WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST FEAR OR PHOBIA THAT PEOPLE HAVE?
"In my experience, what I've discovered, the biggest fear that most people have is acrophobia (fear of heights). Almost all human beings are born with acrophobia. Some overcome it, some maintain the fear but face it, such as myself. I'm a climbing instructor. I like heights BECAUSE they scare me. It keeps me on my toes. I like that feeling. Other people don't like heights at all and other people are just not phased. But most people are born with that." 

SO THAT'S THE THRILL FOR YOU? BEING ABLE TO OVERCOME THAT?
That's what makes it good work- work that keeps you on your toes.  For instance, if I'm doing my job right, I'm staying safe. Here (at his retail job) I can do my job poorly, and still be safe. 

*Our curiosity was piqued by the claim of almost all humans being born with acrophobia, so a little research was done to find out if that was true. Turns out that there have been studies and experiments conducted which show that infants and young children are naturally cautious around heights, suggesting that people are born with a dislike or trepidation about heights. However, despite being nervous or even somewhat fearful around heights, they don't have an actual phobia, which is defined by Webster's as an extreme or irrational fear or aversion to something. Many scientists believe that a phobia of this type is a learned response to either a parent's fear of heights or a traumatic experience in childhood, like a fall. So, yes most people are born with a natural fear of heights, which is typically overcome, but not all of these people are born with acrophobia.*


** Join the conversation. Do you have any phobias? What is the strangest phobia you have ever heard of? **

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY WAS THE SCARIEST THING THAT'S EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?
"There's a few that are a little too personal. I'll say starting my own business. 'Cause you never know what to expect....whether you're going to succeed or fail. If all of your assets will be taken away. Once you put up your capital, you wanna make sure you get a return on it. That would probably be the scariest thing, to think you could lose your home." 

HOW DID THE DECISION TO START YOUR BUSINESS WORK OUT FOR YOU?
"It worked out good.  I didn't lose! But going in, it was scary."

AND HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR BUSINESS?
"Since 2009. As of today, it's been pretty profitable. Right now I'm at a plateau so I guess I'm back at a scary point in my life because now I wanna take that business to another level."
 
 She told us she owns a construction, commercial and forensic cleaning business. 

* Join the conversation. What is the scariest thing you have ever done? *

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST FEAR YOU'VE OVERCOME?
"I was working as a DJ for the past 15 years and it was all I knew. My passion and love was in it, but I came to the realization that it wasn't something I wanted to do anymore. To have no other outlet to go to and to give it up and live life as an entrepreneur was one of the most fearful. At the same time [I was] happy. It was like, every single type of emotion all at once."

HOW WERE YOU ABLE TO OVERCOME IT?
"I had to understand that I was capable and competent enough to overcome anything. As long as I put my mind to it. It was more of a self confidence thing or an understanding of myself, that I could do it. 

ARE YOU GLAD THAT YOU MADE THAT CHANGE?
"Yeah. I've reconnected with a childhood dream of mine. I can see what it takes to make it. To do that is all that matters. It's my calling. When you're younger, you have this dream that you've always wanted to have, but then because of life, you get misaligned from it. But there comes a point in your life where you have to stop doing what you thought you liked, and try to go toward your happiness. Keep striving towards it and as long as you're doing what makes you happy, you get realigned and realize what you're truly passionate about. I found that and I know how to get to it. Nothing is going to stop me. Even though I'm living at home, not making any money. It's like someone coming up to you (and all you ever wanted to do was be an astronaut) and them saying "if you do all these things for the next year or two years...you have to stop working your current job, you have to live at home, you're not going to take any money in...you have to give up your social life...you have to give up all the things that you've known (to make this dream a reality)", would you do it? It's scary to give up all you've ever known, but to do something that makes you feel whole, complete as a person." 

* Join the conversation. Have you made a change in life that you were afraid to make? How did it work out?*

[The gentleman told us that he works as a mental health counselor and deals with people who have a variety of fears all of the time]
DO YOU EVER SUGGEST WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO OVERCOME THEIR FEARS? 
"All the time, this is what I teach. If you want to deal with fear, you have to turn fear into positive action. How do you do that? You meditate. You make a diary. You take all the fears you have and share them around the room. You write about them..." 

AND DOES IT WORK?
"The feedback I've been getting has been unbelievable"

HAVE YOU EVER HAD TO OVERCOME YOUR OWN FEAR? 
"After my grandfather was sick, I needed to get over the fear of death. You have to look at death in the way it comes to you. When it's your time to go, it's your time to go. Many people are afraid to die, but you know what, it's the life cycle... You have to go with the cycle that's being given to you."

"And the fear of change. I'll tell you right now, fear of change is big!"


* Join the conversation. What do you think is the most common fear people have? *

For as much as there is to divide us in this world, there is so much more that can bring us together. People, all people, at their very core want basically the same things, need basically the same things, love basically the same things, and fear basically the same things. 
Show me a mother and I will show you someone who fears anyone or anything harming a hair on their child's head. Show me a champion and I will show you someone who fears losing a step, costing them the next big fight, big game, or big win. Show me a lover and I will show you someone who is afraid of losing someone, of being lost to someone. 

Fear is universal. Everyone, no matter how big or how strong, has something that they are afraid of. It doesn't matter if the things we fear are exactly the same as someone else. It only matters that we recognize that we are not so different from those who we look at as if we are. The elderly woman in front of you in line at the bank,  the teenager you walked past on the street today, the man who asked you for your spare change as you left the store, they all have hopes, all have dreams, and yes, all have fears just like you. Your parent, your pastor, your priest, the guy who mows your lawn or the guy who you watch on the evening news, may seem vastly different to you. They don't travel in the same circles or like the same things. But one thing I can tell you is this- at the heart of them, they are all afraid of something- maybe the same things that you are afraid of. 

When we start to break down all of the things that make us different, all of the ways in which we divide ourselves from those around us, we are making progress. Progress that can help us search for the things that we do share- the common threads. Those threads are practically universal. Pull on one of those threads and watch as our differences, our prejudices, our contempt, and our judgments unravel. Do this, and we can begin to move closer to a place where we are all... one, unified. 

**Join the conversation. This week we are talking to people about their fears. Visit our Facebook page and share your thoughts with us.**