“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
Oddly enough, I am a very quiet person. I sometimes don't like to be around large groups of people and when I am, I'm not always the most outgoing person. When people ask me questions I am always more than happy to engage them and answer, but I don't naturally seek out conversations with everyone in the room. I don't like speaking in front of people because I frequently feel uncomfortable and inadequate. I force myself to succeed in these situations, but it's not always easy.
BUT, I AM A COLLEGE BASKETBALL COACH.
The profession I am called to serve in requires me to do a lot of things that, naturally, I do not like to do. I need to engage people in conversations and sincerely show interest in who they are as a person. Speaking in front of people on a daily basis will be necessary and they will expect me to be an expert in everything I am talking about. It's always intimidating to perform outside of my comfort zone, but I'm thankful for these opportunities to face my fears. Although these things aren't natural for me, I always remind myself to thrive in these uncomfortable situations. When these moments arise, I try to keep in mind these three absolutes:
I AM NOT PERFECT
I always need to remind myself that I'm not perfect and I will make mistakes. If I am fearful of making mistakes I will never grow. Instead, I need to embrace my faults and failures and use them ignite a greater passion for what I do. My motives need to be directed towards doing MY best, not trying please everyone else.
I CAN INSPIRE OTHERS
I'm inspired by imperfect people. When I see someone overcome their mistakes and make something out of nothing, it inspires me to do the same. By getting out of my comfort zone and doing something that I never thought I could do, I can have the same impact of inspiring others and changing their lives. When I decide to make a difference is when success will find me.
I WILL LEARN MORE BY DOING
The best way to learn is to teach, by doing. When I make myself do hard things I gain valuable experience that I couldn't learn any other way. I can watch videos, read books, and write articles all day long, but until I actually put what I've learned into action I won't get very far. Getting out of my comfort zone is necessary if I want to be great.