Another thing to consider in a persuasive essay is that while you need to have a thesis you are proving, you can and should address the opposite argument.  This balance shows your reader that you have considered the other side.  This would be a way for you to acknowledge your own feelings on this topic.  But remember, to be truly persuasive, you have to focus on and conclude strongly for your specific thesis.

Use the opening statement: The worst enemy of man is man himself.

Think about this: We are all born free. Children, the most raw and pure samples of the human experience, show us throughout their actions that they are more than willing to try anything and experience as much as they can, because they are often quite fearless. They succeed in their games because they are not biased, and dare to take chances. They find joy in the smallest of things because they go straight for it. Their affective filter is empty, that is, there is nothing stressful nor painful (in the case of a NORMAL child, that is) to hold them back.

If we approached life with the same fearlessness of children we may take shots that we may have otherwise refused to take. We could actually act better towards ourselves by giving ourselves more opportunities to both succeed and learn. That is one to persuade anyone: That freedom goes as far as we allow ourselves to experience it.

In a persuasive essay, it is always best to choose one side.  If you are choosing sides, you might want to pick the other side.  The point is to provide evidence backing it up.  You might want to begin by thinking of examples from your life or from history for each one.

Are you REQUIRED to write about this quote? Since it seems you are on the fence about it, it may not be the best quote to write a persuasive essay about. However, if this is the assigned quote, I agree with auntlori.

You need to develop a thesis that you feel strongly enough about to write powerfully and persuasively. So, since you can see both sides of this issue, you may want to make your thesis say something about how fear is a powerful motivator both for good and for bad.

Good Luck.

Fear is powerful, and perhaps that is a better thesis for you. Then you can address both aspects of fear: fear which drives one to accomplish dreams and fear which prevents one from achieving dreams. If I were writing this essay, I would make a list of examples, real and hypothetical, for each of these positions. If the lists are fairly equal, writing about the power fear has to impact one's dreams. If the lists are imbalanced, choose the stronger position. Look for your examples from historical figures, sports and entertainment figures, people you know, and your own life. You should have plenty of material from which to draw for your essay.

I think that fear of failure is what prevents some people from chasing their dreams.  If you pursue your dreams, you are leaving yourself open to failure.  If you never really try, you can be more content.  You can just tell yourself that if you really wanted to, you could achieve your dreams.  But if you actually try and you fail, you have no illusions left.  That's a scary thing.  So people often don't take that risk and don't pursue their dreams.

Do you want to persuade people that the quote is true or are you hoping to persuade people to rise above their fears in order to pursue their dreams?  It will make a difference in the way you write your essay!

If you want to support the quote, I would suggest you use some illustrations from your personal experience if possible. What are some things you dream of doing but can't or won't because you are afraid for some reason? Would you like to go sky-diving but are too afraid of heights to jump out of the airplane?

If you want to persuade your readers to conquer their fears and try to achieve their dreams, you might want to find some illustrations from history. Christopher Columbus must have felt fear as he sailed west into the great unknown, but the dream of achieving riches by finding a shorter route to the Indies was great enough to overcome that fear.