What are YOU Afraid of?

My mother was 95 and had terminal cancer.

The religious leader (whom I had found to officiate at her funeral) asked my mother if she was afraid to die. She apparently replied, “Why should I be afraid? He’ll take care of me.”

I never asked if she was referring to some higher power or to my late father (who passed away suddenly at 64). Or to my younger brother, who died at 57.

But I thought it was totally bad-ass that she didn’t fear death.

I often ask myself what I am still afraid of at 70. 

My NANCYAF.com website boasts that the F stands for Fearless (among other things). But, like many things online, that’s not entirely true. But I’m WAY less fearful than I have ever been.

Since October is the spooky month, my content theme is “FEAR FACTORS & THE COSTUMES WE WEAR.” I’ll tackle the second part in future posts.

For now, let’s think about what we’re still afraid of and how it may be affecting our health, our relationships, and how we tackle work and life decisions.

If you want to get REALLY anxious, look at this chart that illustrates what fear does to various body parts. Fear, however, is a natural human emotion. But what scares us has changed over time.

Obviously, I’m not terrified of AI, as this image would indicate. 

But I still have high standards for myself, and I must admit that not living up to them elevates my blood pressure at times. I worry about the madness in our country these days, but I try to channel my emotions into positive action rather than hand-wringing and headaches.

In writing my memoir (YOUR NERVE), I realized that the first few years of my life were filled with childhood terrors. When you look back at how many fears you’ve overcome, you get less scared of things you can’t control.

After you’ve read this, make a short list of the things you’re still afraid of and how you can work on overcoming or dealing with your feelings. Get professional help if you need to.

Take it from someone who has survived 70+ years of anxiety and is still standing strong and is (mostly) fearless!