Dare to Be Bad At Something New
There are some things I've been doing for so long that I've forgotten what the early days of struggling through newness feels like. I was a painter for many years for our family business (and eventually my own), and I recall dropping a 5 gallon bucket of paint on newly installed carpet early on. The lesson was in the fact that I hadn't set up a drop-sheet before getting to work, but should have.
I clearly didn't start off as awesome at something I'd be considered a master at now, according to Seth Godin's 10,000 Hour Rule. I started off mediocre but was willing to learn, and I'm thankful I persevered because that skill has opened countless doors for me through the years.
This summer I dared to be bad at a few new things, one of which is vegetable gardening, because… WHAT IF? What if it was fun? What if I turned out to be good at it? What if it could serve me or others down the road? I had the time and space to flex on a garden, and a local mentor, so I'd have been foolish not to. Do I succeed each time I plant something new? Not by far. I've planted rows too close together. I've washed entire rows of carrot seeds away. My tomato plants no longer have leaves and will stop producing soon. My strawberries have been hijacked by a gang of greedy chickens, etc.
All 'fails' considered... Living in bare feet, hauling around a BB gun to protect myself from a raging rooster, and incorporating a number of organic foods I've grown into my daily menu has been so incredibly worth the toil! Sometimes I wonder how different this season would be if I hadn't had the guts to commit and invest time, energy, and resources into my plot back in the spring, and every day since. I'd have also missed out on hours of garden therapy, gorgeous sunflowers, and quality time with friends and family spent working together.
Let's put down our comfortable fears, and cozy bad habits, and make courage a virtue worthy of pursuit again! We have nothing to lose but the knowledge that we are infinitely more capable than we give ourselves credit for.
What have you being waiting to try, learn, or grow in? I dare you to get on it ;)
