I won't say I don't have any regrets, because I don't think that would be true. But I would rather regret the things I've done and chances I've taken, than regret the things I didn't do. I don't want to be the what-if girl.

Fear is a powerful motivator. It can run your life, take over your mind, and decide the things you will and won't do. Fear can be a good thing, it can protect you, but it can also hold you back. The fear of getting hit by a car is what makes you look both ways before crossing the street. The fear of rejection, and having your heart broken is what stops some people from opening up to others. I made the conscious decision awhile ago that I wasn't going to let fear rule my life. I didn't want to let my insecurities stop me from achieving potentially great things. And I have done some absolutely terrifying things in the past few years that I never would have thought possible of myself when I was younger. I've opened up my heart and taken chances not only on love, but on friendships. I've taken chances on school, on acting, on jobs, on people, and on myself. One of the most terrifying things I've done was my interview for teachers college. I was honestly scared shitless. My knees were knocking, my hands were shaking, I was lightheaded, I was was worried that I might pass out. The interview made it real, made part of the future that I had on the line in my face and potentially in my grasp, or possibly just out of reach. There was so much riding on that interview, that I can't even describe how scared I was. But despite the fact that my legs were shaking and I thought I might faint, I went through with that interview. And I got in, I was accepted. If I had let my fear keep me at home away from that interview, I never would have known. I never would have achieved it. There have been a number of other things I have done in the past few years that i was very nervous and fearful about, but I didn't let that fear stop me from doing or trying to do what I wanted to. And I am very proud of that fact. It isn't always easy for me to put myself out there like that, I have my insecurities, and even though I am a "drama kid" I still have my shy moments. But the fact that I can put myself out there, take chances and go after the oppourtunities that I want, makes me very proud of myself, and the strength of character that I feel, perhaps that I have always had in me, has grown and allowed me to put myself out there into the world in a way that I wasn't comfortable or able to do before.

I made a decision awhile ago that I didn't want to look back and have lived a what-if life. And I'm very happy with the fact that I am pushing my own boundries and taking risks, and that I make my decisions on what I want and not on what I fear.