Fearful of Life

In James Harnish's study, Easter Earthquake, he speaks of M. Scott Peck:

"Peck also discovered that the further we proceed in diminishing our narcissism - our self-centeredness and sense of self-importance - the more we discover ourselves becoming not only less fearful of death, but also less fearful of life....  

There is a connection in that sentence that I've never considered before.  I'm certain there are times, for all of us, when we hesitate to follow Christ because we are afraid.  Are we fearful of life because we are self-centered? That makes sense to me now that it has been pointed out.  Fearful of life because we consdiered ourselves too much - and what we might lose.

He goes on to say:

We begin to experience a sustained kind of happiness we never experienced before, as we become more self-forgetful and hence progressively more able to remember God.