You Must Do The Thing You Think You Cannot Do

If it weren't for Eleanor Roosevelt I wouldn't be living in New York City right now.

For that matter, I probably wouldn't have left my home-state of Minnesota for college, switched from my small private school to a large, intimidating public school for high school, or even gone away to overnight summer camp for the very first time!

Although I am much too young to have ever had the great privilege and opportunity of meeting this incredible woman, she has no less made a profound and permanent impact on my life.

By nature, I am a homebody. Home is comfortable, safe, and familiar. Why would anyone ever want to leave such a soothing atmosphere? Especially someone like me, who is so content being at home, surrounded by good friends and family. The answer, as Eleanor Roosevelt so eloquently put it, is the growth we gain from overcoming fear. We cannot reach higher levels of understanding and self-awareness unless we look our fears in the face, and conquer them.

Whatever it is you are afraid of, that is the thing you must do. I was afraid of leaving home, afraid of being independent and desperately afraid of being away from my biggest support system - my family. I could have stayed home and lived this life, fears flawlessy intact until my dying day. But because of Eleanor Roosevelt and the way her motivating words spoke to my soul, I knew what I had to do: the thing I thought I couldn't.

Camp, public school and college were all practice rounds for the main event. And here I am, not merely surviving, but truly LIVING, in New York City.

If I can do it, you can do it too. Face your fears, whatever they may be.

"You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt

Cheers!
Marissa