‘You gain strength, courage and confidence every time you stop and look fear in the face’ Eleanor Roosevelt This is an inspiring and frightening quote and I am not talking about the spider in the web! I think it is interesting that we think of fear as an emotion evoked when we are faced with danger such as being attacked or when we do something which is way outside our comfort zone like jumping from a plane or going into a darkened room after you heard an unusual noise.

There is a more insidious fear, one which can wreak havoc in our lives, our relationships, our health and our wealth. The staggering thing about this fear is that we take little or no notice of it or we have adjusted our behaviour and expectations to accommodate it. This is the fear of success or the fear of failure, you know the one. The fear that stops you stepping outside your comfort zone and keeps you in the same ole, same ole, boring life.

This type of fear can cause underlying stress which builds over time and can manifest as a health problem. Such as, boils, rashes and irritable bowel syndrome all of which are unpleasant and if the underlying causes are not dealt with can go on to cause serious stress related illnesses, such as cancer, depression and heart problems.

What should I do? I hear you cry. Well the very first thing is to get a health check and if you need to pay for it – see this as an investment. Deal with whatever comes out of the health check facing any challenges. Second look back over the last 10 years and see if you like what you see. If you have any regrets (they cause stress) then take action, face down any fears and deal with it. You will be surprised with yourself and you might even become proud of what you have done to deal with your fear. Good luck.