Hi Cheri This is a great topic and you made it even better with your little personal touch. My problem has never been the fear monster though. Actually, mine is just the opposite. I have a tendency to leap without looking. The internet has certainly helped me get over that. There are so many scams and scoundrells on the web that it boggles the mind. If I were to aquire a little fear monster, I might be better off LOL May a smile follow you to sleep each night,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and be there waiting,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, when you awaken. Sincerly, Bill Vanderbilt Mental Health And Political Forums http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=8212 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=9637 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=8259 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=13254 http://community.adlandpro.com/forumShow.aspx?ForumID=11791 Business Forums http://wv0079721.betteruniverse.com http://www.ourpowerforcedmatrix.com/team.php?UID=10561

I had to get over the FEAR monster in high school. I was doing alot of public speaking. So now it everything is coming back again. :) But I guess it's like riding a bike. You'll be alit rusting, but it will not take all.

Cheri, Thanks for sharing; those are some great books. May I also suggest the Science of Getting Rich, a free e-book available at http://www.scienceofgettingrich.net/gifts/lifeworks4u.html Dave

Hi, Everyone! I took a break from my computer yesterday to visit with relatives from out of town. When I checked my email, I was overwhelmed by the response to this post! I want to thank everyone who viewed it and everyone who posted. What good friends you all are. Mike, David, Myrna, thanks for stopping by and posting. Angela, Martha, Philena...I know what being shy is. In high school, I was too shy to look up as I walked along the halls. I went to high school in a small town--Moab, Utah--after moving there from Texas the summer before my ninth-grade year. I would literally grow my bangs long and hide behind the curtain. Don't know what happened to me over the years, but it isn't as bad now. About a year and a half ago, not as shy as I once was but needing to prepare myself to speak in public about eliminating debt, I joined Toastmasters International. I highly recommend it, whether or not you expect to speak in public anywhere else. It's a great way to develop self-confidence. The others who are there want to do the same thing. It's a supportive atmosphere (or if it isn't, find a different club) and promotes real growth. Winston, I know what you mean, too. I have to process incoming information before I'm prepared to respond to it unless the subject is one of my soapbox topics. Sometimes that means the opportunity goes by! Being a listener is good...I've read and heard it said many a time that the most interesting conversationalist is the one who listens more than he talks. I'm sure that's why people think you're outgoing...you let them talk about themselves! Now that I'm over my shyness, you can't shut me up...NOT such a good thing. :-) Cheri

Hi Bob and Bill, I agree with both of you that caution is the better part of valor. It's when one is afraid of healthy risk that FEAR becomes a monster. I'll give you an example. Someone very dear to me developed a fear of being out-of-doors. As a result, she spends her days in bed, in the dark, interacting with the world through her TV and her computer. Now this is a bleak enough picture, but consider the results as well. Part of what brought her to this situation was some chronic pain. It would be a very long story to describe the process, but after more than 7 years in bed, that pain is infinitely worse now every time she needs to stand up to take care of necessary functions. In addition, her muscles have atrophied to the extent that she falls quite often, exacerbating the pain again. It has turned into a vicious circle. If only she had fought through the fear of her pain in the beginning! She might have still been in pain, but in a healthier body. Sure, fear of the fire prevents burns. When you fear a flickering light that only looks like the fire but has no heat, you have a monster on your hands. Cheri