It's constantly said that time is fleeting. That life is short. That time flies. That we only get one chance. We're all guilty of saying at least a few of these cliches. I know we say them, but do we understand that this is actually it? That this is all we are given? Who can say they are actually acting as if the words are true?

As each day goes by, we make decisions. We play it safe or we take risks. Both have consequences. But, when you play it safe, you'll never get what you want. What's the point of going through life afraid to act as you please, never getting what you want? It's not fair to yourself or your future. Thoughts don't belong in our heads. What good will they do there? We're all inspirations deep down, it's up to those with courage to be the ones that inspire. Have the courage.

I've learned in college that your entire world has the ability to change in just one night. It's completely up to you to make that possible, though. Being scared of what will happen next does nothing but hold you back and fill you with regrets. There is nothing worse than thinking, "What if..." It has the power to make a person mad.

Those two words together can you stay awake at night for hours, imagining the tiniest events of the day differently.

You're only cheating yourself by saying "oh, next time" because there's no way to know if there will be a next time. And more often than not, there never is. Our time is right now. We don't know what'll happen next year, next week, or even tomorrow. Everything is subject to change in an instant. The biggest part of your life can one day fade away if you're not careful enough.

We all owe it to ourselves to try and take these chances. Where would anyone be if they didn't? We'd probably still be banging rocks together and living in clay shacks.

Life is all about cause and effect. How you act can shift the norm. For a person with communication issues, this poses a huge problem. It becomes sleepless nights kicking yourself for not being open enough, not smiling big enough to prove your point aloud what you've been thinking in your head. I find it much easier to accept defeat when you're able to say that you did all you could do.

It's impossible to say we'll know for sure how things end—that's the beauty of life. But we need to keep in mind that the uncertainty goes both ways. Staying silent cuts off half of the possibilities that are offered and we don't even know what we're missing. Embrace the change that life is giving you the gift of. It's not scary, it means you're alive.

Take a chance. Don't let time run out on you.