Be embarrassed
Worthwhile things are worth the risk
This weekend at the pool, I overheard a conversation between two girls sitting next to me. I don’t make it a habit to eavesdrop, but I couldn’t help but hear snippets of their conversation. The two appeared to have just met that day, and one of the girls was explaining to the other, “It’s hard to move somewhere new and try to make friends because making friends as an adult is just a little bit embarrassing.” The other girl laughed and agreed.
I’ve been thinking about that comment for a few days because I think she’s right — most worthwhile things do indeed feel a little embarrassing! Putting yourself out there, trying something new, going somewhere alone, being a beginner — it can feel quite exposing. But in reality, I think most people respect and honor when we put ourselves out there. When I lived in Australia for two months, I would often take myself to dinner and find myself at the bar between couples on first or second dates. Their conversations were a little awkward, sure, but I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, look at these two people being so brave and putting themselves out there!” (Oops, maybe I eavesdropped a little then, too).
Literally everything good in my life is a direct result of putting myself out there. I think the enemy loves to make us think that everyone is watching, waiting, hoping that we fail. In stirring up those fears, I think he can scare us away from doing things that sound fun and exciting because we’re afraid of failure. Doing new things requires being brave, and sure, sometimes they can feel embarrassing.
I’m not immune to this!! This weekend, I ran into a friend outside church who announced to the group, “Jane, I read your blog!!” and I got a little embarrassed. Obviously, this Substack is out there for the world to see, but it still feels embarrassing for people to know about it, even if I love doing it. But if I quit writing because I was embarrassed, because I was worried about people reading this and judging me, that would be a real bummer. I have had so many friends confide that they want to start writing a blog, and I so desperately wish they would because I would LOVE to read their words!!
Something that helps me when I’m tempted to dodge a potentially embarrassing situation is thinking about all the times they have paid off: the friends I met at the party I went to alone, the jobs I’ve gotten because I sent the “Hey, can you help me?” email, the opportunities I’ve been given because I showed up and auditioned, the lessons I’ve learned when I did indeed fail and get embarrassed for real. Those “embarrassing” situations shaped me and gave me opportunities I could never have imagined. And remembering that helps me push through the fear of being embarrassed, because I know I can survive it! And, more likely than not, no one is actually paying attention.
Anyway, if there’s something you’re holding back on because you think it might be embarrassing, I highly recommend you do it anyway. It’s lucky girl summer!! Put it out there and see what happens. I’m in your corner!
In Christ,
Jane
What I’m loving lately
Making grown-up decisions!!
This was the first Fourth of July in YEARS that I was not in Tahoe. I was sad to miss a weekend at the lake, but it has been a long few weeks and I had a feeling that a weekend of resetting in DC would probably be more prudent than jetting across the country and back for 48 hours. And it was! Because I hadn’t filled the weekend with plans, I actually got to rest and take part in so many fun things I rarely get to do! I've had a few similar situations in the past few months where I've made a decision that I don't think I would've made a year ago, but I'm praying for more wisdom and prudence, and I think this weekend was the fruit of that!
Go for a walk
This past week at work was simply nonstop. I had meetings back to back to back and when I finally made it back to my team room, my team needed me to review work and help solve problems. This resulted in the day flying by with absolutely no time to actually pause and think. Finally, on Wednesday, I told the team I needed to take a walk so I could think about a tricky problem. Fifteen minutes later, I came back with the solution. It was such a good reminder to me that when things are hard and there's a lot going on, the most valuable thing I can do is take myself for a walk so I can think in silence. Everyone thinks and works differently, but this works for me, and this week I'm committing to finding pockets of quiet to reset!
Count of Monte Cristo is still 12/10
Y'all, this book is the best. I haven't been able to read in a couple of weeks, but this weekend I cranked through a bunch of chapters, and I just love it so much. Again, I implore you to join me and read this book! I want to finish it but also will be so sad when it does come to an end.
Huge airport upgrade
I was SO delighted to see a wall of skincare products in DCA at Hudson News, what a joy and what a brilliant idea!
Perfect background music
I discovered this channel when I was staying with my bff Erica a couple of months ago and wow, it is just so peaceful and soothing. They have a bunch of mellow worship music and it’s quite peaceful to work with!
Prayer intentions
For a few special intentions