Where the magic happens

Seeing as it's Valentine's Day, I gotta say - man, am I in love.  Shift it back, people, I didn't meet Mr. Marvelous, or score a new "back massager" or anything. This is a different vibe.Last night, while knee-deep in getting caught up with one of my favorite shows right now (Girls, HBO) this piece of artwork hit me - BAM! - right in the heart. Let's call it Cupid's Motivational Arrow.I already want to give Lena Dunham a sloppy kiss on the mouth for showering us with her brilliance (she writes, produces and directs Girls), but after seeing this last night, I'd like to send her a dozen long stem roses with a card that reads: THANKS FOR THE REMINDER.Is there anything more inspiring than realizing our greatest accomplishments are a direct result of facing our biggest fears? I mean, that's what makes us so afraid, right -the fear of failure? But here's a thought - what if we succeed?Nothing worth fighting for isn't above working our asses off. Our dreams deserve our attention and every ounce of passion coursing through our veins. I know. It's all so cliché. We've heard it a millions times: "If it were easy, everyone would do it". It's funny how quickly we forget.Here's the thing. Even if we fail, we've made it farther than we would have if we sat around with our thumbs up our asses (but if that's your thing, knock yourself out). Just by trying - by following our dreams - we win. Maybe not what we set out to do, but there's a gem hidden inside each failure (you'll see it once you brush away your ego).So even if I'm not celebrating romantic love today, thanks to that silly little visual last night, I'm reunited with a part of my heart that needed my attention. In believing in myself, knowing I'm worth the risk of daring greatly - I'm circling back to a kind of love that can't be measured with kisses or candy.

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Here's the part where you tell me - have you stepped outside your comfort zone lately? Tell us your story in the comments.