What first day back nerves and the gym have in common

I don’t know about you, but anytime I do something new, or for the very first time, I’m instantly transported back to that feeling of going to school.

That sick feeling in the pit of your stomach… the “what ifs”… the apprehension of the unknown.

I remember what my parents would say when I dreaded the first day back:
“It might not be as scary as it seems.”
“You won’t know unless you try.”
“It’s ok to feel nervous, you can do it and still feel nervous.”
“Nerves are normal.”
“You can do hard things.”

Now, change the word school to gym and for many people, the feelings are exactly the same.

So, let me remind you:
It might not be as scary as it seems.
Nerves are normal, it’s ok to start something new.
You won’t know unless you try.
You can do it, even if you feel nervous.
You can do hard things.

And when I look back… was anything ever as scary as I thought it would be? Probably not. Did that stop me from feeling nervous? Absolutely not. But some of the things I’ve felt the most nervous about have turned out to be the best things I’ve ever done.

So this week, be as brave as the kids going back to school.

- Jas