A couple of weeks ago our 10-year-old son Judson was in the school spelling bee. It was optional to sign up and they had over a month to study the practice spelling list and prepare he was terrified but he signed up on his own anyways. And I secretly did the HAPPY dance because my very shy, and easily embarrassed, basically, incarnate but a boy as a kid who chose to do something he was terrified of.  This instantly makes him my hero because he was WAY more courageous than I ever did in 4th grade!  

 

I watched him study, I saw him write out and practice some of the more difficult words.  I listened to him nervously talk about it for weeks. I watched his face LIGHT up when his dad offered to buy him (without talking to me first) the new PS5 he didn't get for Christmas (on purpose) if he got in the top 5. 

 

My momma heart was so torn.  He talked about that PS5 he wanted to win allllllllllll the time!  He dreamed about it, talked about what games he was going to buy to go with it, was giddy about the idea, and practiced his spelling words to win that spelling bee.

 

Rob was out of town the day of the spelling bee so I rearranged heaven and earth to ensure I was there.  And it did something to my insides seeing all those kids up there on the big stage with the bright lights and the audience and them CHOOSING to put themselves out there.  CHOOSING to possibly have to feel failure, embarrassment, fear, regret, all the painful emotions that are a possibility when you do something new or scary or not guaranteed. And they did it!  These 8-11-year-olds did it! And I cried!  I was SO RIDICULOUSLY PROUD OF THEM!  

 

Public speaking is one of the BIGGEST fears of adults. And even with public speaking you usually have notes or have rehearsed what you'll say or are reading a teleprompter but these kids had none of that!  They were literally put on the spot, didn't know what they were going to be asked to spell, and chose to do it anyways!  

 

This is monumental to me!  They walk up to a microphone one by one, all alone, in a quiet full auditorium where only 1 of 2 outcomes is about to happen.  They are about to misspell or get wrong if you will in front of a crowd of their peers and loved ones or they are about to get it right and advance to the next round.  The possibility of devastation, embarrassment, and pain….or excitement, accomplishment, and confidence. There is a possibility for both.  And they still chose to give it a try!  

 

I'm literally teary because I saw on each of their faces how devastatingly nerve-wracking this was.  And I saw the disappointment when kids misspelled and I saw some faces light up when they advanced  BOTH.  

 

We, adults, have a lot to learn from this. How often do we NOT do something because of fear of uncomfortable emotion, or let down or not being "good enough" or the best at something?

 

Pause right now and put your hand over your heart.  Let yourself breathe in and out deeply three times.  Go ahead, I'll wait……  

 

You have dreams, you have things you are curious about trying, and there are things that I know you want that will require you to put yourself out there or have a conversation that might be difficult.  There might be the possibility of failure, embarrassment, fear, or regret.  But there is also the possibility of excitement, progress, success, and fulfillment!  You are capable of feeling them both and still moving forward.  You can do it!  If those 4th graders can put themselves out there you can too!  Oh the faith of a child, we have so much to learn from them.

 

Oh and Judson tied for 4th place! And I'm now a PlayStation widow because that prize was for Judson just as much as it was for my husband, haha!  

 

How can you be more like those 4th graders? 

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