I replace my feelings of fear with confidence.

Nerves before a performance don't vanish because somebody tells you to feel confident. They shrink when you know the third verse cold.

Preparation is the only reliable exchange rate. Not positive thinking — knowing where the fire exit is, having read the document twice, rehearsing the difficult sentence in the car until it sounds ordinary.

That's what replacement looks like from close up. The same nervous system, now with something solid to hold onto.

If there's something in your week you're dreading, give it twenty minutes today instead of an hour of worry. Worry converts remarkably well when it's put to work.