Stepping Up

I've written about this before,

how in Life...

...the most difficult thing is always the most difficult thing.

As a baby, the first difficult thing was rolling over, then sitting up, crawling, walking, etc, etc.

Also known as “developmental milestones.”
No one treated these skills as choices.

Unfortunately, no one remembers these very early "Bring it on"

driven-to-succeed moments.

And, with age, it just gets easier and easier to opt out of challenges. 

There's a lot less "Bring it on" and a lot more "I've never done that before, so...no."

Sometimes, the task or skill itself isn’t objectively all that difficult, but the “conditions” aren't right, so…not today.

(I hear this from the children, regarding long-term homework projects and piano practice).

So, is there ANY value, as an adult, to stepping up to a challenge?

Taking on the new skill or responsibility?  Or even (gasp) performing?

I believe there IS value in stepping up, for two reasons:

First, as already mentioned, the hardest thing is always the hardest thing. 

Taking on challenges has the often-overlooked, salubrious (your word for the day) effect of making other skills, challenges or situations less intimidating by comparison. 

That’s pretty cool: 

Mastering a difficult challenge actually makes other things feel easier.

Second, stepping up to a challenge, no matter the outcome, is a HUGE ego boost (in a good way).  “I did that!  I’ll bet I can do other things!”
Or, at worst, “I tried my best.   I’m a brave person!”

I’m not saying that kicking “the most difficult thing” up a notch
isn’t…difficult.  It takes high-level mental strength and intestinal fortitude to
say “Yes” to something new.

But when you do that…even once, you become a person who can step up.
That’s pretty powerful.