It is a choice to love. For some, that choice may be as easy as choosing a pair of heels for your night out, or that perfect tie for the big interview. But for some of us over-thinkers it leads to worst case scenarios and sleepless nights. That perfectly sturdy wall you built around your heart took a great deal of time to build, and the thought of someone tearing that down is a scary one. Now I’m not saying to let someone come in like a wrecking ball, but these quotes just may make you want to drop your guard.

1. “The universe has no restrictions. You place restrictions on the universe with your expectations.” —Deepak Chopra

2. “If there’s even a slight chance of getting something that will make you happy, risk it. Life’s too short, and happiness is too rare.” —Unknown

3. “I wondered about the explorers who’d sailed their ships to the end of the world. How terrified they must have been when they risked falling over the edge; how amazed to discover, instead, places they had only seen in their dreams.” —Jodi Picoult

4. “I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don’t intend to waste any of mine.” —Neil Armstrong

5. “There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it.” —Judith McNaught

6. “If it’s both terrifying and amazing you should definitely pursue it.” —Erada

7. “The danger of venturing into uncharted waters is not nearly as dangerous as staying on shore, waiting for your boat to come in.” —Charles F. Glassman

8. “Do you want me to tell you something really subversive? Love is everything it’s cracked up to be. That’s why people are so cynical about it. It really is worth fighting for, being brave for, risking everything for. And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more.” —Erica Jong

9. “Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage.” —Brené Brown

10. “It’s better to know and be disappointed, than to never know and always wonder.” —Unknown

11. “I believe that once you find love you have to hold onto it, and cherish it. Because there is nothing finer, and it may never come again.” —Mr. Feeny

12. “If you wish to be a warrior prepare to be broken, if you wish to be an explorer prepare to get lost, and if you wish to be a lover prepare to be both.” —Daniel Saint

13. “Maybe there’s something you’re afraid to say, or someone you’re afraid to love, or somewhere you’re afraid to go. It’s gonna hurt. It’s gonna hurt because it matters.” —John Green

14. “When you find someone that makes your heart skip a beat, stop the search and take the risk.” —Unknown

15. “You can’t find intimacy- you can’t find home- when you’re always hiding behind masks. Intimacy requires a certain level of vulnerability. It requires a certain level of exposing your fragmented, contradictory self to someone else. You running the risk of having your core self rejected and hurt and misunderstood.” —Junot Diaz

16. “There is no intensity of love or feeling that does not involve the risk of crippling hurt. It is a duty to take this risk, to love and feel without defense or reserve.” —William S. Burroughs

17. “If you love deeply, you’re going to get hurt badly. But it’s still worth it.” —C.S. Lewis