Little Acts of Bravery

Sunday I rode the lift with a boy – not yet a teenager, while old enough to have a conversation. He looked at me and said, “I’m a little scared, I haven’t skied in 2-years and I don’t remember what to do.”
 
I asked if he wanted some tips. He said yes.
 
We talked a bit and some things helped, while others didn’t. He remembered how to make pizza which I said is one of the most important things as it’s how you slow yourself down. He didn’t remember how to get off the lift – so we talked about that as we rode up.
 
At one point he said, “I hope my Mom is proud of me; I told her I was scared but wanted to take a run before my lesson to get the scarries out.” I assured him she must be.
 
Then I asked if he wanted me to take the run down with him. He said that would certainly make it less scary.
 
We got off the lift – safely and successfully; and I told him that he did a great job. Smiling, he took off… I stayed behind him and let him go, just there if he fell or needed encouragement.
 
For the record, he didn’t, not much turning until the bottom, made pizza to slow himself down – made it without incident. His Mom waiting at the bottom, I quietly went my way back into the lift line.
 
I saw him glance around for me, but I didn’t want to interrupt – he wasn’t quite grinning but looked relieved to have made it down.
 
How often during the day, do we have to make that kind of decision? That we’d rather try something out that scares us BEFORE we get in front of or around other people.

• Practice by leaving a message for yourself.
• Asking a difficult question of a good customer, before a new prospect.
• Trying out a new technique in roleplay vs. with actual customers

Maybe it doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you acknowledge to yourself that you are being brave!
 
And maybe it’s important to say it out loud to someone else, they might be able to help – or just be there with you while you work through it yourself; to get the scarries out.
 
Bravely yours,
Lynn