Fear

            Audience: Anyone who has ever experienced fear and would like to overcome it.
             Fear: the mere sight of the word makes some of us cringe. It is a feeling we have all dealt with at one time or another. It is something that we first experience as children, and are conditioned to respond to in many different ways. Some of us live in constant fear; of accidents, of bad people doing us harm, or of physical ailments. Others simply take things as they come in life, whether they are good or bad things. In the dictionary, fear is defined as: "a feeling of agitation or anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger." That is a rather ominous definition. Fear can also refer to general anxiety, as in "fear of speaking in public" or "fear of open areas". These fears arise not necessarily from a present or imminent threat, but rather a perceived threat, which to some can be just as scary. For most people fear is an unpleasant feeling and it is important that we learn to deal with fear in the best manner possible. .
             Most of us have seen a horror movie at one time or another. Seeing a scary movie is a good way to learn to deal with fear. We allow ourselves to be involved in the plot to the point that it scares us, but in the end we know that the movie story isn't real and we can go home to our safe houses and not be sought out by the monsters on the screen. Seeing a scary movie is a good type of fear. It is fear generated by our imaginations for the purpose of entertainment. Another good type of fear is the fear generated by adventure sports such as skydiving. Those who enjoy skydiving realize that there is a certain amount of risk involved with the sport. If things don't go right the skydiver could be seriously injured or killed. The participants involved in skydiving realize there is that chance, but the ultimate goal is to have fun, so this is also a good type of fear.