When confronting our fears, nine out of ten times, the anxiety leading up to the face-off point is much worse than the outcome itself. There are a few strategies that I have found to be useful in handling it.

• Asking what-if questions and then answering them. The uncertainty of what might happen is one of the major reasons for the anxiety. Clearly spelling out the worst possible outcome calms us because we feel better prepared mentally and hence, more in control. And in most cases, we will find that the worst case scenario is pretty manageable.
• Introspecting the root cause of the fear. Once we know what its real source is, we will start formulating ways to resolve it.
• Reducing the time spent in dread. I have found that the longer I postpone the thing I fear, the worse the fear gets.

There is a parable about a grandfather telling his grandson of the two wolves inside each of us – one made of kindness and love, the other made of fear and hatred. The two creatures are always at war with each other. The boy asks which wolf wins. The grandfather replies, ‘The one you feed’ ~ Unknown Native American source

• Sharing the fear with someone. When it stops festering inside, we no longer feel overwhelmed by it.
• Telling the truth. I have found that being honest with the other person about our fears and apprehensions, more often than not, pays off. It is natural for most people to extend a helping hand.

As Ambrose Redmoon so rightly said, courage is not the absence of fear but rather the judgement that something else is far more important than fear.