I don’t think there is anything more debilitating than fear. It’s a major factor in what holds people back and keeps success just out of reach. And the sad thing is, fear of whatever, is hardly ever real. That is, the reality of what we fear often never comes to pass.
When Jack and I first thought about going trucking, I had all kinds of reasons why we shouldn’t. I was afraid of letting go of all we had, afraid of changing jobs in such a big way (I was working in the acquisitions department of a large county library at the time), afraid of what people would say, afraid of what my parents would say (they had just paid for their little girl to go to college!). I was afraid of so much, but mostly of failure. I wanted to go on the road in a big, bad eighteen-wheeler, but I was afraid. Then a friend sat me down and said, “Look, what’s the worst that can happen?” She pointed out that both Jack and I had parents who loved us and they wouldn’t let us live on the streets. So really, the worst that would happen if we failed was that we would go back to Virginia, find another apartment, find other jobs, and pick up where we left off.
Her words—and I’ll never forget them—were like throwing water in the face of a person shocked into a stupor. The worst that could happen suddenly didn’t seem that bad at all. And as it turned out, there was nothing to be afraid of. If I had let my fear hold me back, I would have missed eight of the best years of our lives. We saw more, did more, and became more than we’d imagined, and we were able to do it together.
When we moved to San Francisco, Jack proposed getting rid of our car. Our
only car. “What?” I practically screeched. “Do without a car???” I hadn’t been without my own transportation since I was sixteen except during my first three years of college. A car was independence, not just a vehicle. I was afraid to be without. What if I wanted to go somewhere?? Jack convinced me, however. The day we gave up the car, a weight fell off my shoulders. If there was a car alarm sounding, I knew it wasn’t my car. Pay the meters? Not us. And guess what. There was a cheapy car rental place about four blocks up the street. I think in a year and a half we used it twice. Fear would have added a burden to our time in the city if we had kept the car for those “what if?” times.
We shouldn’t let fear hold us captive, but I know that’s easy to say. And the sad thing is, fear is not only debilitating, it’s often dangerous. How many people have stayed in toxic relationships because they were afraid of the unknown if they left? How many kids have kept harmful secrets because of the fear some monster put in their minds? How many people have wanted to do the right thing about a situation but didn’t because they were afraid of the consequences? Fear can be harmful in more ways than we know. Fear can be a killer.
Fear is an emotion we can defeat if we take a breath and logically think through whatever is plaguing us. Stop, BREATHE, think, BREATHE, and then imagine the worst that can happen. If that “worst” is something you can live with—and it so often is—take the chance!
Read the next blog in the blog hop by going here.
Dee
Only a Good Man Will Do: Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar’s wife. Good luck with that!
Naval Maneuvers: When a woman requires an earth-shattering crush of pleasure to carry her away, she can’t do better than to call on the US Navy. Sorry, Marines!
Terri Osburn writes contemporary romance with heart, hope, and lots of humor. After landing on the bestseller lists with her Anchor Island series, she moved on to the Ardent Springs series, which earned her a Book Buyers Best award in 2016. Her new Shooting Stars series is set against the glittering and gritty world of the Nashville country music scene. Terri’s work has been translated into five languages and has sold more than a million copies worldwide. She resides in middle Tennessee with her college-student daughter, four frisky felines, and two high-maintenance terrier mixes. Learn more about this author and her books at 
Whether it’s good or bad to give advice or receive it depends I think on how good the result ultimately turns out to be. Giving or accepting, we should beware, though. Giving advice is dangerous because our advice could be totally wrong and end up hurting someone. Or it could be right that time, and encourage the person and others to ask for our advice again, when we might not be so astute. Often we give the advice we would like for ourselves and it doesn’t fit the person asking at all. Or we don’t understand their situation fully.
with a beautiful seductress until the British government sends him on a spying assignment. The deadly mission sees Adrian and his family running for their lives through a war-torn Europe. On the perilous road to home, a web of spies and assassins surround them on all sides. As the danger grows, Adrian finds himself more drawn to the lovely Gabrielle. A nightmare of betrayal and brutality follow them as Adrian risks everything to get his family back home.
Men and women of the armed forces deal experience desire and love pretty much like everyone else. Except, well, there is that uniform. And the hard-to-resist attraction of “duty, honor, service” as a man might apply them to a woman’s pleasure. All things considered, romance among the military is a pretty sexy, compelling force for which you’d better be armed, whether weighing anchor and moving forward into desire, dropping anchor and staying put for passion, or setting a course for renewed love with anchor home.
We all remember our firsts in life; first kiss, first love, first sexual experience. Black Velvet Seductions present a collection of eleven short stories, from eleven great writers, on the subject of First Submission within a Domination and submission relationship. The authors are from different backgrounds across the world and have written a broad spectrum of stories on such diverse themes as straight, gay, BDSM, domestic discipline, age play and multiple partners. A red hot read of wide ranging sexy stories to thrill and tantalize! Discover the authors and their stories on the 
policeman and so much more. There’s a little erotic romance for everyone, including ménage, BDSM, spanking, and… Well you’ll have to see for yourself on the 
The question this week is whether life exists outside of writing. For me, the better question is, does writing exist outside of life? Without life experiences, is there anything upon which to base a short story, novella, or novel? I doubt it. Even a splendid imagination needs some comparison in order to work. If you only know one place or one type of person, it would be much harder to develop a well-rounded story line.
cities like San Francisco and Chicago to small places like Appleton, WI and Greenwood, SC—we’ve met and made friends with people from all walks of life, helping me to give depths to my stories and characters.
Churchill, so that’s who we’re going with. Well, actually, he first said that there is no one he would kill or be willing to die to have dinner with. That’s my literal husband.
again but he persevered. He was not one to say, “I hope I will survive this,” he was one to say, “I will prevail. I will have victory.” And he did.
never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.
I really don’t care for the term bucket list. I’d rather think that my wishes of things to do reside in a basket full of flowers. “Bucket” is a little too rustic for me. I prefer something like this basket of cheery daffodils, each one labeled with something I want to do before I die.
Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Of course, the movie was about self-discovery, and not just doing things you’ve always wanted to do before the Grim Reaper says your time has run out. Since I feel like—for the moment—that I’ve discovered everything about myself I care to, my Basket of Flowers List is about doing things for the sheer desire of doing them.
an eighteen wheeler. When our friends were older and dangling grandchildren on their knees, we were moving around the country chasing consulting jobs. We seized the day in every way we could. But there are still a few things I’d like to do someday. (Someday implies hope and not “better hurry up.”)
exploring it each time I’ve had the chance. Do I have a shot at doing it again? Sadly, probably no.
Carol Schoenig used to joke with co-workers that when she retired she was going to sit on a beach and write scintillating romance novels.