I've decided not to let my anxiety over what may or may not happen in the future run the show in my life anymore.  Recently, I've realized just how much that dictates my decisions, my views, my relationships and my life in general.  And that's not how to live.  Hold me to this, as I've said this before, but I inevitably decide it's safer to go back.  Or I simply do so out of habit and it being a comfort zone, which is not what I want either.  This is going to have to be one of those things I consciously do for quite a while until it becomes the second nature itself.  I've succeeded with this plan in other instances, so I'm confident I can do it, it's just sticking with it.  Asserting myself, knowing my needs, expressing them, saying what I need to say instead of censoring based on what I think the other person will think in response, recognizing that I have my own response independently and that's okay.  In a way, I feel like I'm back to square one with this and that disappoints me.  But if I don't start somewhere now, I'm accepting staying in the rut.  Here goes...