Following your dreams is terrifying

Living your dreams is all-consuming.

I’m terrified. Constantly. Of what is and what if. I’m left without answers to incredibly frightening questions.

I have a decision to make – as do you. Do I weather the storm or do I turn back to find shelter?

On the other side of the storm lies countless riches. You may only earn said riches if you weather the storm.

Turning back provides shelter and security. So what do you choose? To weather the storm or seek out shelter? The answer isn’t that simple…is it?

What I’m learning is even that shelter isn’t truly secure…it too can fall victim to the storm and crush you and everything else within it.

I’m realizing shelter doesn’t truly exist in this world. Only in the world you create in your mind.

You can create peace within, a safe haven to turn to whenever the storm is great and near. So long as you can find safety within, it doesn’t matter what happens around you.

And so what truly is the reason to seek out shelter in this world? When the premise of safety and security has been disproven time and time again.

You may be safe today from the storms circulating around you, but what of tomorrow or the following day?

Certainty is certainly uncertain.

I’m starting to truly realize this. And like all lessons I can only learn through experience.

For the past year, I’ve felt secure. I didn’t feel like I was seeking out shelter, I felt as though I had weathered the storm and emerged victorious on the other side. And while this was true for some time, there was always another storm on the horizon. And I chose time and time again this year to seek out shelter and security. Until one day my shelter collapsed in on me and my safe haven was no more. I no longer could count on my education, financial standing, and career for security.

While I knew my shelter wouldn’t hold forever I wasn’t prepared. I wasn’t prepared to make the decision I am making now.

But here I am, ready to weather the storm once again and emerge victorious on the other side.

It won’t be easy. And my fears will certainly persist. At the very least I know I chose to fight rather than cower. I chose to pursue my dreams rather than wonder what if. Rather than tell the younger version of me,

“I once had a dream like yours, and I left it behind.”

No, I’m going to pursue my dreams. If I fail, I learn. One day I will succeed, I know it. And that’s all I need. The persistence to weather the storm knowing the hurdles that lie ahead of me.

Big and small, I will overcome them all.

And so can you. If you chose to.