How to be Daring Even When You're Not

If you know me at all, you probably understand that I’m not a very adventurous person...unlike some of my friends. I know at least one person who wants to go backpacking across Europe, one who wants to move to Los Angeles just for the fun of it, and one who recently moved 700 miles from home by herself to start her career in the medical field. 

Me? Well, give me some books, my cozy writing desk, and some trail mix and I’m good to go. The past few months have held some adventures—in my estimation, at least—including writing a book, getting involved in a new church, and even a weekend in downtown Chicago. Okay, so it’s not backpacking across Europe, but for this homebody, it’s nearly the same. 

But I’m usually willing to try something new. Like last fall when I jumped on my bike and went for 33 miles in a local trail ride...that was a first! But I loved it, and now I’m just waiting for spring to get here so I can get back on my bike. (What? You mean spring has been here for a month? Don’t tell Michigan!)

I used to go shopping with a dear sweet lady every week when I lived in Pennsylvania. She was definitely more adventurous than me, and would pull things off the rack that I would never even consider. She would say, “You’ll never know unless you try it on!”

My last post discussed the idea of self-discovery or learning about yourself. I told you about the event I took part in called Teens Involved. Many students who come to Teens Involved come with something new they’ve tried learning. Some have been working diligently on a particular skill for several years, but the beauty of T.I. is that it includes students who are advanced and those who are just beginning. T.I. gives students the opportunity to try and learn something new. 

Now that they’ve learned a new skill, they can either decide to keep playing with it, or set it down for a while. They might pick it back up later, but at least they know they have options. As they continue to discover things about themselves, the more things they try, the more they will know what they’re good at, what they’re not good at, and where their passions lie. They’re following Socrates’ advice, “know thyself.”

Trying new things is a catalyst for knowing yourself. And knowing yourself is essential to successful careers and relationships. 

So here’s the big question: When was the last time you tried something new? 

Is there something you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t know if you would be any good at it? You’ll never know unless you try it on!