After a lifetime of finding my way through a multitude of awkward and unfortunate situations, I dubbed myself courageous and the master of perseverance. How wrong was I?

I’m pretty good at taking care of business but somewhere, somehow I began to settle for the ordinary instead of seeking and reaching for the next level in everything I do. You’re probably thinking, “Oh, you got lazy?.” Maybe a little but what I really “got” was afraid. Afraid of what other people would think, afraid I would burn out, afraid people I care about would feel outdone or left out. And most of all, I was afraid of failing.

Once the world became more about the goals I set for myself and not goals others assigned to me, I wasn’t so sure where I fit it. I mean, I know what I want. I envision. I brainstorm and plan. But I’ve been scared to see my goals through because…what if people think my goals are ridiculous? What if I run into a roadblock I’m not familiar with? What if I’m not strong enough, creative enough or good enough to reach the finish line? Frequently pondering these questions left me frustrated and all but paralyzed by fear.

Then, my grandma’s voice would enter my head. “Nothing beats a failure but a try,” she always says. “I know that,” I answer back to myself.

But knowing and doing are two totally different things. Doing is an action word and to do, you have to make a move. Easier said that done when you don’t know exactly where you’re going or exactly how you’re going to get there. That’s where faith comes in. Faith trumps fear — every time. Have faith in yourself, in your inner power, and most importantly in God.

Fear is an illusion. Once you realize that, you can walk right through it. It’s not easy. If it was, it wouldn’t be called fear. Yet and still, I challenge me, you, all of us to go for what we really want —  full-force, with fervor, and faithfully. No fear.