Is it Falling Down or Flying?

Leap, and a net will appear

Image from the blog vickywattvoice

A few years back, I came across this saying that said "Leap, and a net will appear." That thought has been on my mind for a while now. For several weeks now, I have been moving in a glacier-like pace, in an effort to fix the mistakes of the past months. Now, more than ever, I am terrified of moving forward - doing so unquestioningly has on more than one occasion bitten me in the ass. Now, 2 months have passed since my biggest failure to date, and I cannot seem to identify what path is in effect the one that moves me forward.

When does brushing yourself off and getting back up make sense, and when does abandoning your course and running in the opposite direction save you? I don't know which I am doing at the moment, or if I am at all doing one or doing both.

I wish I could say that one option is braver than the other, but I must admit that fear is a huge motivating factor for either. I am fearful of blazing a new trail because I fear I might end up failing so badly that I ruin my dream forever; yet I am fearful of choosing the safer path because with each step I take my dream seems to die with it. I wonder if there is any instance when the feeling of fear is a good thing, like the feeling you get when you're about to touch something hot and you know you'll end up getting burned. 

I feel so much like I am running out of time, and yet, because of my hesitation with each day that passes I lose another day I could have otherwise spent devoted to my passion. 

I still don't know that my passion is, but I wish I could be fearless in my pursuit of it.