Idiom meaning, usage examples, facts

1. When it came time to paint the living room, nobody knew where to start. Ben took the bull by the horns , chose a brush, and started painting, and everybody followed his lead.
2. You know what you want to do for a living, but you need to start working toward your goal. Don’t be afraid to take the bull by the horns and start applying for jobs.

Compare to: bite the bullet; face the music; grin and bear it. The expression take the bull by the horns does not suggest that the person is necessarily responsible for the difficult situation in the same way that to face the music does.