You'll Be Glad You Did

Sometimes taking that first step is the hardest part. When deciding whether or not to do something, it's easy to picture the worst-case scenario, you expect things to go all wrong, so you're hesitant to even give it a try. And then something or someone forces you to take the first step, or you muster up enough courage to jump... and you realize, "Hey, that wasn't so bad. In fact, I'm glad I did it."

I've felt that way about several experiences lately. It was really hard to get out of bed at 5:20am this week to go serve breakfast at the Blanchet House, but it ended up being one of the best mornings I've had there. Glad I got out of bed. I would have rather taken a nap this past Saturday afternoon instead of going for a long run, but once I started running I felt great and actually went further than I thought I could. Glad I put on my running shoes. Taking a red-eye flight to Texas tonight, then getting back to Portland at midnight on Monday night, and then going to work the next morning sounds draining, but seeing my family is going to be pretty great. Glad I booked that flight. Moving 2,000 miles away from home to a place where I only knew two people was a little daunting, but it was probably the best move I ever made. Glad I packed up and drove Northwest.

All that to say, I'm learning that some of the most rewarding life experiences could easily be missed just because we don't want to take the first step. But if you never take that step then you're just standing still.

Balance Beam Act
My boss loves this video and plays it as often as possible.  Francis Chan makes a great point...