I will not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. That's the "Litany Against Fear," from Frank Herbert's Dune. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Fear is an important and useful thing, but it's a right crappy thing to let run your life. Far too many people spend their entire lives avoiding the things they fear--and make no mistake, discomfort is often directly related to fear--and thereby missing out on a lot of great things. Letting fear rule you also prevents you from making positive changes in the world... and leaves you quite prone to experiencing (and doing) bad things. (Which are … Continue reading →