Friday, October 31, 2014

Lesson 329: What Are You Afraid Of?

Trick or treat, Readers?
I vote treat.


It's always a treat when you visit the Lamp Post.


Since it is Halloween, I thought I'd revisit the topic of fear this weekend.

If you know Eloise personally,
you'd know that I was a 'fraidy cat for much of my life.


As a child I was scared of everything
 and many of my fears worsened as I moved into adulthood.

I've learned that fears are very limiting.
They hold YOU back while you try so hard to hold THEM back.


It's a very exhausting way to live.  
I now believe that is one reason I so heavily relied on caffeine
through my heavy coffee drinking.  
Worry and anxiety over fears, 
either big or small, takes energy.

  joel osteen quotes on hope | ittakesthesame0aamountofenergy0atoworry0aasitdoesto0abelieve-default
I exhausted myself from worry and routinely needed a couple pots of coffee 
to get me through each day.


8:24 a.m. March 3rd

Fear fuels adrenaline.
Fight or flight?
Which path do you usually take when you've had a scare?
Eloise was definitely a flee-er.


Now that I've learned to face my fears,
my life is better.  

ACIM - All healing is essentially a release from fear

My focus is clearer.

Overcoming your FEARS: You gain strength, courage, and confidence, by every experience in which You really STOP to look FEAR in the face... You MUST DO the THING you think you cannot DO!

Gosh, do I love Eleanor Roosevelt.

I took some time this week to read up on fear.
It seems like everyone is afraid of something.

Click on the link below to see the 33 Most Common Fears.
(The 33 caught my attention).


Even better, check this one out!
This one is fun.


I placed a feedback post on facebook this week,
curious to know what my friends fear.

Some of their fears fall into the Common category,
and others, Irrational.

Let's have a look:

Rodents are list toppers.

  • PATTI:  Mice, scare me to death!!!! Don't like their dirty little feet crawling on my stuff!!!

STACEY:   Mice!

KRIS:  Mice! Eeeewwww


Mice (or rats) are #20 on the IRRATIONAL FEAR list, Friends, so you are not alone.



20. The possibility of a friend from the sewer ending up in your toilet.

The possibility of a friend from the sewer ending up in your toilet.

Spiders and snakes are none too popular.

  LESLIE:  Hmmm, spiders I guess, but only when they are inside. I don't mind them in the wild.

How about this one, Leslie?

Oh wow...stay in the tent as horrifying as that sounds or run for your life and hope it isn't a man-eating jumping spider?

AUNT JOBY:   Spiders, snakes and Niagara Falls.

SANDIE:  Snakes. Even little garden snakes scare the heck out of me.

BETH:  Snakes, 

BECKY: Oh and large spiders!!!

MELISSA:  Things that slither

JEN:  Everyone knows my fear.  (SNAKES)

BRENDA:  Spiders

BRI:  Snakes....I can't even see them on TV or talk about them without feeling squirmish.



Spiders are #14 on the IRRATIONAL FEAR LIST


14. Finding a spider in your shoe.


Finding a spider in your shoe.


31 Struggles That All Arachnophobes Know To Be True




and #9 on the COMMON FEARS.


Heights are a biggie (pun intended).

RENEE:  Heights!

JENN:   Heights.  I cannot go past the 3rd rung on a ladder!!!


Here is one that kind of fits with my niece Rose's fears:

ROSE:  highrise apartments, sharks, Somalia, deep waters


10. Swimming in dark water.

Swimming in dark water.









Here is another one for you, Rose!

S"It'll Be Fun", They Said. These are hilarious!

Birds and other winged things seem to pose a problem for people.

Every single species of bird. | 22 Irrational Fears That Are Actually Perfectly Normal

ANNE:  Bats!



SHERYL:  Uncaged birds 
  • COUSIN STACEY FROM OUT WEST:   Fuzzys!!! aka..." Miller moths"!!! They terrify me when they fly in my face
    ANGIE:   Bats, I can't even look at them

Nothing related to Halloween scares me. What scares me is when I flush someone elses toilet and the water keeps rising.


