There comes a point in adulthood where we develop a fear of falling. It is perhaps related to a fear of failure. But the fear of falling is much more debilitating. We worry about getting hurt. We worry about looking foolish. For fear of developing a blister later maybe, we stay on the high and dry ground. For fear of looking foolish in the water, we relegate ourselves to the sidelines of a pool deck.
But we all have to start somewhere. And how you look when you start something new, that is exactly how it’s supposed to look. It’s not supposed to be pretty. And that is the point. You’re learning. And that’s an incredible thing. The older we get, the less grace we give ourselves to figure things out as we go. We instantly look to find a coach, review film, and regression analyze the heck out of every minute of our new endeavors.
And in the process, we lose sight of the beauty of trying something new. We suck the fun right out of it. We have forgotten how amazing it is to try something we’ve never done before. We have forgotten the intoxicating mystery of new adventure.
So no matter how old you are, I say, try something new. Fall on your face. Look foolish in front of your kids, and in front of your friends, and in front of complete strangers. And have the best summer of your life!
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