Showing up

Someone I know and admire recently stepped into an arena that he is not an expert in and decided to participate despite his lack of training.

Did he perform well despite this lack of training? No. But he stuck with it and he participated until the end of the event. Did he receive some flak the next day? Yes. Was he tempted to not show up again because of this criticism? Yes. 

But you know what? He showed up at the next opportunity, looking for the chance for self-improvement. 

This takes resiliency, and I admire that. It’s harder to keep showing up if you’re not good at something. 

Someone else I also admire recently told me something when I shared this anecdote with her. She said, Life is not about winning, but about showing up. 

Amen. 

This got me thinking about my book. I definitely wasn’t the best writer in the group when I started. In fact, I perhaps was the one with the least writing experience. But you know what? I kept showing up, and I kept trying. 

Don’t forget to surround yourself with people who build you up, especially when you’re willing to take a risk and show up in a vulnerable space.