Say yes. Do the thing.

How often do you say yes to something before you know all the details? Are you one of those people who gets upset when plans change? When things don’t go your way?

I never used to care very much about if I thought I could do something. I figured I would figure it out eventually or just be really bad at it. Better than not trying at all, right?

Sometimes this mentality has gotten me into trouble. Do I have to go into the details? I don’t want to go into the details. But let’s just say not thinking things through … what could go wrong, right? Thankfully I’ve grown a lot and am a little better at recognizing when things are just a bad idea in general.

But I still am pretty good at biting off more than I can chew, hoping that I’ll grow into it. Sprint was something I wanted to grow into. I have been pretty good at regular exercise and training. But when you get up in front of people, it’s not your struggle anymore. All of a sudden, you’re speaking to everyone else’s struggle. Sure, maybe a little bit of yourself as well. Maybe you’re not explaining the training or form correctly. Maybe you’re not saying the right motivational cues.

You have to be able to see it from a different point of view, to try new things, to listen and apply feedback, something I’ve never really been good at. It’s so eye-opening when you try it and it clicks, though. We don’t all have the same experiences to pull from, so maybe it makes sense to you but not to them.

And so it finally makes sense to me when people say they see potential in you. You can be bad at something, but you are ready and willing to grow — that’s what makes the difference. And with training, you could … maybe still be terrible, there’s no guarantee!

At least you find out, though. Don’t be afraid of failure.

I guess that was a lot of words to say that I feel very much like that person who said yes without knowing the details to a lot of things happening in my life. And it piggy backs off the uncertainty surrounding coronavirus — are you looking forward to doing something, finding new ways to make it work, discovering new things about yourself and those you love?

I’ve had to be incredibly nimble at my job for these last few weeks. A full transition to working at home, getting comfortable with things that are very odd to me (video meetings! so weird!) and hitting overdrive to keep up with the demands that all the change is creating. I am so incredibly impressed at our organization, though, for keeping it all together, crushing it day-in and day-out with all of the serious craziness going on. If you would’ve outlined this for me 3 months ago, I would’ve said there’s no way I could keep up. But I’m doing it, we are all doing it, and that’s so, so amazing.

I don’t know if Bike MS will still happen in August. I also have another (secret, for now) adventure that I am hoping to be part of. I said yes, though, and it’s a tough one. It’s nice to know someone has my back if I fail, nothing will get ruined, but still, I don’t want to fail!

I get to sit with that uncertainty. It’s uncomfortable. It’s how we all feel right now, just waiting, waiting, waiting … What if things don’t go back to normal for a long time? What if things never really go back to normal?

Well, I promise you, whatever happens, try to see it from another point of view. Try to find new opportunities. Try to get excited about something even if you don’t know it’ll work out. And try something, even if you don’t know that you can.

And on that note, surround yourself with people who believe in you, and see the potential in you, because it’s very likely that they are going to give you a hand when you need it.

And always be wary of those who think it’s a competition. Amazing things happen when you work together.