It’s been a feature of many empowerment and self-improvement seminars, thinking of the word FEAR as an acronym for False Evidence Appearing Real.  Very often, so much energy is expended on trying to avoid something you’re afraid of. We’ll often dread speaking in front of an audience or merging on a highway from a short ramp or showing up at a party and running into your ex with their new partner. Think of a situation when what you feared happened, leading to an unexpected and positive result. Maybe someone in your audience told you how much your words affected and inspired them. Maybe you learned that other drivers will make space for you. Maybe you exchanged a few words with your ex’s new partner and discovered you both found the same traits irritating. Perhaps there’s a category of gratitude for releasing things you are no longer afraid of.