Have you ever prepared for a conversation or had to do something that you’re like, “I’d rather have my toenails ripped off than write this paper” or “I think I’d rather be chased by Michael Myers than perform this conversation, that’s how horrified I am just thinking about it?” I know I have.

 
Life is full of some pretty terrifying things. Not all objects that horrify us are obvious like blood, needles, spiders, snakes, heights, or a doll that is a mass murderer. Love for example is one aspect of life that scares the absolute crap out of you. You fear you’re never going to be loved, that no one else loves you, that no one could love you, that love is simply unfair. Love surrounds us everyday even if we don’t feel it or see it as such.

 
We’ve got immediate family, our college family, our drama family, our sci-fi family, our sorority/fraternity family, our sports family, or a clan of English education majors that you know always have your back and vice versa.

 
That’s love.

 
Then there’s being an adult in the twenty-first century. It’s not a piece of cake, especially when you’re a college student nearing the pearly gates of graduation. Life is bloody scary. You put on the cap and gown usually at the ripe age of twenty-one, if you’re lucky, and the rest of your human pals just assume you know exactly what your destiny is. Dude, I barely know what or when I’m going to eat the next day, let alone what I plan to do for the rest of my precious minutes on this Earth.

 
But the scariest things in life usually are the most worth it.

 
If we never opened our eyes cause we were afraid of what we’d see, look at all the sights we’d miss. If we never walked because we were frightened at what we’d do, where we’d go, imagine all the places we’d never explore. If we never talked because we were terrified of what we’d say, think of all the amazing people and friends we’d never get acquainted with.

 
The whacky poet Charles Bukowski sums up my point very well, “What matters most in life is how well you walk through the fire.”

 
Life is a raging forest fire that you can’t think twice about parading through.

 
You just gotta do it.

 
Just do it, as Nike would say.

 
Regret is a terrible thing and I personally don’t want to regret not doing any more things.

 
So, I implore you to improv through your life. Make plans, set goals, but if they don’t come to fruition don’t crumble defeated.

 
Make it work with what you have. Don’t mope over your mistakes. You’re human! Trust me, I know it’s no fun. We’ve all been there. I never was in my high school one-act so imagine my wide-eyed look of horror as I walked into my first ever drama club meeting. “Oh crap” was revolving through my head like the newsfeed at the bottom of an ESPN broadcast.

 
My first few months in the club weren’t without their awkwardness. I slid off the curb at the homecoming parade, I usually was always the last one to cumbersomely participate in the games, and how could I forget? I got lost on the haunted trail! While I was super embarrassed, I grew from it.

 
I honestly owe my newfound bravery to the members of drama club and all the whacky things I’ve done thanks to the organization. Improv through your life, stare life right in the face and say, “You. Don’t. Scare. Me.”