Challenge Yourself

My teachers in Japan constantly were telling all of us, including the students and their staff, to challenge ourselves to grow. I saw them do this with me.... They were initially afraid to teach me in English, but decided to just go for it, even though they felt afraid.

Well, this weekend, I decided to challenge myself in a new way..... I've always been afraid of motorcycles, but recently, I've had the opportunity to ride on one with a very skilled driver. Despite my initial fear, I loved it!! I loved it so much that I took the nationally certified Basic Motorcyle Training Course.

Before the skills test, I was terrified.... and the only woman in our group.... What if I fell down? What if I couldn't find the right gear? Etc... etc.. I just told myself that my goal was to learn a new skill and challenge myself in a new way, so if I didn't pass the test, I still achieved my goal. I passed the test with a 95% score (hooray!), so now I can go to the DMV and get my license, and in the meantime, search for my own motorcycle.

I encourage other people to try to challenge themselves in new ways too. It's a huge feeling of accomplishment!