Life has countless opportunities, but of them, how many get pushed aside because we're too afraid to try? And maybe it isn't even the fear of failure, maybe it's fear itself that terrifies us. I know from a personal standpoint that flying has stopped me from studying abroad, but at what point can I look my fear in the face and say, enough?

For those who understand my struggle, I want to emphasize the point that fear is most commonly drawn up in the brain. A lot of our fears are centered around a threat that is nowhere near as dangerous as we make it out to be. The problem then becomes our mentality. How do we transform fear into a hurdle we can overcome when it's currently a wall we can't scale?

What I have found is that my life and my choices shouldn't be dictated by my insane fear of flying. No matter how little control I have in the situation I can find a way around it. If I truly want to go abroad or visit family across the country, my best bet is the look my phobia square in the eyes. Although I'm not sure I'll ever feel safe on a plane, it's hindering the goals I have in life. Living this way isn't healthy for my happiness, and I've decided enough is enough.

Moving forward I plan to see fear, feel its presence and make choices as if it weren't there. I've decided to live my life with fear in front of me, making decisions as it if we're not. I'd be missing out on a whole world simply because I opted out of trying. And with a mindset like that anything can seem intimidating. The snowball effect being scared has can catapult me into believing everything is dangerous. The only way out is to realize the truth. My thoughts of danger are not equivalent to reality. Fear is an enigma, and although it's easier said than done, it shouldn't choose my decisions for me.

So what is your roadblock? Is it fear of failure, or maybe vulnerability? What's stopping you from becoming the fullest version of yourself? Our mindsets and our focus can change the entirety of our futures if we learn to trust the outcomes of our choices. The concoction we make in our heads of the worst-case scenario is hardly ever the actual result. Trust the process. Believe that things will pass as they should, and better things will surface from the outcome. There's a lot more excitement out there than what our minds let us believe. Live life as if nothing is in the way, and hopefully, someday it'll become reality.