A great part of courage is the courage of having done the thing before.

Much of what looks like bravery is familiarity. The first time you speak in public, confront someone or travel alone, the fear is enormous; the fifth time, it has shrunk, not because you became a different person but because you now have evidence you can survive it. Courage accumulates through repetition.

If something frightens you, look for the smallest version of it you could do first. Do it, then do it again. Each time adds to a store of proof that your nerves can draw on when the larger version arrives.