How Saying “Yes” One Time This Year Could Change Your Life

Photo by bruce mars on Unsplash

For the first part of my life, I was a couch potato and a wuss. Then I said “yes” to an invitation that took me way beyond my comfort zone and my whole life changed.

Being A Wuss Was Really Comfortable

As a child, I walked a lot, mainly because my family didn’t own a car. But it never occurred to me to play on a sports team. In fact, I spent grade school recess hiding from dodge ball.

In high school, I found dozens of reasons to skip gym class. We were learning the rudiments of basketball; since I would run every time the ball came my way, I had little to contribute to the team effort.

Choosing teams? I wasn’t chosen last. I wasn’t chosen, period. I never left the sidelines.

Years later, at a reunion, a female classmate told me she’d played intramural volleyball. I had no idea we even had intramurals, let alone volleyball.

Somewhere along the way, I picked up the idea that I was doomed to fail in all things physical. I took for granted that I couldn’t hit a softball. “Uncoordinated” was part of my identity.

“There’s no way I’m gonna be able to do this.”