Have you ever really wanted to do something but you were to afraid to do it? That is how I used to live my life. I walked away from things I wanted to do with regret.

Last year I realized I am afraid of a lot of stupid things and although those fears didn't controlled my life hanging onto them allowed some of my bigger fears to stay. When I say stupid things I mean I was afraid of turtles, caves, deep water, mannequins, and the list goes on and on. There is a lot of things to be afraid in this world but turtles shouldn't be one of them. It has been a year since I made a commitment to myself to conquer these small fears. I know I have been freed but I have a tendency to hold onto the chains that bind me. I decided the best way to let go was to just dive in. Literally.

I have my sister to thank for the turtle fear. One day she found a snapping turtle, sat on me and held it up to my face. So of course, I very quickly decided that turtles are awful monsters. The first thing I did to conquer this fear was go out and buy a turtle. The turtle was tiny and actually adorable but touching it was a no go. Slowly, I became comfortable with the little guy and he grew to be my best friend. I would put him in my pocket and take him to classes with me. At one point I had adopted two turtles. I would have turtle races and tie balloons to them and let them wander the halls. I was basically a turtle lady, the hip new version of a cat lady.

We can probably all agree that caves are kind of creepy so that fear isn't too crazy but they are also pretty cool. I decided I didn't know enough about caves and if I learned more I wouldn't be so afraid. My next logical decision was to become a cave tour guide. Best job ever! The first couple times in the cave I was nervous and it took months for me not to feel like someone would jump out at the next corner but now the cave is my second home. Seriously y'all, caves are legit, go explore some.

Deep water, drowning, fish, basically just water in general can be a bit freaky. So naturally, I decided to become scuba certified. It took a lot of coaxing to get me under the water during my first dive in a lake. I might have told my instructor that my googles were leaking but in reality it might have actually been my scared tears filling them up, just maybe. But once I saw the world underneath the water it took coaxing to get me back above the surface. Diving is peaceful, relaxing, and just overall wonderful.

I am still afraid of mannequins and I am not ashamed of that fact. Those things are creepy. They could just wake up and grab you. Don't think about it too much or you will be scared too.

This year I learned that the things we are often scared of aren't so scary when we look them head on. Fears shouldn't dictate our life, they shouldn't make our decisions for us. I don't want to live a life of regrets. I used last year to eradicate my little fears. Because they allowed me to believe that having bigger fears was okay. This year is dedicated to my big fears such as being real about my bad days or the fear of not being able to make everyone happy.

Life is just more fun when you are courageous enough to live it, even in the scary moments.