Awareness and surrender. Who is your teacher ? I want that teacher to teach me, too. 
I understand what Carolyn says. Often we are so afraid of certain things, that we refuse even to think about them. Now, this is silly. How can one prepare for a situation with bad potential if not by taking this possibility in account, too ?
Awareness is by what we realize we are in a crappy situation. Awareness is by what we realize that there is really no way out of it. Surrender is what makes us accept this fact. Than we stop worrying, and fear leaves us, (grace comes upon us) and all our power and energy is free again to find a new direction. This new direction might seem crazy, or sad for people who are not with us in this trial … but we know, we are on track.
This new direction might mean death, for someone with last stage cancer, and by surrender, acceptance, the person might die in peace instead of a cruel agony in fear.
Sometimes bad things are just inevitable. Awareness helps us asess such a situation and surrender (acceptance) releases our energies entrapped by the former struggle in fear and anger. Awareness is crucial as surrender in face of conquerable evil is weakness and leads to distruction, just as fighting an unconquerable enemy leads to the same end.
Sun-Tzu, anyone ? Are we spiritual warriors, or what ? 