Many people worry constantly about change in their lives over which they feel they have little of no control. The belief is no words of motivation can counter the problems we expect to encounter. This is true to an extent but no amount of worrying will solve all the problems either so we fear falling ill, the onset of old age or even death itself.

All these fears are related to each other.

A Fear Of Illness

In his exceptional book, ‘Think And Grow Rich,’ Napoleon Hill wrote that three out of every four people consulting their doctor had imaginary illnesses, termed hypochondria.

Interestingly, being afraid of a specific illness can actually create the symptoms of that condition and, in some cases, even cause the illness itself. This is because the power of the mind is greater than most realize and works to produce negative or positive effects depending on how it is directed. Napoleon Hill noted, “Powerful and mighty is the human mind! It builds or it destroys.”

He continued: “There is overwhelming evidence that disease sometimes begins in the form of negative thought impulse. Such an impulse may be passed from one mind to another by suggestion, or created by an individual in his own mind.”

A sad side of modern life is the promotion of this fear by suppliers of medicines and drugs in order to increase the sales of the products they sell. The typical advertisement will try to suggest you may have a certain illness and their medicine is the solution.

Words of motivation can be used to improve lives but sadly the wrong words can also make things seem worse.

Sufferers of the fear of ill-health tend to fall for all the fashionable remedies and diets available but inevitably will find no relief. Sadly too many will talk extensively about a condition until it manifests itself and then they feel vindicated. Some evidence now shows that worrying about illness can actually damage the immune system.

Sufferers of the fear will look for sympathy and attention, have an absence of ambition and will be generally indolent. Oddly they will also avoid having a healthy active outdoor life.

In extreme cases, victims can easily resort to alcohol and drugs to hide from reality.

A Fear Of Getting Old

The fear of old age is of course related to the fear of ill-health but also includes a reduction in abilities and functions (such as sexual prowess). In addition there is a worry about a loss of independence, a reduction in freedom and financial concerns too.

What is a particular problem now is the worry that a pension may be inadequate and the possibility of increased medical bills and costs of care. Often there may well be a fear of other people taking property away.

Once again the media has a role to play in this fear. Watch most television programmes or movies and you will see older people portrayed as useless and impotent but this really does not need to be true. Occasionally a more hopeful image is given, such as the hero in the Harry Brown film recently.

Traditionally old age brought intelligence and wisdom but the modern view has changed that to one of the elderly being incapable and doddery. Of course, companies keen to sell pensions, medicines, drugs and mobility aids have not discouraged this image.

It is hardly surprising that many people fear getting older.

Worry about getting older creates in many a premature slowing down and the belief that reaching the age of 40 marks the beginning of a decline. And yet words of motivation are able to tell us that the increasingly older population demonstrates this is just not true. Still a large number of people still apologize for their age and feel inferior. Many show a lack of imagination and a loss of independence.

This fear affects other sufferers in quite a different way: they try to return to their youth with dyed hair, wearing unsuitable dress and buying large motorcycles. Sadly this simply opens them up to ridicule.

A Fear Of Dying

The origins of this lie in the ignorance of our destiny when we die. Religions used to issue words of motivation to comfort us as to the future; examples include the ascent into heaven and reincarnation. Other religious zealots took the opposite approach and threatened hell and damnation if their followers strayed from the path set for them. All this created a fear of fire and brimstone that still lives in our subconscious today.

In modern times extremist leaders have manipulated the worry about the afterlife by promising glory and even virgins to suicide bombers when they die.

It is likely too that the fear of death may well lie with a guilty feeling that we have not lead the life we should. This leads to people worrying instead of making the most of the lives they have. They have lost sight of any purpose they might have had and no longer engage in any meaningful activity.

Interestingly the fear of death is also a fear of poverty in the form of a concern that those who are left may not have adequate financial provision.

Conclusion

As we see so often, all these fears are based on inadequate information and the images portrayed by the media. In truth nobody should accept these stereotypes, replacing them instead with words of motivation, which tell us we decide our own health.

Today my 99-year old neighbour dug his garden. I was not going to tell him he shouldn’t do it.

Keith Braithwaite is a generally nosy and opinionated guy but his heart is in the right place. After nearly thirty years in the corporate world and twenty keenly observing direct selling, he is now following his interests in self-development, internet marketing and historical studies.

Join him on a journey to getting the most out of life using down to earth information (without the hype!) on InspirationMessages.com