1. Fear is pain about the future. When she was told she might have less than three years to live, panic over her future set in. “I knew I had to confront my fear, then learn how to control it I couldn’t allow myself to indulge in anxiety, because I knew my body could turn the doctor’s prognosis into a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
2. Worry is pain about the present. “Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but doesn't’ get you anywhere….It’s the most common form of mental stress. We need to check out whether our anxieties are based on something real or whether our imagination is running away with us.”
3. Worry wastes time and is unproductive. “Worry never gets you anywhere. A quiet, calm mind clears the way for constructive planning.” She advises engaging in practices which produce a calm, peaceful mind such as mediation or prayer.
4. Work with the acronym FEAR. That stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. “If you don’t identify and release your fear, I will leave you powerless and unable to stand up for yourself. An unresolved fear also can develop into an illness and then go on to prevent you from recuperating. Fear is the greatest inhibitor of the human spirit. Fear thrives on lack of self-confidence and prevents us from taking risks.”