Lately, I’ve been forced to grapple with the fact that getting what you want can be terrifying. For years, I called it a fear of failure. Only recently did I discover it’s very much the opposite.

What if it all works out?

Before you can get what you want, it helps to know what you want. This is a challenge all its own. But I’ve found the world has a way of leading you there just the same.

Case in point: here are eight very short, entirely true stories illustrating how I’ve been wrong about pretty much everything…