1. It’s easy to romanticise the comfort zone but true growth lies in that thin slice of space beyond it. To feel the fear and act, is to sign up for life’s hidden treasures. It’s where our character is truly tested. Our greatest lessons unfold in the wake of uncertainty. The fear we feel before taking a risk is not a signal to retreat but a call to advance, to expand our frontiers, drawing forth previously unrealised parts of ourselves waiting to be acknowledged and tested. It’s scary AF but true!

2. Whether it’s putting yourself forward for a promotion or asking someone out; daring yourself to squeeze out that extra push up or simply wearing a different colour – these are all ways we can edge ourselves out of the comfort zone and just see what happens. When we’re poised on the precipice of taking a risk, we may feel like we are having an anxiety attack but it is often a true indicator that what lies ahead is significant. Fortunately, the heart is wise and when risks align with the essence of who we are; that fear transforms into something incredible that can dramatically alter the entire outcome of our lives.

3. Imagine if the first brushstroke by an artist was halted by trepidation, or if the first keystroke of a writer’s narrative was frozen by the what-ifs. The world would be starved of its masterpieces. Risk is the alchemist of possibilities. It turns the mundane into the spectacular, filling us with a sense of what could be if we dared to push past the apprehension. Feeling the fear and doing it anyway is saying ‘yes’ to the possibility of something meaningful. It is choosing the promise of what might blossom over the certainty of the known—which, while comfortable, can be pretty yawn. The exquisite tension we feel anticipating the unknown is a testament not only to our courage but also to the possibility of reaping the rewards that fearlessness can sow. Fortune favours the brave, my friend.

Sarah Miller is the author of ‘Permission to be f*cking happy’.