i think i can

i've spent a good portion of my life avoiding things that scare me. always sticking with what is safe, and with what i know; lacking confidence to try anything new. self confidence can get you far in this world. A confident individual can often outcompete the more fit, knowledgeable, skilled competitor.

recently, i decided to conquer a fear of mtn biking. i honestly, deep down, never thought that it would be something that i could ever do. tonight, i was out with the ladies for our monday night spin. I was on the back as usual, however the ride was going well for me AND i even was getting through things that I couldn't do last week.

At one point in the ride, a fairly short, steep (in my world) descent came up. naturally i hit the brakes. a woman who i was riding with came back and said "you will go down this hill". It was inspiring. You will. No question mark involved.

Will implied the I obviously could and would. I approached the first attempt with extreme hesitation and failed miserably as as i braked and unclipped as soon as i started. However, my second attempt, I clipped in, committed and told myself i could do it (instead of wondering). And I did.

A confidence boost like that was just what I needed today. I did something that I was told in the past that I could never do. and it was great.

riding a bicycle is a beautiful thing. but even more powerful is believing in yourself.