Everyone likes to say that “life is about the journey and not the destination,” but no one likes to admit that that journey can be terrifying. The truth is, as collegiettes, no matter how confident, ambitious and empowered we may be, there will always be things in life that scare us.
Some of us may be scared to think about our unknown future while others may be afraid to face their past. There are times when branching out and meeting new people is enough to make us stay in our room and other moments when we are truly afraid to be alone. We also may shy away from a chance to step outside our comfort zone and yet, at the same time, be afraid of regretting that missed opportunity.
For the millions of things that may scare us, there are even more “what ifs” and “why not’s” that can drive our over-thinking and often over-dramatic collegiette selves to be held back. It’s time to change that.
Reason #1: Your fears can lead to your success
From freshman orientation to senior year, college is filled with the biggest fear of all- what are us collegiettes to do with our lives after graduation? But, the beauty in having fear of what will be, is the chance to make decisions now, to set yourself up for the future. If you are scared you won’t have the experience needed to apply for a certain job- get an internship. If you are afraid you’re doing really badly in a class- talk to your teacher and get a tutor. Regardless of the situation, use that fear to set a goal each day to do something that will bring you one step closer to achieving your dreams.
Reason #2: Fear can teach you about yourself
Although some may think fear is a sign of weakness, it can actually be a sign of strength when you don’t let it hold you back. In particular, when you think of the fears you have, also think of the ones you’ve already overcome. In many ways, facing a fear can lead to changes in your perspectives which opens the door to learn from those moments. Therefore, without overcoming the fear to try something new, speak up about a passion you have, or make a decision regardless of what others are doing; you’ll never know what you could have discovered about yourself.
Reason #3: Your create your fears
A lot of times, we create fears in our heads as a way to make an excuse for not doing something. The common problem here is that all of this fear is built by our belief in the negative thoughts we tell ourselves. Yet, if you really think about it, when someone makes a harsh judgment about you or makes you feel less than you are, you have always been told to let that go and not listen. Therefore, if you don’t care to listen to other people’s negative opinions, then why would you even create your own about yourself?
It’s time to realize that every fear is temporary, but the regret of letting a fear hold us back from making a decision or taking a chance can last a lifetime.
So collegiettes, if you find yourself afraid of something (and no I do not mean your phobia of spiders or Netflix falling behind on updating their newest seasons) look back on these 3 reasons and face that fear.