Do you ever wonder what the future holds? Maybe you wish you could see where a particular path led before taking it. As much as I am a planner, I realize there is beauty and freedom in not needing to know.

The thing that keeps so many of us from taking the next step is fear of the unknown. What if things don’t work out? What if I fail? What if something bad happens? We must get to a point where we realize the possibility of something wonderful happening far outweighs the fact that something could go wrong. So what if something does go wrong? It’s not our circumstances that define us; it’s who we are and how we respond. We must learn to live in purpose and not in fear.

Imagine coming to a set of concrete steps like in the photo above. Now imagine being able to see into the future and seeing yourself fall. As a result, you don’t take the step and instead, turn around to go the other way. Now imagine taking that step without any inclination and falling right onto the ground. It hurts. It hurts badly, and what’s even worse is the embarrassment. Instead of letting that fall put you into a negative space, though, you begin to laugh at yourself. You laugh right through the pain, and dust yourself off. True freedom, true control comes in learning to adapt and move through a negative experience as opposed to avoiding as many as possible.

Let’s take that scenario a step further. Imagine you sprained your ankle with that fall and decide to go to the doctor. In the waiting room, you meet someone who you end up connecting with. Sometimes, it’s the fall that God uses for the greater good.

I want to encourage you to take that next step. Step out in faith and into your purpose, realizing there’s nothing to fear except fear itself. The unknown isn’t your enemy; fear is. We all have a common purpose here on Earth—to overcome the spirit of fear, realizing it’s not from God. When we embrace the unknown, we embrace the gift of an almighty God.