Fear Not

When was the last time you confronted your fears? I believe we are all afraid of something; whether it is delivering a speech in front of a crowd or failing to realize lifelong dreams. Well, I say fear is often misunderstood yet something we should not run away from. We’ve all been afraid many times in our life. However, instead of letting fear keep you from pursuing your goals, you should use it as a measuring stick that tells you something is worth doing. It is definitely easier said than done, but facing our fears is something we must contend with everyday.

Majority of the time my clothes express how I feel, and this outfit I wore to my third stop in San Francisco made me feel free, powerful, and unstoppable. I love that the crop top has the word “YASSSS”. it is so simple, but this word can have many different meanings. To me it means I am in love with my life and I should be celebrating it everyday to the fullest. This outfit was perfect for the Mosaic Steps in San Francisco. I paired this top with jean shorts and a sleeveless cardigan. I knew I would be walking around a lot so I wore my white Ralph Lauren flats to be comfortable. This outfit gives off a comfy and relaxed look but is still cute. Nothing is better than being comfortable and cute at the same time! I also love the grey and white combination of this outfit with the city as the backdrop.

After being on top of the world, my next stop was at a dim sum restaurant call Yank Sing for lunch in Embarcadero. The food was delicious! After lunch, I walked around Embarcadero to digest my food. The weather was beautiful, everyone was outside walking and appreciating the amazing view of the city. My exploring for the day did not stop there, I went by the Full House house and of course as a fan since childhood, I had to take pictures with the house! I ended my day at the Golden Gate Bridge, I walked from the beginning to the end and back of the bridge. That was such an experience to me because growing up I watched Full House and would always see the bridge in the background and never knew where it was and how I can get to it. Well that day was finally there when I was walking on the bridge. I couldn’t believe that I was finally there. My day was super eventful, yet extremely tiring but so well worth it!

Having a high vantage point with an expansive view of this one-of-a-kind city felt amazing! At that moment, all my worries and fears floated away with the cool ocean breeze. It made me feel anything is possible if I put my mind into it, even if I am afraid.

I must admit I am afraid of many things in my life because the thought of being a failure makes me shy away from many challenges. For example, I recently moved across the country to Los Angeles for a new job. I was ecstatic because it is my dream job but at the same time I was afraid of being in a completely new environment without knowing a single soul. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve moved to different cities before, but this time it was different. I realized I was a few thousand miles away from my parents and friends, from people I can rely on when things got tough. All my lifelong friends I’ve made in college were two time zones away, not to mention all my cherished childhood memories were all back in the east coast. I had to leave that all behind and started all over again. At that time, I didn’t know if it was worth it or not. I was afraid I would not be happy, especially not knowing anyone.

It has been 8 months since my move across the country, and let me tell you, I see life in a different light. I am so happy I took the risk to move out here. I made new friends that I am extremely thankful for because they have made the transition easier. I’ve explored California so much more than I have ever explored when I lived back home. This past year has definitely made a big impact in my life. There were many ups and downs, but overall I can say I’m truly living. I’ve learned so much more about myself and discovered self-love. I’ve realized many things after being by myself for a period of time, especially when I was going through a rough patch. After all, being afraid was just a phase that eventually disappeared as I discovered new and exciting opportunities. Now I know what I am capable of achieving if I set my heart and mind to it.

Besides being afraid of moving across the country by myself, I have other fears such as learning how to dance, pursuing further education to develop my personal and professional goals, and being successful at keeping up with my blog. I am starting to learn that I am the only one who can determine my future and dictate how happy I can be. I alone have the ultimate ability to hold myself back from advancing myself if I let fear paralyze my thoughts.

Fear can be very powerful and must be used as a positive motivator. I believe we are all capable of achieving whatever it is we want if we are crazy enough to do it. So instead of letting fear take over and limit us, we must embrace our fears and let them empower us to take risks for ourselves. I ask myself “What’s the worst that can happen?” every time I feel afraid. Nine out of ten times, I am overthinking the situation. Fear can hold you back from so many great things in life, and it can become such a burden on you. Fear makes you unhappy for who you are, and fear can keep you from growing to be the person you are meant to be. I let fear dictate many things in my life prior to moving here because I was and sometimes still is afraid of uncertainty. It is OK to be afraid, but what you do with that fear is tremendously important. As soon as I stop letting fear limit my life, I find myself doing so much more, and I felt so much happier with myself.

I made a goal in the beginning of this year to not be afraid, to not hold back, and welcome new experiences and opportunities. So far, I don’t regret my decisions because for once I finally feel like I am living my life to the fullest by taking chances I never thought I could. The choices I’ve made may seem crazy to others, but crazy doesn’t have to be a bad thing. I don’t want to keep waiting, look back, and dwell on the what ifs. Life is too short to waste time because I am the oldest I’ve ever been and the youngest I’ll ever be.

Till next time my loves,

Linh

{Top/Cardigan/Shorts: Forever 21}

{Bag: Kate Spade}

{Sunglasses: Maui Jim}

{Flats: Ralph Lauren}