Today I did something I didn’t think I could do.
A couple of days ago a friend invited me to a hard workout. My first thought was simple: “There’s no way I can do this.”
At first, I said no. Then another thought appeared.
“Do the things you’re afraid of.”
It’s a sentence I’ve been trying to live by recently. Not because life should always be uncomfortable, but because almost every meaningful thing I’ve done has started with a little fear.
So I went. And yes it was tough. But not as tough as I expected it to be. In the end i even managed to outperform my friend, but that was not the part that stayed with me. What got to me was his reaction. He smiled. He congratulated me and said I was absolutely on fire! No jealousy, no frustration, no need for him to prove anything.
As I’m writing this, I wonder. If the roles were reversed, how would I have reacted. A year or two ago, I think losing, not being on top would have bothered me and I would be frustrated. Today, I don’t think it would. Because I realized the real victory was not at the end of the workout. But showing up for something that originaly scared me. Whether I finished first or last suddenly felt less important than the fact that I had done something I was genuinely afraid of.
Maybe that’s what growth feels like.
Maybe growth isn’t about becoming fearless. Maybe it’s about doing the things that matter, even while you’re afraid.
– L