How often has fear or worry of embarrassment stopped you from doing something or trying something new? It has certainly held me back in the past, too! When we let these emotions stop us, we often miss out on what may be something fun or great or both!
This week, I put fear of embarrassment and feelings of “I’m not going to be any good at this” aside and tried two new things. The first was tennis. To be fair – I had taken beginner tennis lessons some 15 years ago but had not touched a racket since. I wasn’t sure I even remembered the rules of the game let alone the skills needed.
Having a racquet in my hand and standing on the court waiting for the first serve was intimidating! But I made contact with the ball and over the net it went. Some swings and contacts were better than others. As our play continued, I noticed improvements in myself. As my confidence went up, I noticed improvements, too. And I had fun! Truly, I had more fun than I expected. I doubt you’ll see me playing Serena or Venus any time soon but you will see me on the court again soon. I am so glad I did not let my fears hold me back from an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon with my boyfriend, being outside and getting exercise.
Challenge number 2 this week – hip hop dance class. Oh boy – this one was WAY out of my comfort zone. But it was a gift to my boyfriend and something fun I thought we could do together. I think we were both rather apprehensive walking into the dance studio. Our instructor could not have been more encouraging and took the time to break down each movement. The choreography was challenging and at a fast tempo. We laughed pretty much the entire hour. It can be refreshing to stop worrying about how you look and what others will think … and just be and participate. We vowed we’d be back and would work on our steps until the next week.
When I think about what else we could have done with this time … maybe watch a movie? I am so glad we pushed ourselves out of our comfort zone, tried something new, accepted we may not be the best and didn’t allow that to hold us back. The enjoyment and reward of trying these new things put a smile on my face for quite some time. We did something healthy and created memories that will last. We have moments that we’ll continue to laugh about and we can feel pride in our efforts.
Next time I am presented with something new and out of my comfort zone – I’ll be even more ready to say yes and give it a try! What have you been holding back from trying? What is holding you back? Go for it!
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