On a stoplight is the red light on the top or the bottom? Which way is Abraham Lincoln facing on the penny? How many opportunities have you missed out on because you were afraid?

While the first two questions might be interesting, the third is by far the most important.

Whether this is your first year of college and you’re looking to make a name for yourself, this is your last year of work before retirement or you are somewhere in between, the message is the same.

Fear never has been, and never will be, a good reason to not do something.

It’s time to re-adjust the framework of your thinking. After all, no guts, no glory, right?

Many people fear change. Especially for incoming college freshmen who do not quite know what to expect from the upcoming year, fear of the unknown can influence many decisions.

However, if these freshmen and other people around them refused to step outside his or her comfort zones, students would be in for a boring year.

Think about the slogan of a trapeze school in New York, ‘Forget the fear, worry about the addiction.’

I don’t think the people at that trapeze school actually believe someone could get addicted to climbing a tall ladder to stand on a shaky platform in order to hang precariously from a swinging trapeze bar, but I do think they are referring to becoming addicted to the liberation that follows overcoming one’s fear.

To experience this feeling of liberation avoid avoiding.

Step up to the plate and take action. See this school year as one large opportunity to dismiss preconceived notions about what one can and cannot do.

For students, I suggest getting involved.

Do not sit in your room and expect the people around you to take you by the hand and show you what to do.

Take initiative.

Take the advice of Eleanor Roosevelt, ‘Do one thing every day that scares you.’

While this may sound daunting, the end result will be worth the effort.

Missed opportunities are not often redeemable so make the most of the time you have.

There is nothing wrong with having fear but there is something wrong with refusing to overcome it.