Fear. The 4 letter word that has the ability to ruin your life. The debilitating, insidious emotion that creates paralyzing, self-imposed chains that holds individuals back from achieving their dreams. What sabotages a human beings desires? Fear. What gut reaction employs ineffective behaviors and builds walls of barren rationalization? Fear. What heavy-weighted inclination morphs into a driving force that influences an individual to mosey through their lives and starve off the very thing that simultaneously curdles their blood and enlivens them at the deepest core of their being? Fear.

Fear is the killer. The neat fences that box in play-it-safers are trapping the minds of brilliant individuals and emerging voices that are stifled and rooted in belief systems that are crippling their individual existence along with the lives of individuals that long for their greatness. You are a human being who will encounter a fluctuation of emotions on an everyday basis. Life is a never-ending gamble. Human beings gamble aspects of their very own existence within every choice acted upon. Human beings are innately vulnerable to both natural and man-made catastrophes. At any moment, I could get hit by a car, shot by a bullet or die in my sleep. The only extreme lengths in life are the lengths human beings go to to be wary and vigilant pertaining to life.

Fear is a choice.

I am unceasingly birthing a life that is drenched in what I have previously dreamt. Yes, I am personally storming down the road less travelled, but I have learned that the beaten path is not and never will be for me. I will not jump through societies hoops and red tape; my milestones are measured by the amount of joy I have collected and love that I feel at the end of each day. I am tender. The luxury of life certainly does not equate to glitter and gold; I perceive a life of luxury as staying true to my ferocious soul and the passionately boiling blood rushing through my veins as it rocks my sturdy bones. This is far from emotional detachment; experience has simply taught me to build up an inexhaustible supply of elephantine strength and fortitude in the face of adversity. Regardless of the level of fear that an individual creates pertaining to the very circumstance that is bringing their life to a screeching halt, the uncertainty ahead is never too much to bear. Emotional tornadoes feeding the fear of embarrassment or inadequacy are stopping individuals in their tracks on the edge of exceptional glory. The arch nemesis that shocks an individual’s system with panic and doom must be confronted head on. You will encounter harrowing pain and potentially enormous consequences. You cannot hot potato toss your pain onto the next individual to steer clear of your bloody discomfort. Danger is very real, but fear is a choice.

I am endlessly astonished by human ingenuity. I am fortunate to have discovered my ability to elevate the murkiest disarray into words that string together and activate the process of identity. I endlessly look forward to being challenged by experiences far unseen. I muse upon the fragrant intoxication of foreign terrain orbiting my brain and I feel a smile spread across my face. The mere thought of setting an intention to act and participate in cultural exchange amongst assimilating with the rhythm and characteristics of the unfamiliar ignites a collection of human emotions that relax and pull my shoulder blades down my back. I fondly anticipate long summer days of delight, deep conversations under the lingering midnight sun and the energetic pulse of the unknown. I have no idea what I will encounter within this life. I have replaced fear with courage. I have stopped hesitating. I refuse to put any and every precious day of my life on hold due to the daze of fear. I do not blissfully ignore or cherry-pick what I choose to face in life. Although I do have a mighty high tolerance for disorder and dismay, I boldly state that I have grown exponentially through life’s storms. Fear is my greatest motivational tool. I embrace fear as my heroic guide through times of upheaval and trepidation. I share my unique medicine through the development of versatility which has led to broadened borders leading to life-enhancing experiences and influential exposure. I have created space for unconventional perception and extraordinary possibility. I am bloody yet unbowed.

F*** fear.

Do what you fear the most. Fail. F*** up. Learn. Do not slam the door on the wisest teacher on Earth. Now more than ever, the world craves your message. Live in this world like there’s no tomorrow. Travel to places you have dreamed of visiting. Love with every ounce of your heart. Materialize your wildest dreams. Meet new human beings. Rise above mediocrity. F*** fear.

This post was originally written by Jessica Golich, a Freelance Writer based out of Brooklyn, New York. Jessica has an insatiable curiosity for the world and candidly expresses herself through writing about the thoughts and experiences that shape her life.