls where I could in other rooms! LOL! If they were on both sides, you better believe I was dead in the middle of the walk-way...the FURTHEST away I could get on both sides! But I survived and even started to enjoy it a little at the end! LOL! Silly I know...

Fear of dolls! Well, feeling creeped-out by them. Think it's because my mother let me play with a china doll (I was only 3!) and of course it fell and the head shattered and the eyes were rolling around ... shudder.
I had to stay in a B&B once that was heavily decorated with old dolls and it was all I could do not to rush out screaming.

Fear of dolls! Well, feeling creeped-out by them. Think it's because my mother let me play with a china doll (I was only 3!) and of course it fell and the head shattered and the eyes were rolling around ... shudder.

This made me laugh out loud (sorry BostonDiner!)!

I had to stay in a B&B once that was heavily decorated with old dolls and it was all I could do not to rush out screaming.

I lived with a friend during the time I was waiting for my fiancee visa and in the spare bedroom where I slept was an antique doll.  I had to cover it over with a throw the whole time I was staying there.

Once I stayed in a B&B in Cornwall in a gorgeous ancient mill house.  The bedroom next to mine was *filled* with old antique dolls all lined up in the bed together and others all around.  Thank goodness I was not staying in that room!

Fear of dolls! Well, feeling creeped-out by them. Think it's because my mother let me play with a china doll (I was only 3!) and of course it fell and the head shattered and the eyes were rolling around ... shudder.
I had to stay in a B&B once that was heavily decorated with old dolls and it was all I could do not to rush out screaming.

You know what, I'm going to have to agree with that! I'm not scared of dolls or anything, but I just think it's creepy anyways when people have THAT many sitting in one room! There's just something not right about it!