Say Yes More Often
In direct contrast to the last post, I'm going to discuss saying "yes" to things more often.
This last year was big for me, I did a lot of new things. I learned how to snowboard in January, learned how to scuba dive in March, got married and left the country for the first time as an adult in June, went on my first mountain trail ride on a horse in July, and started rock climbing in November! Each of these new activities taught me a lesson that I needed in life and has helped me further my abilities in each of them. That lesson is to say yes to new things and to keep pushing, even when you don't feel that you're good enough.
The first step is to say "YES" more often. If someone asks you to try something new, be brave and say "yes"! You may not fall in love with the activity but each new thing you try will come with its own new experience and life lessons. When I first joined the scuba diving class, it was really for my now-husband. I wasn't that into it, but I wanted us to have something we really enjoyed to do together, plus we were planning to go to one of the diving capitals of the world for our honeymoon! So, I said "yes", showed up to the class, did the work, and didn't really enjoy it until we got to the ocean. Here in Utah there's not a lot to see in lake diving and it's really cold, but in 90-degree water with sea turtles all over, I learned what diving can be! If I had said no, I would never have gotten to swim with wild sea turtles or see wild stingrays.
The second step is to keep pushing. Trying new things will always be difficult, and unfortunately, we can't often just start something and be pros at it. The first time will be the hardest, you're just learning and really won't know what you're doing. The second time should be a bit easier, and by the third, you'll often have a pretty solid opinion on whether or not you like the activity. When I first started snowboarding, I couldn't even stand. About mid-way down the Bunny Hill, I was so upset with myself I almost had a breakdown. I didn't want to move, I wanted ski patrol to come get me on their snowmobile, and I wanted to go home. But I told myself I'd come this far, so I kept pushing and eventually made it down the hill. I was so proud of myself for making it, that I went again... and again... and again! If I had said no when my friends asked me to go with them, I would never have experienced a sport that I've completely fallen in love with.
Ultimately, we all start somewhere, so you have to remember that you're not going to be as good right off the bat as people who have been doing it for years. With each new thing you try, you'll find that every person is at their own point in the journey. If you just started managing your stress, you're not going to be as zen as a monk. If you've been working on physical training for a few years, you're going to have already seen some serious changes and know that progress is slow but constant. If you are a pro at one thing, you'll know that you likely won't be very good at something new. No matter where you're at in this, it's important to just try. Just say "yes" and dive right in. You can do it!
This last year was big for me, I did a lot of new things. I learned how to snowboard in January, learned how to scuba dive in March, got married and left the country for the first time as an adult in June, went on my first mountain trail ride on a horse in July, and started rock climbing in November! Each of these new activities taught me a lesson that I needed in life and has helped me further my abilities in each of them. That lesson is to say yes to new things and to keep pushing, even when you don't feel that you're good enough.
The first step is to say "YES" more often. If someone asks you to try something new, be brave and say "yes"! You may not fall in love with the activity but each new thing you try will come with its own new experience and life lessons. When I first joined the scuba diving class, it was really for my now-husband. I wasn't that into it, but I wanted us to have something we really enjoyed to do together, plus we were planning to go to one of the diving capitals of the world for our honeymoon! So, I said "yes", showed up to the class, did the work, and didn't really enjoy it until we got to the ocean. Here in Utah there's not a lot to see in lake diving and it's really cold, but in 90-degree water with sea turtles all over, I learned what diving can be! If I had said no, I would never have gotten to swim with wild sea turtles or see wild stingrays.
The second step is to keep pushing. Trying new things will always be difficult, and unfortunately, we can't often just start something and be pros at it. The first time will be the hardest, you're just learning and really won't know what you're doing. The second time should be a bit easier, and by the third, you'll often have a pretty solid opinion on whether or not you like the activity. When I first started snowboarding, I couldn't even stand. About mid-way down the Bunny Hill, I was so upset with myself I almost had a breakdown. I didn't want to move, I wanted ski patrol to come get me on their snowmobile, and I wanted to go home. But I told myself I'd come this far, so I kept pushing and eventually made it down the hill. I was so proud of myself for making it, that I went again... and again... and again! If I had said no when my friends asked me to go with them, I would never have experienced a sport that I've completely fallen in love with.
Ultimately, we all start somewhere, so you have to remember that you're not going to be as good right off the bat as people who have been doing it for years. With each new thing you try, you'll find that every person is at their own point in the journey. If you just started managing your stress, you're not going to be as zen as a monk. If you've been working on physical training for a few years, you're going to have already seen some serious changes and know that progress is slow but constant. If you are a pro at one thing, you'll know that you likely won't be very good at something new. No matter where you're at in this, it's important to just try. Just say "yes" and dive right in. You can do it!
Comments
Post a Comment