As a society we fear rejection. We fear not being accepted, wanted, or liked by the people around us. We fear not being the best or things not going our way. Some of us handle rejection better than others and some of us are afraid of even the thought of rejection. The reality of it all is why are we so afraid of not “fitting in?” Why do we care about “the right way to do things?” The truth is there is no right or wrong way to live life and there is no point in trying to fit in if you’re not happy.

We all help create our own paths. The decisions we make from the time we wake up in the morning to when we go to sleep at night effect our lives in the future and ultimately lead us to our own definition of success. So, ask yourself are you really living? Here is you dose of “inspiration” for the day.

Take a risk. Now, I don’t mean a crazy risk that could get you hurt or in some kind of trouble. I am talking about the risk or the chance that you’ve been thinking about for months. The one that you think will change your life for the better.

When we put ourselves out there or try something new we open ourselves up to bigger possibilities. Don’t be afraid to fail either as long as you’re willing to get back up

Going into the new year I’m sure plenty of us told ourselves this year was going to be the year. The year that you travel to a new country, buy that new house, apply for that dream job, start on that new project, move to a new city, or tell that special person in your life how you feel.

Whatever it is we can’t just sit around waiting for something new and exciting to happen. So, for me my path is going to college and having a family, but it’s also taking chances along the way and making sure that everything I do I do for the right reason and to truly live my life to its full potential. Taking a risk is leaving no “what ifs” behind and being happy with the decisions that lead you to your future.

So I could continue to go on and on with quotes about you’ll miss all the shots you don’t take and so on, but instead I’ll say this. My wish for you, the person reading this, is that you will not wake up one day regretting something that you can no longer change and that you wake up smiling because you did life not the right way, but your way.