Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.

Uh, no.

Aside from pain, there’s not much that sucks the fun out of life more than fear.  Because it is so powerful, fear is the go-to motivator for lots of folks who want something from us – our vote, our money, our loyalty.

At every turn, we are encouraged to be scared of everything.  We are exhorted to “ask your doctor.” We’re urged to “protect yourself from identity thieves.”

Oh, and of course, we are bombarded with 24/7 gloom-and-doom talk on the we-say-we’re-the-news channels on both sides of the political arena.

I am not suggesting that we throw caution to the wind.  I do think we should weigh risk and reward, verifying both sides of that equation, before we act. I know the world is a dangerous place.  I also know that inviting advertisers and pitchmen to scare the crap out of us by listening to their incessant assault on our peaceful lives won’t make us safer. It will make us neurotic and nasty; it will ruin our disposition and our health.

We all need to try harder to remember to check under the bed before losing sleep about the possibility of a bogeyman lurking there.  Living in a constant state of anxiety is hard on a body, so check the closet, turn on the nightlight, and get some rest!