For years I have given people the advice to strive for their hopes and dreams, to not give up. But I didn’t necessarily follow my own advice. It took one very persistent sister and one caring husband to get me to finally follow my own dreams. Why do we do that to ourselves? We’re so good at giving others advice but can’t listen to our own words. Good advice or not, we seem to draw a blank on listening to ourselves.

My advice today is to stop being scared. Yes, scared. It’s fear that keeps us from doing the things we really want in life. Whether it’s a new job, to talk to that person we’ve wanted to, to wear that dress because of what others might say or even to give your opinion so others don’t know what you think.

Life is about taking risks, chances and hopefully one or all will pan out for you. If it doesn’t at least you tried. If it does then you keep doing new things, that lead you down the road and closer to that goal.

It won’t always work out, no. But at least you can say you tried. Afterwards you will be ready to move on to the next thing and let it go. In life there are the doers and the followers. Do you know which kind you are? Doers are the people that achieve goals while the followers are the ones wondering how they did it.

Don’t be a follower, don’t wait and don’t be afraid. Life is only one. Live it. Enjoy it. And don’t regret a minute of it.