I’m a big fan of Bruce Springsteen. We’re basically best friends, minus the whole hanging out and talking and personally knowing each other aspects of friendship. But, he (or rather, his lyrics) has taught me one of the biggest life lessons I’ve learned so far, one that I’m about to share with all of you.

Growing up, I always kinda had this ridiculous idea that no matter where I went, everyone was always critically watching me, analyzing my every move, like some big invisible audience. As you might imagine, this silly perception prevented me from doing a lot of things I wanted to do: try out for sports teams, join clubs, even just talk to new people. Little things, but things that affected my little pre-adolescent life. I basically was standing in my own way of fully living my life, for no reason other than the fact that I cared too much what people thought about me. Which, let me tell you, is the absolute worst way to go about existing.

This is about the part where Bruce comes in. Kinda. I’ve been listening to the Boss my entire life (my mom is a pretty huge fan), but it wasn’t until freshman year of high school that I really started digging his tunes, and paying attention to the actual lyrics. All of his songs are of amazing of course, but there’s one in particular whose words really stuck with me.

"Dancing in the Dark" is arguably Springsteen’s most popular song, and besides being a supremely groovable jam, it also holds the life lesson I mentioned earlier: “Can’t start a fire, worrying ‘bout your little world falling apart.” I don’t think he means literal fires, but rather, figurative ones. You can’t get anything done for yourself if all you do is worry about what might happen to “your little world.”

I really hate it when people say that in the end, nothing matters, so nothing matters now, 'cause I really believe that every life has value and a purpose and we’re all here to accomplish something. Everyone means something to someone else; we’re all important and needed in some way or another. But. In the grand scheme of things, everyone’s little world in which they exist is rather small and trivial, so what’s the sense of worrying about it falling apart? In the moment it may have seemed huge, but really, no one cared how bad I was at basketball or how high-pitched my voice was when I was nine, and nothing bad would have fallen upon my world had I joined a club basketball team or run for a member of the student body. I didn’t start any “fires” because of how concerned I was about my poor little world, but looking back, it literally didn’t matter at all. I stressed myself out for nothing, and deprived myself of possible joys and self growth.

So. Basically what I’m trying to say here is that life doesn’t just come to people; it’s made by people. If you ever want anything to happen for you, not only will you have to work for it, but with a complete disregard for what others may think of you. Step out of your comfort zone a little. “Never let your fear decide your fate” (AWOLNATION), and don’t let that invisible audience keep you from living your life. So try out for the school play, apply for that internship, ask that girl out, go for a run today. I promise you, your little world won’t fall apart, but rather, will be ablaze with the wondrous life you’ve created for yourself.