doing what you think you can’t

“You must do the things you think you cannot do.”

-Eleanor Roosevelt

And in doing them, you will find courage.

You will find amazement in the possibility of who you can be and all you are capable of.

You may be so moved that you feel tears or a powerful overcoming of awe and gratitude.

Maybe relief.

Maybe astonishment.

Maybe shock and disbelief at first.

(But believe. Believe, baby, because you did it!)

And if there was someone else at work to help you do that which you thought you could not do, if someone else pushed you over the finish line or got you started or coached you through the unimaginable, it’s a remarkable bond of human spirit and generosity. You have the gift of feeling someone else’s belief in you, someone else wanting to see you succeed, someone else helping you try. Humans need humans. We need connection. We need other people coming alongside us, helping us be less afraid, helping us step into who they know we can be, sometimes before we even realize it ourselves.

When you have the gift and offering of that support, say thank you. Accept it, don’t push it away. Lean into the discomfort of doing the thing you thought was impossible for you, because now you can do it with trust and bravery, knowing you are safe with them at your back. Two are better than one. You can move forward into your impossible with the hand of a friend or guide.

Be sure to say yes. Step into the moment where you are outside your comfort zone and preferred environment. Step into the moment when you grow. Do what you are afraid to do.

P.S. Related reading: doing the hard things.