President Obama continues to urge Americans to choose hope over fear.  The choice is vital. Hope and fear are not mere words or facial gestures. They’re deeply felt neurochemical stances toward our current circumstances – stances that alter our outlooks, our actions, as well as the life paths that unfold before us.

Fear closes us down. Our actions become rigid and predictable. Pessimism pervades our self-talk and drives our decisions. Our bleak outlooks bleed into our exchanges with family, frie