It seems to me that, more often than not, people approach the unknown and change with serious fear.Fear that this is the wrong direction in their life, fear that they aren’t ready, or just fear in not beingnable to clearly map out what comes next. If you can honestly say that this doesn’t ring true for you, I’d like to buy you beer and shake your hand because you are one of a kind.

Every stage of life comes with these fears that rise up inside you no matter how hard you try to stop them. Like Belinda, I recently graduated college and was greeted with all the “real world” fears.But you know what??? I just really hate when people refer to my qualms that way. Are you trying totell me everything else up to now has been “fake world” fears? That there is no equivalent to these new adult fears? Because if that is true, I think that is the bigger issue here. The fact that I am literally incapable of handling the intensity of these “real world” fears.

Bit of perspective isn’t?

“I mean at 5 years old, the fear of not being able to find your teddy bear seems to be the exact same fear a 22 year old feels when they can’t find their debit card after a night drinking.”

So really, I’ve felt these fears. I’ve been there. I’ve done that. And that’s the attitude that helps me as I begin to navigate my life on my own: having a different perspective, and allowing my fears to guide me. I am afraid of finding myself in a career that leaves me feeling unfulfilled, I’m afraid I won’t make a difference to at least one person, I am afraid my broke ass ramen diet is going to put an irremovable 5pounds on my thighs.

I’m not above fear, but I’ve accepted the important ones, and I’m allowing those to push me to find what I am truly looking for in life.