"Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced."

-James Baldwin

People limit themselves because they are scared of facing the unknown. You don't talk to someone because you're too afraid you'll say something stupid and embarrass yourself. You're afraid someone might let you down or not meet your expectations, and you'll be disappointed by the reality they served to you. You let opportunities pass you by because you're not guaranteed to be completely comfortable with them. Does this sound like something you've been guilty of doing in your own life? I'll admit that I am definitely guilty of everyone of those things and more.

One thing I have learned in life is that you have to face the unknown a lot if you want to be successful. You have to be able to come to a point where you face your problems and either accept them or let them go. You have to be willing to ask questions that may make you look stupid, but I promise you're smart for asking them. You have to realize that even if you feel like you're running last place in life, you're still winning just by continuing to go.

There are so many times in my life that I can pinpoint when I felt so lost and was terrified to face what I didn't know or understand, and until I faced them, I continued to be lost. I was so stressed out about something I could have let go of if I had just faced it and asked questions. While in conversation this past week about some things I had experienced, I was given this bible scripture:

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

It made me realize that whenever I face these changes in my life, or something I don't understand, even if I fail, I am still strong. Just because the outcome wasn't what I had intended or expected, I can be at peace with it. I no longer have to worry about it, because God says I am strong enough.

I also have realized that you have to trust that God is going to see you through. He never gives you more than you can handle, and sometimes you just need to get still and listen for what He has to say. Sometimes your plans for your life and His plans for your life are not the same, and He's patiently waiting for us to listen to Him.

So go out and face the unknown! Don't be too afraid to live your life, and don't forget to be strong and brave!