Fear is implanted in us as a preservative from evil.

Fear is equipment rather than a fault. It exists to keep you away from what can harm you, and most of the time it does that job without consulting you. The trouble is that it cannot tell the difference between a real threat and an uncomfortable one, so it fires just as hard before a difficult conversation as before a cliff edge. Treating it as an enemy wastes the information it carries.

When fear shows up this week, ask it one question: what exactly do you think will happen. Sometimes the answer names a genuine risk worth heeding. Often it names only discomfort, and you can go ahead.