Fear is used to stop people from being limitless. It’s the strategic paranoia of a perfect counterargument to prevent people from chasing their goals, being rejected, taking the next step or sticking out in the crowd.

The truth is that our abilities will never hold us back as greatly as our fears will. You will miss many opportunities with careers, friendships, traveling and pursuing passions if you allow fear to paint your horizons black. Whether it’s something as trivial as taking the stage at your local bar during karaoke night or as monumental as moving to a new city where you don’t know anyone -- take the leap. Instead of focusing on what you might lose, steer forward in the pursuit of what you could gain from the experience. You will miss every shot you don't take.

Sure, this advice seems daunting at first. The anxiety starts to flow through your bloodstream, your palms start to sweat, and the voice in the back of your head gets louder, chanting. The absolute best conclusion about fear is that you are not special for having it. Every person has been consumed by fear, and the people who you admire have overcome it. The difference between idols and bystanders is courage and perseverance. The only person who can extinguish your hesitations is you.

So take the stage the next time your friend dares you to sing Beyonce off key at the bar. Apply for that job you don’t think you’re qualified for. Speak up when your teacher asks you what you thought about the assignment. The worst thing is not the rejection of others; it is the rejection of ourselves. Another person’s rejection or judgment will never match the way we judge and reject ourselves. So cast these fears aside, even if only for one song. The only way to silence our own belittlement is to pull back the blinds to our potential.