I was surprised to find this memory on my Facebook feed today.
I called into the radio station to say, “BOOKKEEPER!” I have a knack for remembering useless information and this time it came in handy. I can’t remember most of I won–except I do remember getting a plastic chest that would teach me how do CPR.
We had a short 2 minute conversation–I had pulled off the side of the road and answered her questions with the first blithering thing that came into my brain.
The announcer recorded this short conversation with me during commercial break and then I listened to it a few minutes later when I went back on the road. I was HORRIFiED at how silly I sounded.
I knew at that moment that I would never call into a radio station again.
And I don’t know that I ever have.
But…
Now radio calls me.
Every week. In a turn of events I wouldn’t have thought possible at the time, I started doing occasional radio interviews a couple of years after this comment. Then Dahlia Kurtz asked me to be on with her weekly.
Again, I was horrified.
It seemed like a weekly nightmare. But I said yes–because I talk with courageous people every week who do hard things. I could do no less.And now, I still do media interviews, at least weekly. Sometimes I have 2 or 3 interviews in a week.
Clearly, I underestimated myself.
I believed that if you put a microphone on me that would go out into the airwaves, I lost the ability to speak in full sentences.
That was a limiting belief that I lived out of 10 years ago.
It wasn’t true.
Makes me wonder how often I decide I cannot do something. It’s beyond me. I’m incapable. I could never. What would people think? How badly would it go? Why would I risk it?
You too sometimes?
What have you talked yourself out of? How are you keeping your life small–because you know you can’t do something–even though you’ve never actually tried it?
Some of you might be putting off a brave conversation with your spouse about how lonely you are; how much you long for more closeness.
Some of you are wondering about that job opening and wondering about taking a leap into something new. But you can talk yourself out of it–it’s a pandemic, after all! How could you apply for something new in a pandemic!?
Maybe you’re thinking about starting a new exercise program online. Yoga. High Intensity Low Impact Interval Training. Zumba. But you’re not sure if you’d make it all the way through–so what? Why not give it a shot.
Maybe you’d be interested in water colour painting, but you can’t be bothered to pick up the supplies and follow the youtube videos readily available. You talk yourself out of it–because you don’t think you’d be very good at it. Let me just say–you won’t be! Only rare prodigies are good at stuff like this out of the gate. You may never have your work in an art gallery–but does it really matter if you’re having fun?
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take
Wayne Gretzky (apparently, or someone else. There’s debate. Whoever it was–good point!)
Some of you might think you can’t do something. You won’t finish. You won’t be good at it. You talk yourself out of being able to do it before you start.
But you might just surprise yourself.
If you’re thinking about giving something a shot–go for it.
Yes–even now. Even in the middle of a pandemic. Give it a go. Give yourself a shot of adrenaline as you take the plunge; make the leap; shoot for the stars.
Feel fully alive by giving yourself the shot at something that would be good for your spirit, even if it terrifies. you. Don’t count yourself out!
You never know how it will turn out! You may be underestimating yourself. The you of 10 years from now may surprise the you that you are today!
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