I learned an important lesson in 1996 when I agreed to join Al Franken for a segment called “Strange Bedfellows” during Comedy Central’s coverage of the elections. Al and I held our political debates from a bed in the middle of the audience, and the humor inherent in the situation gave me, as a woman, all the more power: I could be fearless and feminine, assertive and funny. As it turned out, the show attracted viewers who would not have paid much attention to the election otherwise, which taught me how useful and disarming humor can be, especially in communicating with an unconvinced audience.

Are there ways in which you’ve learned to make fearlessness work for you to get what you want out of life? What are they?

–Arianna Huffington