As 2015 comes to a close, we look forward to a new year beginning and all the possibilities that it holds. January 1 marks the start of something new and exciting, a fresh start that’s full of potential. We see the new year as an opportunity to make changes in our lives with hopes of making them better. Every year, we make all kinds of New Year’s resolutions: to lose weight, to kick a bad habit, to learn something new, to save more money.
While those are all great things to consider going into the New Year, my resolution for 2016 is going to be a little different. It doesn’t have to do with my health or my well-being or my bank account. It’s not really a goal or even something that can be definitively achieved—it’s simply a different way of living life.
Looking back on 2015, I’ve noticed that there were a lot of chances I didn’t take, challenges I didn’t try to confront, and opportunities that passed me by. Instead, I chose to do the easy thing: nothing.
Why? Because I was scared. Because, like a lot of people in this world, I let fear hold me back from truly living my life.
In the face of new opportunities, what are we so afraid of? Failure, rejection, not being good enough, disappointing others, the unknown, the unexpected. The list goes on and on.
We fear that our actions will result in these consequences, and that fear is enough to prevent us from acting at all. But wouldn’t it be better to fail or fall short than to look back on a life that could have been extraordinary, if only we hadn’t been so afraid to live it?
Some of the greatest moments in our lives happen when we do the things we’re most afraid of. Realizing what it is that scares us and then doing it anyway is how we grow. We can learn so much about ourselves by overcoming that challenge that once gave us sweaty palms and a sour feeling in our stomachs.
So, starting now, I’m going to do the thing that scares me. I’m going to open the door, even if I don’t know what’s behind it. I’m going to take advantage of that opportunity, even though I may fail or get rejected or have to face the unknown.
I’m not going to settle for a life of caution and hesitation and unmet expectations, but I’m not going to be fearless either. This year, my New Year’s resolution isn’t to stop being afraid; it’s to stop letting fear stop me.
