Quite recently I found myself on Pinterest (obviously procrastinating) and I came across a pin that made me pause. It was a simple question written in bold black font. It read: What would you do if you had no fear?
Naturally, images of myself scaling 50 story sky scrapers, wrestling sharks with my bare hands and using my loud and terrifying garburator came to mind. After a few moments I began to consider the question a little more seriously. What would I do if I had no fear? Exactly what would that leave me with?
Looking at the pin a little more closely I noticed the cursive words that lined the bottom of the photo.
“Limitless Possibilities”
In that moment, a wave of realization hit me. Without fear, I can do anything.
I’d no longer worry so much about what others thought of me. I would freely start up conversations with strangers around me instead of keeping to myself. I would speak in front of large groups of people with ease and not feel the heat of their piercing gazes. I would approach the guy I liked and express my affections without fear of rejection. I would take chances and risks without the worry of failure. No hesitation. More confidence. No wasted opportunities. More happiness.
Fear just holds us back from being the best version of ourselves.
Try keeping this in mind as you start this Fall semester. What’s holding you back from introducing yourself to the person next to you, or from dancing your heart out like an idiot with your friends, or from traveling abroad and exploring the world?
Is it fear? Well I say screw fear.
It’s definitely easier said than done, but life is so short and before I know it I’ll be graduated, working, and 30 years old. I refuse to let fear control some of the best years of my life.
So now I ask you to just take a moment, to think about what you want in life and what you would do if you had no fear.