It’s Never too Late to Learn Something New

I have a really hard time learning new things. I don’t mean like learning new information because that’s fascinating to me; I mean learning new skills. I hit a point in my life where I figured I had mastered every skill I would be good at and it wasn’t worth putting in the work to learn something new that I might not like. In the same way, I’m not particularly interested in pushing myself to do something that might put me in the position of being uncomfortable. I know, I’m a real gem!

Oh how I admire the people who pick up snowboarding one day and scuba diving the next; who make their own Kombucha, and DIY their own kitchens. Nope! I’ll leave that to the Shaun Whites and Martha Stewarts of the world.

And yet, here I am…

A year ago this last weekend, I strolled through a Christmas craft fair with my sister-in-law. I would never have guessed that within a year I would be on the opposite side the table at a craft fair. I am anything but a salesman by nature and it made me almost sick to think about putting my handmade product out there for the world to potentially reject. But this has been a huge year of growth for me in so many ways. I’ve discovered so much about myself, not the least of which is that I actually enjoy creating and selling my artwork.

Since I opened my Etsy shop and started blogging back in February, I have learned so much. There was so much more of a learning curve than I would have predicted and I’ve hit more roadblocks than I’d like to admit, but when I think about what I knew at the beginning, I’ve come a long way.

I don’t say all this to brag, because I’m miles from where I would like to be, but I say it to encourage anyone out there who is holding back. Anyone who might be ruminating about a hidden skill or talent. Standing on the edge of taking the leap to try something new.

Don’t be afraid to jump! And when you do, hold on tight because it might be a wild ride.

Be patient, because it might take longer than you thought.

Be adventurous, because you never know where it might take you.

Put yourself out there and work hard. And don’t be afraid of failure.

Sometimes you have to try something new in order to get you to a place you never would have expected. Sometimes it’s not even about the end goal, but about the small steps you take. Don’t get me wrong, goals are important, but celebrate the little victories along the way. And even if you fail in the endeavor, enjoy the process, learn some life lessons, and get back up and try something else.

 

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