You’re Gonna Suck

What if I told you that you were going to write an amazing book that sold a million copies and changed peoples’ lives… and first you were going to write three books that would not be so popular? Would you write four books? Why? Why not?

Maybe you don’t want to write books. Maybe you want to be a great skier. What if I told you that you’d be swooshing black diamonds… after you fell 200 times. Would you start falling?

The best things in life aren’t easy. Stop a minute. Think about that. All the women out there that gave birth to a child and say it’s the best thing in their life: How easy is that? I saw an episode of Snooki and JWoww where they strapped a machine on Roger that simulated childbirth. Roger is a gigantic muscleheaded macho freak. He practically cried. Childbirth: not easy at all.

What do you want to do? Try it. Do difficult things.

Oh yeah, and guess what? You’re going to suck when you start. Yes. You. I don’t care how great you are. If you don’t suck, you didn’t pick a difficult thing.

Difficult things are difficult. And you can do them. Think of all the difficult things you’ve already done! Just be willing to suck for a while.

Suck. In front of people.
Suck. Out loud.
Suck. Outside your house.
Suck. Off your couch.

Now don’t go crazy, perverts. You know what I mean.

You want to know how pleasant it is for me to teach a class for the first time? Not so much. It’s unknown. It’s unpolished. I make mistakes on the syllabus. It takes a lot to coach myself through. I want to be perfect. I want to be dazzling. I want to shine like Kelly Clarkson on American Idol.

So why put yourself out there to suck? Because you don’t suck forever. You improve.

Repeat after me:

I learned a lot
I am proud of myself
I put myself out there and I got tougher
I left my house and got off my couch
I made things happen
I took control of my life
I didn’t wait on other people to achieve my goals
I am a person who is brave
I am a person of courage, and courage doesn’t always feel great

So, my friends, that difficult thing you’ve been avoiding? Do it. Suck at it. Be proud.

Why? Because you are a person who does difficult things.