One of the biggest barriers that all people have to overcome on their journey of success is fear. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of change. Fear of responsibility and commitment. And the big one – Fear of success.

Did you know that public speaking is the number one fear in America? Surveys show that people fear public speaking more than anything else -- even more than they fear death! When asked why they fear public speaking, most people say that they fear humiliation, embarrassment or judgment from others. In a nutshell, they fear rejection. Why is the fear of humiliation and embarrassment so strong?

Heart palpitations, shaking, sweating, difficulty swallowing, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, and trembling are considered normal responses if facing a life-threatening situation or catastrophe… Sometimes these symptoms happen in situations where there is no real danger – only a temporary feeling of insecurity or nervousness about leaving your ‘comfort zone’, usually home.

One of the topics we explore in The Sedona Method Audio Course is that anything that we are afraid of happening, we actually have a subconscious desire for or expectation of happening.

Fear is the biggest energy thief there is. A master seducer and gigantic source of negative energy, fear shamelessly robs of us of everything good and powerful, preys on our vulnerabilities. Many people become mesmerized for a lifetime, letting negative attitudes seize control. Enough! Though some fears are intuitively protective but we can't let the irrational ones bamboozle us.

In most situations where we are reaching for something new, fear is present. I learned from a wise teacher that we do not get rid of fear before we do something, but that we go into the situation with the fear.

After interviewing countless successful writers and other creative people and pouring over endless studies, Maurer found that the one ingredient that is nearly indispensable to the creative process is fear.

Count the number of ways in which we have acted to protect a fear -- as in fawning before others for fear of falling out of their good graces -- and we also know the exact number of times we have been the fool of fear.

Creativity coach Eric Maisel, PhD says "only a small percentage of creative people work as often or as deeply as, by all rights, they might be expected to work. What stops them? Anxiety or some face of anxiety like doubt, worry, or fear. Anxiety is the great silencer of the creative person."

My fears are most powerful when they’re simmering just under the surface of my awareness. I’m resistant to a new idea, I’m defensive about holding on to my old ways, I feel excited and panicked at the same time – these are sure-fire signs that there’s some fear under there.