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" WD&amp;#039;s new columnist, Katie Couric, knows that change can be scary. But a simple mantra gives her the courage to try new things. Recently I was chatting with a friend about how busy I&amp;#039;ve been preparing for my new talk show, Katie. &amp;quot;Why not enjoy your life?&amp;quot; she asked. &amp;quot;A lot of women your age and in your position might just retire and move to the south of France.&amp;quot; She was halfway kidding, but I&amp;#039;m not ready for retirement jokes yet. After 30 years in broadcast journalism, it&amp;#039;s now time to ride off into the sunset and live out my golden years? Seriously? I knew what she was getting at, though. I&amp;#039;ve been lucky enough to have a great career, so why risk putting myself out there again? Why not just, well, sleep in? Maybe it&amp;#039;s because I think of myself as way too young to stop doing something I love. While many people might welcome not having to head to an office, for me, working is my definition of &amp;quot;enjoying life.&amp;quot; Most of the time, I feel like a 27-year-old in a 55-year-old&amp;#039;s body. But the bigger reason is this: There is so much else I want to do. At this point in my life, I have more experience, perspective and wisdom than ever, and I&amp;#039;m still insatiably curious about the world. When I was considering the move to anchor the CBS Evening News after anchoring the Today Show for so many years, a friend wrote me a note that included this quote from author John A. Shedd: &amp;quot;A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.&amp;quot; Leaving my comfort zone\u2014a familiar setting, great friends and a job I still loved\u2014was unnerving. Suddenly I was among new coworkers, at a network with a different culture, doing a job a woman had never done alone. It was terrifying, but it was also incredibly exciting. Have you ever noticed that those two feelings often go hand in hand? Over and over again, I&amp;#039;ve found that the times I&amp;#039;ve felt the most alive happen when I&amp;#039;m a little bit afraid. That fear is what energizes me. It&amp;#039;s the signal that I&amp;#039;m pushing my boundaries and redefining myself. Is it easier to stick to the status quo\u2014to not run that first 5K, to not go on that first date, to not start that business you&amp;#039;ve always secretly dreamed of creating\u2014because you&amp;#039;re anxious about failing? Definitely. But saying yes to new opportunities gives you the chance to surprise yourself and to find out what you&amp;#039;re made of. A friend once told me that her father always pushed her by asking one question: &amp;quot;What&amp;#039;s the worst that can happen?&amp;quot; You&amp;#039;re rejected? Someone says no? At least you&amp;#039;ll know that you didn&amp;#039;t let fear get in your way. The next time you&amp;#039;re considering making a leap and putting yourself out there, I hope you will ask yourself that same question: What&amp;#039;s the worst that can happen? You won&amp;#039;t be alone. There are a few things happening in my life right now that are making me a little scared, including growing older and facing an empty nest when my youngest daughter heads to college in a few years. Oh, and sometime this fall, I&amp;#039;m supposed to max out at 190 mph on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a segment on Katie. As for this last adventure, my thought is: What&amp;#039;s the worst that could happen? I&amp;#039;ll embarrass myself by being too chicken to drive over 35 mph? I&amp;#039;ll take my chances. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/wellness/a6684/katie-couric-on-fear/>