Hi, Paul ... interesting post:)

Amen to your focus on how our fears (legitmate and made-up) can stop us from exploring and changing.  I have always been dogged by a nagging feeling that I was not good enought, not prepared enough, or just not right for opportunities.

As you note in your post, we need to examine and face our fears, clarifying where they come from, and analyzing them realistically.   A legitimate fear is one that can be planned for and overcome, while the "made-up" fears that dog us should just be identified and discarded.

Of course, that's easier to say than it is to do:) ...

John