Swimming Lessons

 Let me tell you a story.


Years ago, I was a swimmer. Not to brag, but for a little 12 year old kid I was pretty good. No Michael Phelps, but I was decent enough for coaches to push me harder than the others and tell me to join the swim team. It was pretty big deal back then, don't judge. Also, I beat all the boys. (Seeing the most popular guy in school punch the sand after getting second place is still one of the sweetest moments of my life.) My coach wanted me to keep going, but I was scared. Moving to a new swim team and while only knowing freestyle, how could I possibly do that? What if no one liked me? What if I was actually a bad swimmer and embarrassed myself in front of everyone?

All those thoughts now seem so dumb. You only know one stroke? Well, I'm sure they'll teach you the other ones. No one will like you? I'm sure at least one person will befriend the new girl. But you know, that didn't logically make sense in my head. Nope, those thoughts were the most terrifying possibilities that could ever happen. So what did I do? I quit.

My dad spent months/ years trying to get me back into the water and I wouldn't go. I still haven't  jumped in the pool other than for recreation since then. And that makes me so sad. I let all those 'what if's' turn into the biggest, what if I had kept going? I probably/most likely/most definitely wouldn't be an Olympic gold medalist or record setter, but I do sometimes think of all those people I didn't meet and the experiences I never had.

Now, I'm not one of those people who believes in continually beating yourself up over the past. There's nothing I can do about it now. And because I didn't swim, I was able to focus on piano, which has become one of the greatest joys in my life. I can think of nothing more peaceful than sitting down at the bench and letting those keys make music.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that I allowed myself to miss out on an opportunity because I was scared. And that is no reason to quit. You can be nervous, scared, downright terrified. But don't let that stop you. You never know what could happen. Maybe you'll become the next great athlete, or the next rockstar. But at the very least you tried and you learned. Failure is a verb, it requires action. When people say to me, "Well, that did not turn out how I was expecting," I think to myself, "Good for you. You failed-you tried." Don't let fear of failure keep you from taking those steps.

To end, let me leave you with one of my favorite sayings:

"Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars." - Les Brown

Go out, be happy, have fun, and don't be afraid to fail. You never know what could happen.