Try It – You Might Love It

Just saying, try it you might like it, could mean anything. Give me a minute and I’ll explain.

Over the years there have been many circumstances or opportunities I have had to do something on my own. Alone, ugh gasp ALONE! Yes alone. 😬

For some of you that sounds like a horror show and you break out in hives just thinking about it. For various different reasons of course.

I understand that for sure.

Throughout the years I’ve done so many things by myself. Sometimes or usually not when that was actually my preference. But that was how it went.

I’ve travelled alone and gone to so many different events and places alone.

It’s kind of freeing for the soul or some super insightful thing like that, right? 🤔 Sure.

There are so many different kinds of people in my life that finding someone who wants to do what I want to do or has the time to do it isn’t always easy much of the time. People’s lives are just so filled with things nowadays. (Another topic for another post).

I’m also very discerning on who I spend my time around so that reduces my options for sure.

I love sports and there aren’t a lot of friends in my life with capacity in theirs to join me at sporting events. Or some of them have zero interest in any kind of sport. Agh once again the incomprehensible horror. 😳

So I have to choose. Will I allow things like fear to control what I do and if I do it alone?

Fear of many different things?

Fear of being alone?

Fear of what others will think of me (this is a big one for so many people)?

Fear that people will feel sorry for me?

Fear that people will think I don’t have friends?

Fear that I won’t have a good time?

Fear that people will judge me?

Fear people won’t think I’m good enough, cool enough or whatever?

So many fears.

Do you resonate with any of those?

I can’t tell you how many times I have mentioned doing something alone to someone else and the other person responds by saying “I could never do that.”

Hhmmm are you sure about that? Maybe you could.

I usually try to challenge and encourage anyone who says that to me to shift their thinking and maybe try it sometime.

Start with something easy like going to a movie alone. Traveling alone is more of an experienced, expert level challenge I will admit.

Beginner level – Going to a movie

Intermediate level – Going to a restaurant

Expert level – Going on a trip

Speaking of traveling I am preparing to head out for a mostly solo trip. I am very excited about it! I will cross paths with people I know but I’m mostly on my own for this.

I will admit I’m a bit nervous about this one. I’ve travelled a lot, but there are a lot of logistics for this trip that I’m hoping I’ve worked out. Flights, car rental, hotels, finding hockey and concert venues and running around to different cities. And I won’t have a navigator with me in my front seat helping me. Maybe I should choose a voice for my GPS that has a great accent just for fun.

See these are the life changing, adventurous decisions I get to make for this whole trip. If nothing else can convince you this will I just know it. 😉😊

I don’t say these things to say that doing everything alone is the best or most ideal, I really just want to share that while living life in community and doing things with people in your life is much more preferable, not everyone has that privilege all of the time.

I’m working towards making the most of the chances I’m given.

It’s sometimes a balance we need to reach in our lives. Doing things alone is ok but maybe it’s worth the effort to reach out and find someone to experience things with too.

Uggh it’s about balance and (yup you guessed it) choices friends, choices! 😉 You thought I wouldn’t mention it again.

My family would probably, well more likely I guarantee, they would say I’m far too independent. My independence runs very deep. But I’m ok with that.

Being so independent and not choosing to be hindered by fear of being alone, allows me to live a different life and experience different things than someone else not making those choices.

The downside is pretty obvious. Doing things alone can be lonely. So choose wisely.

I was just at an event where I noticed someone I recently met was sitting by herself. Partway through I ran over to say hi and have a quick chat. She told me she had never sat alone before. But after even that short amount of time she was getting over her fear and was beginning to enjoy herself.

I spotted a moment and circumstance for her personal growth and encouraged her to just enjoy her ability to fully enjoy the last 2 periods of the hockey game alone with no distractions from other people.

Honestly I was just really proud of her. I take it for granted because I do it a lot but she was just dipping her toe into the waters for this first try and absolutely succeeding in my opinion.

Sometimes the determining factor for me is whether I want the experience to be a social and purely fun event with a group or a focused time on one thing.

I can be an intense hockey fan so I just need empty space around me so I can yell “shoot the puck” a million times or throw my hands in the air and cheer for that amazing two on one backhanded game winning goal or let the refs know just how bad that call really was. Yup intense.

I never want to look back on any opportunity I missed because I was worried about being alone or fear of judgment from anyone. I frequently pray for wisdom about these choices.

So friends whether you know what it’s like to freely enjoy something solely by yourself or you haven’t tackled that adventure just quite yet, I’m praying for you to have wisdom and discernment on who and how you spend your time with or courage to do it alone.

You can do it I believe in you.

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