Being scared is like looking in the rear view mirror in that if you keep looking behind you you're going to hit someone in front of you. What I'm saying is that everyone has hopes and dreams, and most people have a to-do list, and some people get waylaid (maybe by ill parents, or a spouse, or havingkids) but things work out still ok, or maybe sometimes better than they thought they would. My mother always told me to plan on 3 careers so that if one doesn't work out the other one will, and if you can't find a job in one then you will in the other.
What are your goals? While some people reach goals they aren't content as in being human they always want more. Content might be if you have a happy family life.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.