I've been doing a complete purge of my files, especially the dissertation-related ones, and I came across this quotation among my notes from what appears to have been a meeting about prospectus-writing and beginning the dissertation:
Fear is the belief that someone is going to throw you off a cliff; anxiety is the belief that you're going to throw yourself off a cliff.
I have no idea who said it (though I have a good guess), or if it's original to that person, but I offer it up for such inspiration as it's worth.
