After going 30 years of adamantly hating football (and sports in general--musical theater all the way LOL), I watched the "Red Zone" with my dad on a Football Sunday and I actually enjoyed it.
Okay so adamantly hating football I guess is a strong way to put it. When people find out I am from New England and ask if I am a Patriots fan, I usually just respond with I like the underdog teams each year, which led me to acquiring a Cleveland Browns crewneck sweatshirt in 2018 and now I have a Detroit Lions jersey in my Amazon cart. So what changed?
I guess actually giving football a try would be the first thing that allowed me to enjoy it. Taking the pressure off of knowing every rule or play and not looking at the game with an all or nothing lens. Instead of trying to enjoy it without needing to be "an expert."
I think this sentiment is really resonating with me. Throughout my career working at non-profits since graduate school, I have always aimed to become the expert. Quickly learning my role well enough to ensure that people would no longer see me as a "beginner" but actually trusting me with knowing how to handle situations or protocols.
This sense of urgency to become an expert has completely been stripped away in working for myself and signing with a speaking agency. Yes, I have had years of speaking on my own as well as weekends, late nights and early mornings of working on this community based organization but I am undoubtedly a beginner and it is uncomfortable. But just as I actually realized I could like football and not know everything about it gives me some hope that I will get there in this way. I don't know everything about entrepreneurship but maybe I don't have to, to enjoy this "game."
Finally, I love that football is a team sport. Being a solo-prener by definition has left me feeling lonely at times but I do have a "team". We may not all wear the same uniform, although I am currently designing t-shirts in my other computer tab ;) but there are so many people who believe in this mission and that makes me so excited I am thinking about creating my own touchdown dance.
So this week maybe you can adjust your mindset on something you have historically hated and look around and see that so much comes from opening your heart up even a little bit!
To trying new things but sprinkles still on everything,
Dayna
PS Tickets still available for the Watch Me Rise pop up events!!