Life is uncertain. This truth is the Bain of human existence. Fear of uncertainty is at the core of all sorts of problems ranging from procrastination and the inability to make decisions, to full-blown anxiety disorders. Moving forward in life is simply too scary when you can’t know for sure how things are going to turn out.

The need for certainty is why religious dogmas give folks so much comfort. People are desperate to know for certain that things happen for a reason. Believing that you will see a loved one in Heaven is so much better than not knowing what is going to happen in the end.

What person who has grappled with quitting one job for another or leaving a dissatisfying relationship, hasn’t wished he could know the outcome of his decision before risking it all? It is often easier to suffer than to risk feeling worse. At least we are familiar with our pain. When we take risks we lose the certainty of the status-quo. We lose the comfort of familiarity.

But in the real world, we don’t have a crystal ball. And waiting doesn’t make things more certain. Living this life requires a large amount of guts–You must show courage in the face of uncertainty.

Lately, I have been taking a lot of risks with my career. Putting my experience and expertise on TV, radio and the Internet for the entire world to see is scary. How do I know if I will be sabotaging my entire reputation by becoming a media personality? They say, “Don’t fix it if it ain’t broken”. But they also say, “Without risks there are no rewards”.

I am passionate about helping others. It is one of the things that gives my life purpose. So I choose to be brave. And I would much rather regret having taken the risk and failed than being a coward who never tried at all.

Which regret would you prefer to live with?