I generally think of it in terms of opportunity cost. The opportunity cost of trying to do something is whatever time and resources you invest in it that could have been spent doing something else that you didn't really want to do. The opportunity cost of not doing it is giving up on your dreams and resigning yourself to an unfulfilling life. Hmmm... I could be a) doing something I didn't want to do or b) pursuing my dreams and goals. It's a no brainer, just get out there and do it!

People get tripped up when they start to think "maybe it's just stupid" or "what if I fail?" I don't get that mindset, and I never have. If I'm hungry and I want to eat dinner, am I going to stop myself because I might "fail" by tripping while I am getting some steaks out of the refrigerator? Am I going to think, "Hmm... maybe steaks are just stupid tonight." It's ludicrous, don't do that to yourself. You want, just go get it.

Additional tip, if you don't have friends that are generally supportive of you (unless you really are doing something stupid), get new friends.

Or stupidity. Because, let's face it, there are people on this planet who really are naturally stupid.

This is such a wonderfully poignant post. My favorite line?

"Don’t be someone who talks about what they want to do, be someone who does what they want to do."

I just did that (finally!) by launching my new 20-something community service and activism network, HandsIn.org

Thanks for the continued inspiration!

Great post! I agree. We are better than we think we are and the biggest obstacle to achieve our dreams is ourself!
I found that aside from the fear of failure, the fear of what the others will think about you can be a block to action. When you take risks and be bold, there is fear not to "fit in". When starting blogging, I realized that my biggest block was the fear of "what others will say". But it is by standing out that you become more authentic to yourself.

@Carla - Thanks for the comment (and spreading the word on Twitter). I think we are all our biggest critics. Like I said in my post, I think more times than not we over think an idea and talk ourselves out of it. We convince ourselves it's stupid or that it could never work before we even give it a try. It's all about being confident with yourself (as you said) and again - support from others really goes along way. When YOU believe in an idea, and others are behind you and supportive as well - it makes all the difference in the world.

@Nicole - Thanks! I'm glad the post hit home for you. And CONGRATS on launching HandsIn.org - I took a look at it, it looks awesome, I've bookmarked it and plan on being a repeat visitor! It means a lot that people can see my words as a source of inspiration. Keep doing what you do and let's connect through the blogosphere - just added 'More is Better' to my blogroll!

@Jimmy - It IS easier said than done, there is no doubt about that. There is nothing easy about trying something new and getting out of your comfort zone - I'm sure you have dealt with this over and over again as a comedian. I can only imagine the beatings and feelings of failure you took starting out - but when you nail it - when you really get the crowd going, it has to feel great. The same applies for anything else a person might be pursuing. Thanks for getting involved in the discussion.

@Nathalie - What others think about you is huge. Peoples perceived perception (say that three times fast) can really have an impact and keeps a lot of people from taking that leap of faith. Contrary to what people may tell you - we DO and SHOULD care what other people think - but it's also equally important to keep in mind that, in the end, what we think of ourselves is what really matters. Swim over to the deep end from time to time, jump off the high diving board, and take some risks - you may not be a good swimmer, but practice makes perfect and you won't drown - you can always doggy paddle your way back to the shallow end!

Matt - you blew it out of the park with this post. I love it.

You've both simultaneously convicted and inspired me. Not an easy thing to do.

You're a blogging rockstar - I am so happy to have seen you getting featured on here like crazy! Keep it up and sorry I don't comment as much as I should.

With the economy sputtering along as it is, now is a great time to overcome your fears and do as Matt suggests, "It all starts with an idea, and from there, shaking off the fear of failure and just doing it." When I start to doubt again, I'll re-read this. Great post Matt.

Matt, this post is really great and very inspirational. Brings up an important topic: you have to do what you love and follow your dreams, whether or not you feel fear. But you have to overcome that fear first in order to go for it. I always try to force myself to do things I'm afraid of. Whether it's moving to another country alone for the summer, or traveling in different countries alone, or forcing myself to speak in public. I always try to push myself to new boundaries. Because only by doing those exact things you're afraid of can you go anywhere new. It feels great too, knowing you can do these things. It's truly empowering and afterwards, you're left feeling more confident and strong.

But one thing I have to say: your skills still matter. I would say it's a bit silly to choose some pursuit in which you have NO SKILLS whatsoever. For instance if I suddenly decided to become a chemist, well that's great but I suck at chemistry so I probably wouldn't succeed even if it was my dream. Random example but it's important to make sure your dreams align with your skills, at least to some extent, since it makes succeeding a lot more plausible.