Sometimes we deprive ourselves of something good because we’re afraid of what could happen down the line.

We'll find ourselves standing idly, working as we normally have done on familiar things that have always made sense to us.

And then it'll happen --- just like that.

Maybe you'll be sipping your coffee on a quiet Sunday morning, immersed in the stillness that only slow days can bring, and a notification will appear on your phone. Maybe you'll be in the car, glazed eyes fixed on the road as you make your way to work, and seemingly out of nowhere, your phone will ring.

So you stop what you're doing, and answer.

And that's the moment.

A moment where you'll be standing before a crossroads, hearing the terrifying, but extremely euphonious ring of opportunity in front of you. The words will emerge in front of you like a fugacious stream of smoke. In a moment it's there, and in a moment it will be gone.

"You've got the job!"

"Would you like to work with me on this project?"

"You've been accepted at our university."

"Would you be willing to move across the country to make this work?"

Or maybe it'll be as simple as:

"Coffee, later?"

And so, within a moment, a positive opportunity arrives at your feet, waiting for you to open up your hands and take it. Though you have the slight inclination to reach out and take hold of it, out of fear and pride (and maybe a little lassitude), you decline, because you begin to think of all the possibilities in the future that could lead you away from it – that could make you not want it anymore. It's in times like these that logic gets in the way, and all we can think about are the invisible "buts" and "what ifs" that come with a beautiful path that is open for the taking.

When we decline something we want to defend against the unfavorable possibilities the future might bring, we think we’re being smart. We think we’re in control. But the only thing we’re doing is turning down an opportunity to find happiness in the now.

But letting that fear – that doubt – prevent you from going new places is harmful. When we stand back – letting our lives be marked and guided by the familiar, our lives may be comfortable, but they never get anywhere greater.

We end up depriving ourselves from truly living the life we were always meant to live because we were never bold enough to go into uncharted territory. We fail to make the mistakes we need to make in order to become a better human being.

And that’s a tragedy.

Because, truthfully, we don’t know what the future might bring. Sure, bad things can possibly happen. But so can good ones. In fact, a better road – one we could have never imagined for ourselves – can be waiting as a result of taking the one we took.

Sometimes the scariest things we face can be our most important invitations for growth. Even though it’s probably the thing we want to do the least, it ends up being the thing we need to do the most. And when we cross that line and do the thing that needs to be done, better opportunities open up for us – a better life begins for us.

We mustn’t let fear or doubt cloud our judgement. It can never create, only destroy. We need to make more choices with our gorgeous, wild, constantly-in-pursuit-of-growth hearts.