The hallmark of fear is worry. I hear it when people say, “Do I have enough money to do what I want to do? Will I have enough to live the way I dreamed? “I want to get all my money out of the market because if it tumbles again, I’ll have to work until I’m 80.”

This emotion can drive us to take risks and invest in things that entice, with the prospect of unlimited returns, but often prove too good to be true.

This emotion leaves us unable to make a decision. We are unsure whether to buy or sell, to move forward or pull back. When confused we either make a wrong decision or do nothing at all.

A false sense of security can come from bad assumptions or a reliance of outdated messages we may have inherited from our families, or even from a belief that investments that were less risky in the past will be so forever. Some of us are confident that our investments or businesses are safe when, if we looked at them objectively, we’d see that they are incapable of keeping up with inflation or fulfilling our long-term needs.

This feeling is a typical reaction to concluding that since we can do nothing about external situations there is nothing we can do about anything. We conclude that we have no control over money, despite everything around us telling us that we can and must. When we feel that we lack control, our response can be paralysis.

Have you ever felt that no one could possibly understand you and your financial situation? That’s isolation. I also see isolation in those who don’t know whom to believe or where to turn to for the support they desperately need.