Facing Your Fears

I believe in facing your fears. 

For as long as I can remember I was always so excited to grow up. I couldn’t wait to turn 13 so I was finally a teenager. I couldn’t wait to turn 16 so I could drive. And then the big one- turning 18 because that meant being on my own. As 18 started to creep up on me faster than I thought it would, I started to get an overwhelming feeling of fear. Everything in my life was about to change when I went off to college. I feared leaving everything I knew behind. I was starting over. This was a scary thought to have at the ripe age of 18. 

I went through such a wave of emotions between being excited, sad, and dreading what’s to come. It was a turning point, in which I knew everything was going to change. I was about to leave my home, my neighborhood, and friends that I had grown up with since I was in kindergarten. I was going to a new state, where I would be surrounded by people I didn’t know. This was exciting to me because it felt like a chance to start over where no one knew who I was. Then there was the feeling of fear- what if I can’t do it? What if I fail? It all felt too much at the age of 18, and my head was racing with a million scenarios on how this experience would play out. 

Months later the unfamiliar started to become familiar. It was slow starting but once I was able to find my rhythm I began to feel at home and instead of fearing what’s to come I am excited to see what the future holds. 

I believe in facing your fears. I believe that making yourself vulnerable makes you stronger. Starting over at 18 has taught me that change can be both nerve wracking and exciting. I have accepted that fear is natural, but it doesn’t have to have control over my life.