"The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything."
Fear is something we all encounter. Sometimes it is a mechanism of protection, but most of the time it is hampering our ability to see opportunities rather than problems. Hence, it is important to control our angst and to take risks.

These days, people are more focused on doing the right thing than something they really enjoy. Society measures success in money, power and achievement. Children are told to study chemistry instead of music to get ahead in the competition for a place in med school. College students take business courses instead of focusing on their acting career, because their parents tell them to. This is the safe road, which guarantees a certain level of standardized success.

On the other hand, pursuing a career without a safety net, such as being a musician, an actor or a writer could end in a one-way street. Not everyone can make it as an artist, model or freelance journalist. Taking a serious risk like this might result in no success whatsoever, which is a reasonable concern. However, it does not justify the decision to neglect the opportunity.

To begin with, people fail every day. There is nothing wrong with failing, as long as you enjoy the ride. Mistakes happen, it is just important not to repeat them. In addition, there are plenty of possibilities out there, as long as you are willing to take risks again.

Secondly, there are unemployed IT-specialists, doctors and businessmen. All these professions were once considered as safe jobs. As experience shows, there is no safety in today’s world. A certain level of (job-) security though might be achieved by excellence and uniqueness.

Thirdly, society’s definition of success is limited. True success is defined by the level of happiness. A person can only be happy in a profession they are truly passionate about. In most cases, the passion for the job also guarantees a performance, which is above average.

There is no right or wrong in life. People make decisions based on the information they have and according to their believes. The question to ask is – Why are we so afraid?