Everything you think and feel is a clue to the cause and effect of what you perceive in the world. Each thought invites a comparison and then, judgment arises. According to the conditioned mind, no neutral thoughts exist. Notice how focusing on thoughts creates beliefs and habits. Even before something happens, you assume history is to repeat or the future is worriesome. You dwell on fear unless you untrain the mind.
Consider how you train the mind. If, at some stage, you injure yourself while doing something you enjoy, physical pain may trigger that memory and fear may now hold you back. If you applied for a job in an area of interest and were unsuccessful, you may be discouraged from applying for a similar role, fearing failure or rejection. If, you have broken or difficult relationships, you may fear getting involved with someone new. If you regret something you said and dwell on negativity or are angry about something someone else has said, harbour grudges, this prevents you from moving on. You see the world you have made but do not always register you are the source of all you see.
Recognize no thought is neutral. The world does not think a certain way. It simply reflects back what you are thinking though your experience. Perception is not the cause of reality but the lens through which you selectively filter and choose to see reality. You raise awareness by noticing your life unfolds based on choices to love or fear. Notice your focus is not so much on what you see as how you see it.
"Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless when facing them."
-Rabindranath Tagore