The Six Ghosts of Fear

There are six basic fears, according to Napoleon Hill:

1. Fear of poverty.
2. Fear of criticism.
3. Fear of ill health.
4. Fear of loss of love.
5. Fear of old age.
6. Fear of death.

1. Fear of poverty
It is the worst of fears and it has several symptoms:

• indifference
• worry
• indecision
• overcaution
  
• procrastination

Fear of poverty is not limited to 'poor' people - it can be a very real 'ghost' even for people who have a great deal of money.

2. Fear of criticism
It brings:

• self-consciousness
• lack of initiative
• lack of ambition
• an inferiority complex

Most fears are beliefs about reality, not reality itself. Healthy fear protects us from harm. Unhealthy fear is based on false evidence.

3. Fear of ill health
It causes:

• hypochondris
• lack of exercise
• susceptibility
• self-coddling
• intemprance

Keeping your body active is a surefire way to keep your mind alert.

4. Fear of loss of love
It is one of the most tragic fears. It brings:

• jealousy
• faultfinding
• possessiveness
• clinging
• gambling

Fearing loss of love comes from the belief that you can 'lose' love. Actually, once you have felt love, at any time, you get to keep that experience forever. You add the experience of one love to another, opening more doors to new love. You will know if you are free from this fear when you can love yourself at all times. Until then, you need outside verification.

5. Fear of Old Age
It involves:

• denial of age
• apologies for one's age
• thinking of oneself as slipping or declining in some way

This fear kills off:

• initiative
• imagination
• self-reliance

6. Fear of Death
It causes :

• preoccupaton with the idea of death
• fostering lack of purpose and concentration on what you cannot control

A. Nancy; Work with Passion

What do you fear most?