What do humans fear? Some fear failure, death, swimming or bridges. Others fear public speaking or making decisions. We wonder why some are hateful of other religions or people and why violence is so prevalent. The answer is fear of the unknown. (Granted, I'm not a scientist, but please bear with me for a minute while I try to inspire you and influence great introspection).

Fear is programmed into our DNA. We are predisposed to fear the unknown. We fear the unknown in the same way our ancestors feared the depths of caves, for they knew not what lay in store for them. All options had to be considered. Perhaps the darkness held bears, wolves, held food, or shelter from the elements. Our ancestors never rid themselves of the fear of what they did not know or what they could not see.

Writer H.P. Lovecraft wrote that "[t]he oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." This is demonstrated daily through not only our society's xenophobic outlook, but through our own reluctance to take risks and explore new ideas. We may fear those different from us unless we immerse ourselves into that which we don't understand, and we merely fear it, forever will we be scared of the dark, of the unknown outcomes and great possibilities the unknown may hold. If we let our fear of the unknown paralyze us, none of our hopes and dreams will happen. Life is about conquering your fears and being accepting of the unknown and the chaos that surrounds us.

We all get overwhelmed. We all have different aspects of our life that give us anxiety and cause us to get breakouts, or stop eating, or over eat. We feel as if the best course of action would be to curl up into a ball and bawl our brains out until our wonderful, salty tears cause us to dissolve into nothingness, leaving little more than our clothes, maybe a witches hat, and our friends with a vague memory that we ever existed. These are moments we have to recognize. These are times we have to pause, reflect and say, "Is the reason why I'm freaking out because I don't know what the exact outcome is?" Some people are paralyzed by playing out all the possible ways in which a given scenario could occur, and they miss the opportunity to see what happens if they allow it to play out. A fine line runs between a thoughtful decision and overthinking.

In September 2015 I decided to move to California. My mom lived out (t)here and I was talking with her about the idea over the phone, running through roughly 45 zillion scenarios with her. She interrupted me and said, "Brandt, you think way too much. You need to just make a decision quickly and be okay with it." I paused, and said to her, "Mom, let's just go back to when I was a child. Did you ever think that, one day you would tell me, an impulsive and curious child, to stop overthinking a decision?" Silence from the other line, then she chuckled and said, "Not even once." For me, I wasn't 100 percent sure I was going to go through with the move to California that I had proposed to my brother. He was completely on board, but, like the anxious procrastinator I am, I was not certain until two weeks prior to the actual move date.

All humans have something that paralyzes them. One thing that terrifies me, that chills me to the bone, is swimming in open water. Secondly, when I need to relax and calm my mind, I think about being in the ocean, completely surrounded by water, and laying flat on my back, looking up at the surface of the water while rain beats against the surface and thunder crashes above me. Dichotomous, no? Let's dissect this.

The open water holds that which I do not know. It is surreal, glassy, calm. It is acceptable for me to be afraid of it, for all these reasons. I love the fear that comes with open water diving, for I would not know the beauty that is held within its depths, the depths of the unknown, the unending possibilities. Being completely submerged in the unknown, and looking up to see the tempestuous seas above is not unlike realizing that life is chaos and the solace we seek may be somewhere we know not. If we merely float on the surface the torrential rain will batter our face, the waves will crash over us, and the control of our future will be relinquished to the elements around us.

So embrace the fear of the unknown. Do not allow it to paralyze you. Take risks. You are braver than you imagine. Accept that the darkness contains the unknown and that you alone have the power to illuminate it for yourself.

Saint Catherine of Siena said, "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."

So be your own light. Light your own way. Try new things. Be daring. Be bold. Be unabashedly curious. You have aspirations, goals, dreams, and whatever you want is yours for the taking. Embrace chaos. Love and accept it into your life. Fear not the unknown. For if the future were certain, what would be the point of living?

Life is meant to be uncertain, and, though it may terrify you, remember that your life is your own, and you were meant for so much more than you have right now. Right now is just the beginning. You are fearless. You are strong. You have endless possibilities. Dare to venture into the unknown.

(I have included the video source of the above gif of free diver Guillaume Néry diving into an abyss. It is terrifying, surreal, and calming).