Life is full of opportunities, but one major obstacle we often face is fear and doubt. You might catch yourself thinking, “What if it doesn’t work out?” or “Can I even do this?” It’s common to wonder, “Am I just wasting my time?” I’ve learned that you’ll never find the answers to these questions until you take that leap of faith and try.

Consider this: “What’s the worst that could happen?” If the worst outcome isn’t death, then my friend, it’s worth taking a shot. Approach each new experience as a chance to learn rather than setting unrealistic expectations for immediate success. With a mindset of, “Let me give this a try and see how it goes,” you’ll likely find yourself feeling more relaxed and enjoying the journey.

A Personal Experience: Overcoming Doubts in Street Photography

Let me share a personal story. Aside from tech and software engineering, I have a passion for photography. About two months ago, I developed an interest in street photography, facinated by the art of capturing buildings, skylines, and candid moments. I wanted to try it but felt scared and filled with doubt. Questions flooded my mind: “Can I really approach people randomly?” “What if they say no?” “Will I look like a weirdo?” As an introvert, these fears were expected.

Then one day, I decided to confront my fears: “What’s the worst that could happen? No one will kill me for asking to take their picture.” The next day, I took my camera to school, approached strangers, and captured some fantastic portraits. I ended up meeting new people and having amazing conversations that I never would have experienced if I had stayed home, asking myself, “Can I really do this?”

Street photograpgy pictures from that day.

Taking the Leap: Trying New Things

There are countless things you might want to do, whether it’s content creation, working on complex projects, or networking with others. Whatever it is, ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen if I try this today or do it for a month?” Again, if the answer is not death, I see no reason not to attempt it. Go ahead, give it a try, and expect nothing. Treat it as a learning experience; this mindset could help you discover your purpose in life.

I’ve encountered many situations where this mindset has unveiled parts of myself I never knew existed. It’s a simple yet powerful way to approach new challenges.

Learning from My Journey: Building Scriblo 

There’s something else I want to add about my journey as a software developer. One of the projects I took on is Scriblo, the app you’re reading this article on. When I first had the idea, my initial thought was, “Can I do this?” I struggled with this question for days, analyzing every possible scenario where the app could fail. Doing that was discouraging because each outcome I imagined didn’t look promising.

I realized that my initial goal was to create something similar to medium.com and hoped to someday compete with it. Truthfully, I came to terms with the fact that I might never achieve that goal. Instead of aiming to overthrow Medium, I shifted my focus to studying its architecture and aimed to develop something similar without the pressure of being the next big thing. I told myself to learn from the experience and not to expect much, I didn't even expect to have 10 users but as of the time of writing this article, we currently have 270 users and about 50 active monthly users. This journey has shown me that embracing fear and taking risks can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.

Final Thoughts

Fear and doubt are common barriers we all face, but they don’t have to hold us back. By shifting our mindset to view new experiences as learning opportunities, we can unlock potential we didn’t know we had. So, the next time you find yourself hesitating, remember: as long as the worst outcome isn’t death, go ahead and take that shot. You never know what incredible experiences await you on the other side of fear.