Everyone is afraid of the future. The future is so unknown and that is what we are all afraid of: the unknown. Whether you are graduating college, moving to a new city, or just simply stuck in a rut, everyone fears the uncertainty the future brings. Of course, we all have expectations of what we want to happen, but we never know if that is how it will all turn out. We can see that promised land but have no idea of the struggles that we will have to take to get there. We do not know the good accomplishments that will happen or the small set-backs that delay our desires.

Will Smith said it best: “God put the best things in life on the other side of terror, on the other side of your maximum fear, are all of the best things in life.” The thing is, our future is not written yet and the only ones who can make it all happen, the only person who can give you what you want in your future is you.

So stop being afraid because fear can only exist in our thoughts. Stop being scared of not being ready. Stop being afraid of not having everything together. Stop worrying about something that has yet to come. A wise woman once told me “worrying is rent not yet due”. We sit here and kill ourselves over worrying about what has yet to happen instead of enjoying what we have now, but that is what we do as people.

We worry about little things, things that we cannot control. Maybe we worry because it is easier to worry than to fix it, than to fight for it, but that is not good. It is not good to make yourself go crazy, killing yourself over something that you just simply cannot change, but that is the beauty about our future. You cannot change it, you can create it.

I do not know what my future holds. I am terrified and wish I could fast forward through all the bad stuff. I wish I could fast forward to knowing that I will turn out okay in the end. I do not know what my future will be like until I get there. So for now, I cannot worry, but I can enjoy the journey to get there because that is where most of the fun is. Some people depend on fate, as though there is something that brings people together, as though it brings people to what is meant for them.

What if that is not what you want? You have the power to want something and go after it. I can know what I want and do everything I can to have it in the end. I can be okay with knowing that there could be a million outcomes but if I set my mind to one result, I can achieve it. I can keep working towards what I want, having the things that make me the happiest in life. I can dream about the things I desire the most and if that is what I really want, I will make those dreams a reality one day. In the end, if I do not get what I want, if my future is not what I expected, at least I know I fought for it. At least I know I did everything I can to get to what I want.

To those who fear the future, fight for what you want and you will be okay.