Dealing With Fear Part 2

1. Fear is enhanced by hiding or not finding out important information. An example of a time when I made myself afraid unnecessarily is when I delayed finding out_______. (Example: How much money do I owe?)
   
   
2. I have closed my heart to ______ and so am feeling afraid that ______.
   
   
3. I believe I can only be OK if
   ____________________ _____________________________________________________.
   
   (Fear in this case is created by attachment to a third dimensional idea as to what constitutes safety (money, power, control, owning my house, a steady job, keeping my partner, etc.)
   
   
4. __Fear is what I feel when I shorten my breath and tighten my throat, chest, shoulders, stomach and/or abdomen. Sometimes I don't notice I am doing this. If you consciously relax your body and breath deeply, the fear will usually dissipate.
   
   
5. Fear is present when I'm vague, confused, dishonest, not allowing myself to know exactly how what is going on. An example of when this was happening was _________________. (To shift this kind of feeling, use Exercise 2)
   
   
6. Fear is part of my self-government system. I scare myself into _____
   and out of_____.
   
   
7. I have felt panic when _____________________________.
   
   The way out of panic is often shifting from feeling to independent thinking (as distinguished from playing old tapes in your head.) The panic may have been caused by old tapes within that repeat false or inappropriate statements. They probably don't apply to your current reality. For example, "I don't know...." or 'I can't..." when in fact, with some concentration, you do know or you can...
   
   
8. Fear is a cover for anger learned as a child who knew anger must be hidden. As a child I felt fear when _____ ______________________________________________________. but I was really angry at _____________________________. and I felt _________ about feeling angry.
   
   
9. Fear is the way I tell myself that something important is missing in my awareness or plans.
   
   
10. Fear is my signal to pause and think things over or get better organized. An example of this in my life is/was __________________________________________________________.
    
    
11. Fear is my justification for certain actions, such as ______________________________ and is not necessarily in my best interests in the long run.
    
    
12. Fear is wondering whether I'll protect myself adequately, knowing I've a history of not doing it and haven't fully committed myself to doing it. (Applies to those with histories of self-destructive behavior.) The cure for this is a firm decision to live and a determined commitment to self-care.
    
    
13. Check if the following is true:
    
    I'm feeling fear because I'm carrying around a card in my back pocket which says, "If things get too bad, I can always kill myself, or go crazy, or get myself put away (in a hospital, prison or mental institution.)" And I haven't given it up yet.
    
    Note: Nothing will be solved until you do. Too much energy is being diverted from effective problem-solving. But once the decision to let go of the threat to the self is made, you will feel much better and able to face and successfully carry out whatever problem-solving is necessary.
    
    
14. Fear is my distrust of my ability to go on living unless I'm fighting for my life.
    
    
15. Fear is what I feel when I've given my power to the opinions of others.
    I hereby take back the power I've given to
    __________ __________________________________________________________.
    
    
16. Fear is a magnet. In accordance with the law of attraction, others who will reinforce my fears or help me "prove" my negative beliefs are drawn to me. An example of this in my life is/was ___________________________________.
    
    
17. Fear is what I feel when I'm around someone who is trying to get rid of their scare by scaring me. A time when this happened was
    _____________________ ________________________________________________________.
    
    
18. Fear is created by giving power to, or being attached to, ideas and beliefs about:

judgment, competition, hierarchy, scarcity, separation, punishment, conspiracy, retribution, evil, loss, abandonment, loneliness, wrongness, badness, mistakes, death, craziness, sickness, loss of the soul, suffering, struggle, hell, helplessness, powerlessness, danger, authority, secrecy, enemies, secrets, failure, purposelessness, shortages of time, of resources, of energy, of creativity, and so forth.