My heart dances inside my chest as my bare toes curl over the rocky edge of the cliff. Despite my promise not to, I peer down at the water that waits for me far below. All of my friends standing behind me shout, "Jump!" but I can't. Fear has paralyzed me. I take a deep breath and say a prayer, but nothing I do is enough to convince my knees to bend.

I'm willing to bet I'm not the only one who has been in a situation like this, whether it be on a literal cliff or a metaphorical one.

I have stood frozen at the top of many cliffs in my life, afraid to jump because of the possibility of getting hurt. We all have cliffs that seem too high and too treacherous to ever leap off of. What we fail to realize is that the step just before the plunge is the hardest part, we just have to stop over thinking everything. I will be the first to admit that over analyzation has kept me from living my life to the fullest and while the cycle is hard to break, there is one tip I've received that has nudged me over the ledge: Count to three and go. Don't think. Don't look down. Just count and jump.

Sure, you may hit the surface of the water the wrong way, or hit a rock on your way down. This is a risk that will never go away, but do you really want to stand at the top of that cliff forever? One of the most beautiful things about life is that we truly do not know what tomorrow will bring and instead of allowing this fact to paralyze us, we should let it free us. There has never been one bestseller, masterpiece, or chart-topper that has been inspired by playing it safe and this is because life happens in the moments after your feet push off the ledge and you give up control.

Perhaps you stand at the edge of cliffs because the last time you dove, you hurt yourself. Now, a jump that once seemed so simple terrifies you. Broken bones and scratches heal, but the only way to restore your spirit is to try again, and again, and again, until you finally reach the waters you've been searching for. Life is not meant to be easy or painless; life is meant to be thrilling. So the next time you find yourself at the edge of the metaphorical cliff, count to three, jump and enjoy the ride.

"If we wait until we're ready, we'll be waiting for the rest of our lives" ~ Lemony Snicket