Oddly, fire--either house fires or things needing to be lit on fire, did not make either list.
Still, I had a few friends who have added smoke detectors and fire extinguishers to their Christmas Wish Lists.

KAREN S:  The house catching on fire.
BRENDA:  fear of a house fire.

SHELLY:   A house fire

LISA:  Oh....and lighting anything that uses gas or propane!

A new client just told me it is OK to be angry at work, but not OK to have anxiety.  It got me to thinking ..... after all they are both just energy.
Grandma doesn't like storms.
(Maybe I should write a book about that....)

HELEN:  Storms!

Note to Grandma:  If you wear your Halloween costume and stand in the front yard and do a rain dance during the next thunderstorm, the Universe will deem you as brave and your fear will go away.

I can only hope there is an event at 6 Mile Cellars when it happens.



A few interesting responses from my male Readers:  

TOM:  Women
DAN:  Herpes
Humour Therapy - Enlighten up & live with more health, happiness, meaning and mojo. www.sacredbydesign.com.au

Some fears are hard to categorize:

AUNT JOBY:   Oh, I forgot to mention that since I was a child I've been afraid of contracting leprosy.

SUSAN:  Sometimes this freaky thing happens inside my head when I'm lying in bed. I get scared some freaky devil spirit is going to reach up from under my bed and grab my arm or leg.




Funny School Pictures : theBERRY


Some fears, a little more real:

  • TRACY:   Not getting to see my sons grow up.
  • SUSAN:   ISIS had me a little edgy these days as well. Yeah, people that think nothing of beheading children, stoning women so on so forth

  • HEATHER:  Pitbulls...or any scary dog(s) chasing me on a run. Just the jangle of tags will send me into full panic mode. And cancer. Cancer scares the hell out of me.


Some people just out and out lie.


  •   KENYAN:   I'm afraid of nothing!!! LOL not spiders or clowns or heights!!

  • But since you mentioned clowns, Kenyan......
  • This clown is also the reason I'm afraid to pee without opening my shower curtain... He's waiting.

  • You are not alone.  

  • BECKY and KRISTEN aren't Bozo fans either.

I'm glad the three of you didn't do our Spooky Fun Run last weekend.




There was a clown loose in the park!
He was looking for you, so I gave him your address.


We outran him and a few ghosts, too.


The fun of the costumes and the camaraderie balanced out any fears we may have been secretly harboring.
One couple came as me and Louie!


I'm brave now.
Brave enough to patrol the perimeter for zombies to keep my friends safe.
Thank you again for the photo Karen B and Heather.


I said I'm brave, but in truth,
I'm actually bravER.
Still some things get to me if I let them.

Dogs that chase runners--I'm with you Heather!



the Amish


JENN:  did you ever read Crimson Stain about Ed Gingrich? If not I have it - you can borrow it- it does bring a sense of fear to me now that you say this!


Read it, Jenn.
Certainly didn't do anything to help my fear.

Still, I can keep dogs and Amish in perspective.

And then, I happened to watch this episode of The Black List this week.
Creepy weird guy that howls and hunts humans......


Good Lord, that gave me the willies!

I know, I know.
Practice what you preach, Eloise!

Do you have fear people creeping up on you and poisoning your joy? #quote about #fear

What are you afraid of---
buying a used car and unexpected repairs?


There is always a tow truck to call.

How about all of your appliances, cupboards, and drawers breaking all in the same week?


They can be fixed or replaced.

How about the winter?
Do you fear another one like we had last year?

Come out and face it head on.


Layer up.
With friends by your side, it's not so bad at all.


Fear that eating healthy tastes bad?
If you can get past the texture,


the taste of healthy is actually pretty great.


Let my final words be these tonight.
Read them now.
Repeat them often.
This is my Halloween hope for all of you.

Inspirational Quote - Fear Quote - Sunflower Photograph -  mounted print wall art - Let Your Faith Be Bigger than Your Fear



Enjoy the photos from the week set to the perfect song for tonight--Thriller by Michael Jackson.

Until next time,
ELOISE



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