Rivers and Roads played loud in the speakers of my '98 BMW. I sang the words as though it was the last time I'd ever ride those hidden streets. I pulled over when I saw the yellow flowers. They bloom every year in late May. I got out and grabbed a handful for my kitchen counter.

Confession: I'm super sentimental. I can't help it. I keep movie tickets and notes and cans of Peace Tea because they carry stories.

Last week I admitted I was afraid. Afraid of losing and not being good enough. Afraid of being alone. Afraid of change. Afraid to let things go.

We live in a world where we think if we don't have the next 10 years planned, we're doomed to a life of empty nights at home with our 19 cats. We worry and stress about tomorrow without taking a second look at the opportunities before us. We clench our fists and take control, planning the details of our future. While there is nothing wrong with planning, I can't help but ask: What about today? What about what's happening now?

Sometimes we can get so caught up in our five-year trajectory that we miss the adventure right in front of us.

There are people in your life who need you. They need you to show up. They need every part of you. Believe that today: you are needed.

Fear is a liar that will make you take control of things that were never yours to control. It tells you you're lost and there’s no way out. It will manipulate you into believing you’re alone and unwanted. More than anything, it makes you grip so tightly to the things of this world, you miss out on the people all around you. It's a liar and a bully.

I have a tattoo on my left arm that says “take a step." I got it over a year ago, but the message rings true daily. I don’t think taking a step means you have to know exactly where you’re going. I think the whole point is that in the midst of not knowing, you do something anyway.

Be present in the here and now. Do the hard stuff. Fight the demons in your mind. Try something new even when the odds of failing are higher than the odds of succeeding. Say the words everyone else is afraid to say. Take risks. Knock on your parents door and tell them you love them. Say you’re sorry when you mess up. Look people in the eyes and tell them they’re beautiful. There is not one person you’ll ever meet whose soul isn’t eternal. That makes everyone count. Everyone counts. Do more of what you love, even if they say you can’t. Look fear in the face and show it who's boss. Keep your heart kind when all the world says to do is be hateful. Have the courage to be first. Refuse to give in to the evil of gossip. Stop letting what others think run your life. Listen, I mean really listen, when people talk. Call your best friend and say thank you. Admit when you’re wrong. Smile at strangers. Choose people. Choose to show up. Take a step. Do more of what makes you feel alive.

Stop worrying so much about tomorrow that you neglect what’s right in front of you. There are a million opportunities at our fingertips. Start there.