It's summer, and it's getting warmer every day. When the air is sticky with summer showers or a cool summer breeze blows through your window, it's easy to feel restless. As someone who just turned twenty, I believe it's important to savor the good times while you have them. I've made plenty of amazing memories throughout my twenty years of life, and I've had my share of losses as well, but I want to talk today about taking risks.

I used to be very afraid to put myself out there. I was afraid of making a mistake, or getting hurt, or regretting my actions, so I always played it safe. There's no risk of getting hurt if you just stay home. I knew a lot of people with their share of regrets, and I didn't want to make decisions I would later regret. However, if I hadn't learned to be brave, I would have missed out on a lot of the amazing memories I still cherish today.

So, if you're like me, take that jump. Start small. Tell that person that you like them. Tell your friends and family you love them as often as possible. Go on a roller coaster. Wear an outfit that you've always wanted to try out but have been too nervous to wear. Text back that friend you've been too busy to see recently. Go to a music festival with friends.

Or go big! Go cliff jumping! Dye your hair bright pink. Travel to another country. Get a tattoo. Adopt a pet. Change your major to something that excites you.

I recently went on a family vacation, and one of the shows I saw there explained, "There are more things to see than can ever be seen." At the time I heard this saying, it scared me. I've always loved the idea that we live in a huge world with so much to explore, but I had never considered the fact that there is so much I will never be able to see. However, this simply emphasizes my point. There are so many things in life we may not get the chance to experience, so it's important to take these opportunities while we can.

It's hard to make big decisions. It's hard to jump when you don't know if anyone will be there to catch you. However, choosing to do something that excites you and maybe just scares you is one of the most amazing parts of life. It's one of the ways we know we're alive and we're in control. We have a limited time on Earth, and that can be scary. Instead of worrying about how to gain more time in our lives, we might as well spend our time doing things that excite us. So, I will leave you with this lesson: if it makes your heart race, chase that feeling.