We only have one life. I’m listening to U2’s One. As I’m listening, I’m drowning. I’m overwhelmed with a feeling of complete and total fear. I write about almost everything, but this feeling I cannot put into words. It’s as if I’m falling off a cliff into the ocean. But I’m not scared of the landing. I’m not scared that the impact will surely kill me.

I’m scared of how I will take the fall, what I will get from it, and most importantly what I will create. Will I be able to fight against the current? How it will impact me, how will I deal with it, process it, will I take everything from the fall that I should?

Most of us are scared to die, that’s a given. I’m of course scared to die, but not of the concept of death, as long as I live a certain way. Isn’t that what we are scared of as humans? Not living to our fullest ability. We have roughly 72 years on this earth. And that’s if we’re lucky. Isn’t it our fear that when we are on our deathbed that we will look back and realize that we didn’t experience everything we wanted to?

I’ll tell you what my biggest fear is, the thought that keeps me up at night. What if I go through life and realize that I wasn’t taking everything in that I should have? Feeling everything and most importantly, living life day to day, not worrying about the ultimate outcome but living for the moments without worry of my future. Because moments are all we have, moments with people, loved ones, family members, and strangers.

I’m not living life for the reward at the end of the tunnel. I’m living life for the moments, the daily vibes and emotions, feelings, anger, sadness, confusion, joy, and the feeling of absolute ecstasy. As I listen to this song, I'm lost in nostalgia. I think of all the beautiful moments in life where I’ve looked around and felt nothing but utter bliss, peace, and joy. It’s a feeling of pure ecstasy.

It's a feeling I've experienced only a few times, but enough to crave those moments. In these moments, I know I would be satisfied if every moment were like this. If I could live my life like this, I wouldn’t be afraid. And I worry that I won’t notice these moments as much as I should. That I will let fear get in the way, or I will go through life putting my energy into the wrong thing.

I’ve been through enough to know that you shouldn’t be afraid of being yourself. I’ve seen enough sadness to know that you have to keep living because you weren’t given this life to live in sadness. You were given this life to live. I don’t plan on slowing down for anyone. I don’t plan on dialing myself down for anyone. I know this because I've seen death and sadness first hand. A family member died far too young, a brutal terminal illness took his life. When I think about not living to my fullest potential, I think of him. Someone who had an electric, energetic, kind, beautiful, soul.

Someone who had their chance at a life taken by something out of anyone’s control. And I realize, we have no idea how long we will have on this planet. We don’t know how long we will have to travel the world, meet people, be crazy, be young, and experience everything. So why wait? Why be scared? If you feel something good and it scares you a little, go for it. Following that fear or anxiety and excitement is exactly how you continuously live and push your comfort zone, I’m not here to live comfortably.

I realize, if you follow your heart and mind, if you do things that make you happy, you have lived a full life. A full life is defined by each person differently. Personally, trying new things, living spontaneously, and following the feeling of the unknown brings me happiness.

A life not measured by the end goal of the American Dream but by the day to day, minute by minute, second by second moments. A life measured by moments where you’re happy but slightly terrified, that’s what I live for. If you do things that make you happy and surround yourself with positive people who lift your spirit and push that comfort zone, there is nothing you can’t do.

As Bono sings in "One" by U2,

"One love, One blood. One life, You got to do what you should. One life with each other. Sisters, Brothers. One Life, but we're not the same. We get to carry each other. Carry Each Other. One, One. "

Don’t live in fear of making mistakes. I promise you’ll learn from those mistakes or who knows maybe that mistake will open up something beautiful. You have one life, one beautiful life. I share this message with you, my sisters and brothers. Spread love and peace. Live openminded, forgive and do not live in the past. Live life as big and loud as you please. Live your ONE life with all your heart. Because you only get ONE.