Well, the story of being afraid of heights gets to me a little. I was never afraid for heights, respectful, I was, but then we got children and my son walked on the edge of the waterside in a harbor. The water was 10 ft down, and deep. He was a great swimmer, but the water was cold. I looked away because I did not want to make him scared, and nothing happened ever. But since than I really had a period that I was extremely careful at heights. It was mainly a physical reaction. After realizing what had caused it, I climbed several towers anyway and never avoided heights, but staying away from the edge at first, step by step closer to the edge though, forcing myself to look down and try to find reference points for my balance. So, step by step my confidence grew by challenging myself and now, 30 years later, I'm almost there where I was before. Still respectful, because I realize that height can kill if you are not careful, but the fear is gone.

I'm afraid that I burn myself. Although I'm attentive, I still burn myself so once in a while.
I'm afraid of cutting myself. It still happens too often. I'm the cook in the house.
I'm afraid of loosing my finger on my saw-table. I try to be veeeeerry careful. Works until now.
Fear makes you careful, but that doesn't mean that you should prevent new things.

to shift from the ever-busy mind-machine, that is constantly evaluating, judging, considering, fretting, worrying, to a step-by-careful-step mode of sheer observation may help to overcome the state of freeze, panic or procrastination. like meditating, stilling the mind, observing the body.

I'm a pilot. Been one for 25 years. I quit flying 10 years ago. It's amazing what it looks like flying through the clouds. How far down a mile is. I was never affraid. Had a few close calls but I'm here now. I was on a tower working on an automatic air actuator. The operator climbed up and set on the hand rail. I freaked out. Get off of there I said. I looked over the hand rail and had to grab something. All of a sudden I have a fear of heights. It never went away. I'm screwed up now about high elevations now. All in my head? I don't what's happened to me. It never went away. I can't get to close to any edge of anything high. I think it happened the 2 close calls. In my gyrocopter... One was when I got caught in a dust devel. The other I got caught in a wing tip vortex from a plane taking off. Hmm I'm ruined now...

Most things we are afraid of never happens