Who would you be if you weren’t afraid? Why do we live in fear? Why are we all too scared to become the person that we want to become, achieve the goals that we wish to achieve, and say the things that we are too afraid to say? I believe that the term “yolo” is not said enough. “Carpe diem, seize the day!” “Life’s too short, live life to the fullest.” People have come up with more and more of these phrases over time for a reason. People live in fear, and some, in a constant state of anxiety — too worried about what could happen to focus on what is happening.
If I weren’t afraid of people talking about me and experiencing the judgment of my peers, I would become a YouTuber. If I wasn’t scared of not becoming successful, I would leave college, move to Europe, and open my own coffee shop. If I wasn’t so afraid of getting a poor grade on a test, I would ditch studying and go out with my friends. Arguably, the things that we avoid doing because fear gets in the way, are the things that will be more beneficial for our lives and our happiness. The interesting thing is though, that everyone is afraid. Everyone shows up as the best version of themselves in an effort to avoid the judgment of others when we are all just as afraid of being judged. Everyone is stuck in their heads, coming up with stories of what others must be thinking of us. In reality, we are all so hyper-focused on ourselves and our insecurities to be worried about judging someone else. Even if someone is truly judging you, what does it matter? It is not your life if you are too worried about what other people think of you. If you’re happy, content with your life, and secure in yourself, the opinions of others can not, and will not, have any effect on you and how you live your life.
I believe that we should all begin to move past fear — or be afraid and do it anyway. Life may not feel short when you are doing everything in your power to get through what seems like a never-ending week. But, before you know it, you have graduated high school, left everything you’ve ever known, moved across the country, and are forced to persevere and face the wrath of fear. Nevertheless, I remind myself that I am becoming the person who I wish to be, in spite of being afraid.