When you allow yourself to take on scary things, other doors start to open up for you. Perhaps that’s your reward for getting over the fear of the unknown. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to read one of my pieces called ‘Just go to Sleep’ on stage, surrounded by a small crowd chattering away.

As I met the other presenters, my nerves started to calm knowing that for most of us, this was our first time sharing our words, in turn sharing a part of ourselves, in front of an audience. I thought to myself, “If they could do this, I could do this.”

So I did. I was the first presenter to read. I took a deep breath and the words rushed through me. Seven and a half minutes went by like a swift breeze. As I looked out at the audience, I felt connected to them through sharing this sacred space and time together. I practiced and practiced memorizing my story so I wouldn’t forget the lines and thankfully I didn’t.

When I spoke the last sentence, “But still, I am one of the lucky ones,” I truly believed it. The audience celebrated with a round of applause as I soaked in the lessons I learned from taking on the scary parts of life. 

Scary won’t be Perfect

The reading wasn’t perfect. I could have taken longer pauses to let the emotions set in. I could have read slower to give emphasis on certain imagery. I could have done a lot of things differently. 

In the end, I needed to lean into the courage it took to get in front of people and share a story. It was my first time and the next one, and the next ones after that, would be better. Seeing my loved ones sitting right in front, supporting my creative endeavors was what got me through the performance. 

Scary is better than Hiding

Throughout a couple of weeks leading up to the event, all I wanted to do was find excuses not to do the thing I knew I needed to do. My body faced fight or flight mode. I wanted to run away from the unknown and fear as far as I could.

When I thought about getting on a stage to speak in front of strangers, my stomach turned with anxiety. I was challenging myself to get uncomfortable and it was too uncomfortable at times. 

Days before the performance, I wanted to type up an email to the organizer saying I couldn’t do it, something came up, I wasn’t ready. Anything to get out of what I said I would do. But I knew I would regret hiding more than showing up. I would regret letting other people down more than letting myself down. If things went wrong, at least I showed up no matter how messy it got. 

Scary Opens up Doors

Doing scary things open up other opportunities to do more scary things. After the performance, I met other creatives who were doing amazing work like organizing unique events, publishing their book, releasing podcasts, etc… The energy from being around like-minded individuals radiated from each of us. 

As the conversation unfolded, small connections and new collaborations formed. I have the opportunity to hold a local writing workshop for the color collective. I have the opportunity to talk to a published author and hear about his journey and learn from him. I have the opportunity to do more of what brings me joy and that’s what doing scary things did for me.

The post 3 Lessons from Taking on the Scary Parts of Life appeared first on Kim T. Nguyen.