Don’t@me: Being a beginner is cool
We don’t have to be brilliant at everything
I’ve always had this deep-rooted fear of letting other people know that I’m trying something new.
I used to start secret blogs to post content I would never show anyone. I also used to have a secret Instagram account devoted to music where I would post clips of myself covering songs. I did this because these were the things I was passionate about. I kept these ideas secret from everyone because I had so much fear attached to them. I realize now that fear existed because I’m scared of people thinking I’m not good at something. I’m scared of being a beginner.
I have this fear of starting something new because I may not be good at it. I feel this pressure put on me to be the best, to be successful and by all means not to be a beginner. However, there’s no actual need for that pressure.
When I see someone starting a new blog or learning a new instrument I think, “Wow, that’s cool.” It’s cool to see people branch out and learn new things, so why can’t we see that in ourselves?
We have had the need for success ingrained so deep in us we don’t want to do something if it comes with a chance to fail.
Why do we fear the possibility of not hitting a home run the very first time we pick up a bat? Why do we wish we had learned all these things when we were kids because to be just learning was normal back then. Newsflash: learning is still normal. Starting a new venture is normal, pursuing something you’ve always wanted to do is normal. The step before being good at something, that’s what’s cool—because the discomfort means growth and opportunity.
We have had the need for success ingrained so deep in us we don’t want to do something if it comes with a chance to fail. These capitalist ideas have us convinced that being a beginner is worthless. We’ve been persuaded to think time is money and if we’re not succeeding then automatically we must be failing.
Thinking you’re too old to go back to school or not wanting to learn the piano because a roommate might hear you is overrated and outdated.
Being a beginner is cool.
Start that thing you’ve always wanted to try. It’s cool. Let’s go and try something new, and learn to be good. Or try something new and don’t learn to be good! Either way, your time is never wasted exploring a new avenue, even if you’re just a beginner.
