No matter how old or young a person may be we all possess innate fears in life. Sadly, there is no way to completely eliminate fear from your life. Rather than hiding from it, however, we must embrace fear, for it is an emotion that builds character and teaches us how to act with courage. Some people may have a fear of roller coasters. Others may have a fear of public speaking. To overcome these fears, one may go on a large roller coaster or stand up and speak in a public setting. But how do you conquer not knowing what the future holds for you? I know that I struggle with this question on a daily basis.

A fear of time or fear of the future is better known as Chronophobia. Chronophobia is a Greek word that comes from the word “chronos” meaning time, and “phobos” meaning fear. It is based on chronoperception, which is the process where time is perceived by the central nervous system. People may not only have a fear of the future, but a fear time is going by too quickly and they cannot stop it. While very common in people approaching the middle of their lives, Chronophobia can plague people of any age.

As an incoming junior in college, majoring in nursing, I always seem to ponder on what is going to happen during my next few years in school and beyond. Questions I tend to ask myself about the future can range from “Will I pass my chemistry test?” to “Will I have the opportunity to get married and start my own family?” The scariest part of all is that I will never know the answers until these future questions become past thoughts. One of the biggest reasons for this fear is that on a daily basis, it seems that life is a daunting cycle, yet, when I look back over the past few months, I can see how my life dramatically changed. In the coming months, I would rather have control over my future, rather than let it change around me as I spend every day believing everything is the same.

My biggest fear is the fear of not becoming the successful, courageous, and independent person I hope to be in the future. As of today, a few of my goals are: to graduate college, become a registered nurse, start a family of my own, live a financially stable life. Sadly, not everything may go according to plan. I could decide to not graduate college, give up my dream of becoming a nurse, and even live alone. I could live until the age of one hundred or not wake up tomorrow morning.

As much as we wish we were able to see what the future has in store for us it is unfortunately impossible. For most people, the fear of not becoming successful has nothing to do with personal abilities, it involves life’s many accidents that may derail one from the track to reaching one’s goals. Although we cannot entirely plan out the rest of our lives, we can make wise decisions that will hopefully lead us to where we want to be in life. I cannot entirely control if I will become a nurse in the near future, but if I put my mind to work and do well in school I know there will be a great possibility my dreams do come true.

I for one know I am not the only person that has a great fear of the future. Almost everyone you ask will admit they are somewhat afraid of what the future has in store for them. Growing up a Catholic, I believe God has a plan for each and every one of us. There is one being in the entire universe that has the ability to control our future and knows exactly where we will all end up in life. That one person is most definitely God.

When we may hit a climax in our lives or feel like we cannot go any lower, we must accept what God has in store for us. However, this faith in God can bring about its own fear, especially if something does not turn out as planned. If something goes wrong in one’s life, one may begin to question if God truly exists. Personally, I sometimes have a hard time finding God’s active role in my life on a daily basis; however, I know that I must stay faithful and believe that God will quell my fears and enable to attain my future goals in life.

It's easy to ignore or to deny our fears—especially internally—in a society that focuses on those who are strong, brave, and confident. However, courage cannot come into play unless you have a fear to face down. By owning your feelings you have taken the first step toward gaining control over the situation. Approaching your fear as something with a beginning and an end can help you see that you have the power to contain it. If you can clearly see the shape of your fear, you will be able to recognize when it is affecting you and handle it more effectively.

Oftentimes, we're afraid of something because we haven't been exposed to it very much. "Fear of the unknown" is a commonly used phrase to describe the automatic aversion people feel to something that's different, unfinished, or looming overhead. If you are afraid of something because it's a mystery, you must try exposing yourself to it more and more until you gain a better understanding of it, completely dissipating your fear.

As previously stated, “But how does one conquer not knowing what the future holds for them?” Marie Curie once stated, “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” We mustn’t fear the future, but accept it. To conquer a fear of the future one must live in the present.