face it.

   when i was a kid, i used to think darkness as a dreadful place to be. before i won't even dare go to dark places alone even if it's just in my room. that's why i need to put up the lights even when I'm already sleeping. my mom tried to train me to sleep with the lights off cause the electric bill is escalating because of it. but I'm really scared of the darkness that i scream in the middle of the night every time i chance to wake up and found the lights off. this made my parents jump out to bed and run to my room to check me out. then i started venting and screaming why they'd turned off the lights. and they said it was to save electricity.
   but one night, when my father was driving us home from our weekly visit at my granny's place. i tried to stare out to the darkness for quite a while then tried to find something out there ( a ghost perhaps). but i saw nothing and the longer i fix my eyes into the darkness my eyes became used to it. that was my first attempt to get rid off of my darkness-phobia.
the next attempt was, when my mother didn't bought a toy or something for me,then, unconsciously, because i was overwhelmed by my emotions, i marched to my room and sulked myself there and i forgot to turn on the lights. i was sulking for several minutes and when i was finally calmed myself, i realized that I've been there in the darkness for a very long time.. and i wasn't scared at all.
   i imagined frightening things and monsters hovering around me but my attempt to scare myself was futile. then i rationalized to myself that fear is just an illusion created by myself. the longer i spent in the darkness, the more i felt comfortable and safe.  somewhat it became friendlier. until now, i still love to do things in little light, from the lamp mainly. specially when I'm reading or doing things in my study table.
my eyes weren't that used to so much light anymore that i easily squint my eyes even if it's just in a normal intensity. so when i read books in the library, i usually go to shadowy corners so that i can be able to read properly.
   then on, i had never been afraid of darkness anymore.
and the technique is: to look straight into it.

it's relevant to everyday living and every time we face problems or obstacles. there is nothing to fear about our fears if we look straight into it and rationalize things, then this fear you thought before wouldn't become that frightening anymore. these fears that you imagine can be tamed and they will be of use to you.