Will You Conquer Fear?!

"Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will."

This is a quote that I think of often. I am blessed to have two amazing parents. I was raised to work hard, earn what I have, and save. This became a routine and I felt a comfort in this. Doing anything out of the ordinary feels foreign, unsettling, and just not right. Trying something new or taking a risk of any degree feels scary to me. I've learned over the years that facing those fears and taking those risks was going to help me achieve a greater life.

When I was about to enter my 8th grade year I had plans to play football for my middle school team. My parents didn't want me to play because of the risk of injury and I knew very little about the sport. Honestly, the extent of my football knowledge was that someone threw a ball and someone caught it. Needless to say, I was entering a world that I was unprepared for, and I was scared to death.

Fast forward five years, I am a senior in high school playing on varsity. I had made new friends, gained character traits that I still carry today, and really enjoyed playing the sport. I think about that fear I had in middle school and I am grateful that I overcame it. I was unprepared and overwhelmed, but the result of facing that fear and taking that risk is unmeasurable. Overcoming my fear at thirteen gave me a confidence in taking other risks.

Two years after I graduated from college I was living in Houston; a new city where a familiar face was hard to find. I had been dating my girlfriend, Charli, since my junior year of high school. After dating for eight years, I was feeling the pressure from family and friends to propose. I knew I loved Charli, but I was still scared. I felt like I could barely handle life as a single adult. Marriage seemed unfathomable.

Even though I was scared, I decided to face those fears, go with my heart, and ask Charli to marry me. Today we have been married for two years and it was by far the best decision I've ever made. I am so grateful that I didn't let fear keep me from this joyful life.

These stories lead me to today. Three weeks ago I bought my first rental property. This is just three months after I bought my first house (primary residence). This may seem like nothing to an experienced real estate investor, but it's a huge deal for me. My natural instinct was to say no to an opportunity like this, but I forced myself to trust the process.

I did my due diligence on the deal and I even partnered with my long time friend, Matt, who I trust with my life. I felt reasonably at peace about it, but was still nervous. Everything was going according to plan leading up to closing day, then...all the doo doo hit the fan!

Closing was pushed back a week, we had to put down more money than we anticipated, and the stress level of everyone involved was at an all-time high. My fear told me that I would lose everything, but I knew that was a lie. I decided to overcome my fear and move forward with the deal. We now own that rental property, we are cash-flowing more than we calculated, and will be able to pay off the loan faster then expected.

At the end of the day, fear will always exist and be an obstacle for us. If we don't work up the courage to overcome these fears we will never be able to reach our goals. Find something that scares you, take the risk and enjoy a life that most people only dream of.