Fears and how they can hold us back

[CristyCurves 169032]

Have yours? I feel mine have. My fear has been schooling myself, gaining a university degree, and the change that may bring. I've been surrounded by educated snobs most of my life, hence my iffy attitude towards education. Those I've known and to those I'm related who reached the "pinnacles" of education sadly tend to look down on those who haven't or at least haven't put forth the effort to. So to this I rebelled, rebelled by not gaining a degree or following the same path as my siblings. But in actuality I think it was more about fear. Fear of the unknown, of what would happen if I changed my path, fear of being around groups of people in a campus environment, fear of being judged, fear of not being able to finish what I started and the fear of not knowing what courses I could or should take. I have taken courses and attended the small "private" type schools where you pay outrageous fees for gaining a certificate for a trade, such as my esthetics certificate, travel and tourism and modelling course, lol. But I've never had the ability or the where with all to attend university.

Many have laughed at me when I have admitted this, they said you can walk into a room with a stranger and be intimate but you can't walk into a class room on a university campus???? Interesting.

I greatly respect education, it takes hard work and can gain one great rewards. I just dislike the condemnation from some towards some who don't have one and the attitude that if you don't you must be stupid or lazy. In my case laziness may play a bit part but the biggest is fear. As a strong willed and very independent person being controlled by anything isn't comfortable so this fear is something I've decided to try and conquer, lol, or at least think about conquering. Do you have a fear that is holding you back and that you'd like to conquer?

[Wolf Knight 29667]

Cristy, thanks for that personal post.

 

Fears? Although, not the same as yours I only have two real fears and quite superficial when put in the context of what you're referring to. I have a fear of heights and a when diving I have a fear when approaching a steep drop off of what's down there to come up from the blackness. But they are more irrational type fears.

 

In truth I fear very little, I generally don't care about others thoughts on what I do and try to just live for myself. That gives me a lot of liberation to explore all kinds of things. Although, I'm "educated" I actually hate organized education and the notion that there is only "one way" to be educated and contribute to society.

 

The most intelligent and well rounded man I've ever known was my grandfather and he completed grade 8 then went to work to help support his family. It was a different era when people had different priorities like just trying to survive. However, because my grandfather left school and went to work to contribute to his family his youngest brother was given the flexibility to continue schooling "supported" and actually went on to receive his PhD from Harvard. As to be expected he did develop an air of superiority about him (I guess due to the circles he moved in) however humble his beginnings. Of the two men, my grandfather was clearly far more brilliant than his brother and a voracious reader. He read everything he could get his hands on and digested every bit of it additionally he could almost recite every bit of it back to you verbatim. I guess he actually had a photographic memory it turns out. Very little "formal" schooling but he was every bit as worldly as his brother the Harvard grad. I can remember as a teenager listening to my grandfather and his brother discuss/debate world issues. My grandfather with his "rural twang" and his brother with all his proper diction and pronunciation I was astounded at how my grandfather not only held his ground in the face of superior "education" but bested it often. My grandfather was a true gentleman, worked hard and gave back to his community in what ever way he could. He was very well respected even revered and though he's long gone people still talk of him as though he was a legend of sorts. If I could choose to emulate anyone in my life it would be him. He lived true to himself and became a man others could only dream of. Just a simple fisherman and farmer!

 

Cristy, live your own life true to only yourself. In the end when you look back on it all you'll only be answering to yourself and nobody else. Never, let anyone hold you back especially yourself.

[CristyCurves 169032]

Cristy, thanks for that personal post.

 

Fears? Although, not the same as yours I only have two real fears and quite superficial when put in the context of what you're referring to. I have a fear of heights and a when diving I have a fear when approaching a steep drop off of what's down there to come up from the blackness. But they are more irrational type fears.

 

In truth I fear very little, I generally don't care about others thoughts on what I do and try to just live for myself. That gives me a lot of liberation to explore all kinds of things. Although, I'm "educated" I actually hate organized education and the notion that there is only "one way" to be educated and contribute to society.

 

The most intelligent and well rounded man I've ever known was my grandfather and he completed grade 8 then went to work to help support his family. It was a different era when people had different priorities like just trying to survive. However, because my grandfather left school and went to work to contribute to his family his youngest brother was given the flexibility to continue schooling "supported" and actually went on to receive his PhD from Harvard. As to be expected he did develop an air of superiority about him (I guess due to the circles he moved in) however humble his beginnings. Of the two men, my grandfather was clearly far more brilliant than his brother and a voracious reader. He read everything he could get his hands on and digested every bit of it additionally he could almost recite every bit of it back to you verbatim. I guess he actually had a photographic memory it turns out. Very little "formal" schooling but he was every bit as worldly as his brother the Harvard grad. I can remember as a teenager listening to my grandfather and his brother discuss/debate world issues. My grandfather with his "rural twang" and his brother with all his proper diction and pronunciation I was astounded at how my grandfather not only held his ground in the face of superior "education" but bested it often. My grandfather was a true gentleman, worked hard and gave back to his community in what ever way he could. He was very well respected even revered and though he's long gone people still talk of him as though he was a legend of sorts. If I could choose to emulate anyone in my life it would be him. He lived true to himself and became a man others could only dream of. Just a simple fisherman and farmer!

 

Cristy, live your own life true to only yourself. In the end when you look back on it all you'll only be answering to yourself and nobody else. Never, let anyone hold you back especially yourself.

 

Thank you for yours:) Your grandfather sounds like a wonderful person and I'm sure he'd be very proud of you. I am also a person with a photographic memory, especially with numbers, for some reason I can look at a number once and remember it forever. Thanks for the encouragement:)

[Guest webothscore]

Cristy,

 

I hear you on the education thing. Although I am university educated, some peers I run into all the time annoy the **** out of me, not all though. I played a ton of sports then and still do, so no energy left for me to be snobby :). I find activities can really ground people. As for fears, I am afraid of a job change to something I actually prefer. First reason being a pay cut and second, me being perceived differently by making a switch to something entirely different. Ultimatley, I should do what I want. Maybe I will get over those two humps.

[rick_falcon 911]

Coming from a small town, I went to Ottawa U for my degree.

I admit it is intimidating, especially that Ottawa, for me, was a huge city when I moved here for my studies.

 

New surroundings, new environment, new people.

Bus as everything, you get used to it and with a slight effort, you fit in.

And as for a university degree, unless one wants to pursue research efforts and higher studies, a bachelor is only a diploma.

Still a gratifying reward for all the hard work that was put in to achieve this degree but in the real worls, it takes more than theory.

University teaches you to learn how to learn, and with this learning knowledge, the student will be ready to tackle the challenges of real life.

 

As for my personal fears, I have none and when I take a decision, I assume it and jump all ahead.

I wouldn't want later on to have regrets and tell myself: I should have...

Plus being single and no dependants, I am fully aware of the responsibility of actions and decisions but the only person that it concerns is myself.

 

Probably if I had a wife and family, I would be more fearful. But it would be a showing of respect for the other people in my life and not only doing it selfishly for myself.