Remaining Fearless in the Face of the Unknown

The unknown, whether it is your first day of school, the first day of soccer tryouts, or the first day of a new job, it can be a very nerve racking and scary thing. It's often easier for us to remain within our comfort zones than it is to push ourselves to seek something beyond the familiar.

I am Adventurer Fearless, a risk taker, and I will share with you my secret.

My secret is not that I am especially bold or outgoing, friendly or loquacious. The true secret is that I take the initiative and follow my curiosities and passions, wherever they might take me. Beginning in high school, I always took it upon myself to try new things. I was the only girl on the all boys varsity soccer team. I went to Costa Rica, alone, without any friends when I was 16 to live and work with 12 other teenagers to rebuild a school house in the rural village. I did not know where any of these experiences would take me, but I listened to the little voice of curiosity in my head and went out and did the things that I thought about.

Taking the initiative, and sometimes putting myself in situations where I wasn't always comfortable or fully prepared, was awkward at times but ultimately rewarding. On the soccer team, I was often asked why I had decided to join a team made for boys and in Costa Rica I was challenged with an unfamiliar language, unfamiliar foods and customs. On my first day of college freshman year, and again after graduating and moving to New York, I was left living without the familiar faces of my friends and family.

So how do I succeed? Sometimes, you don't need to know where you are going or what you are doing to know that it feels right. If you have a passion or curiosity, even if others around you don't want to follow - taking the first leap will set you flying!

What are the tings that you think of doing, and are either too shy, nervous, or unsure of letting yourself try?

Make a list and do some research. Look on the Internet for programs in your area that allow you to do the things that you want to do. Try going for a walk alone, without your friends and see how it feels to do something completely on your own.

Let the unknown liberate you, and you too can be a fearless adventurer.

-- Adventurer Fearless