Be a Beginner

I’ve played pickle ball one time in my life and I sucked.

I grew up playing piano as my extracurricular, not sports. I did play softball for two years in middle school… but I was the kid that was in right field for 2 innings only because everyone on the team had to play at least 2 innings. Sports are just not really my thing.

I knew this going into pickleball. It was at a staff ‘fun’ day. Fun for the people who knew how to play pickleball. I felt super foolish and I knew I looked ridiculous missing the ball over and over. But I swallowed my pride and tried something new.

The idea of ‘being a beginner’ on purpose was introduced to me in ‘The Next Right Thing’ by writer and podcaster Emily P Freeman. I’m a fan. If you’re not already, she’s worth a look up.

There are plenty of excuses for not being a beginner. You might mess up, or do it wrong, look ridiculous and what will people think? But one of my core values is Growing: caring for the mind, heart and body God gave me. And part of growing is learning and to learn something means you don’t know it already and if you don’t know it already you can’t possibly not be a beginner.

I am going to be a beginner tomorrow, entering into new territory. I’m a bit nervous, insecurities are hovering on the peripheral. But I want to grow so I’ll go anyway.