Here is one of my all time favourites in jokes.
A man is asked, “Can you play violin?”
His answer, “I don’t know. I never tried.”
I’ve heard this joke many, many years ago in Moldova. Over the years I had various opinions of what kind of person this man might have been. Stupid, arrogant, ignorant, etc.
I belonged to the majority giving the following answer to the question above. “No, I can’t.” Even if I never tried.
You might argue that it is hard to play violin and without trying there is simply no way to be able to play it.
“This is just like flying an airplane,” you might say. “You have to learn and try under supervision in order to be able to say, you can.”
And I agree with you.
The problem here, is that I have extended this understanding, of not being able to do something without trying, to almost everything. And this seeming disability was somehow absolute to me.
I have put myself many times into many kinds of boxes.
“I am not a good leader,” I said.
“I am not a good listener.”
“I am not good with cooking.”
“I hate cleaning.”
“I am not patient.”
“I am not good at writing.” And many other in this manner.
So I’ve been always surprised when peoples said, “You’re a good manager.”
“Thank you that I could tell you all that.”
“Mm, this tastes good.”
“Wow, it’s never been so clean here before.”
“I admire you how calm you remained through what happened.”
“I love the way you write.”
I was flattered, but often I didn’t believe these statements.
But looking at the last few years and the things I have dared, which I would never believe doing before, makes me wonder whether it is worth trying before saying, “I can’t do that”.
You’ve probably noticed that I am daring something big now, being an author entrepreneur, where the main language of my business in not my mother tongue.
And when the fear inside me asks, “Are you sure you can do this?”
I take a deep breath, let the air out and say, “I don’t know. I never tried. But I am about to find out.”
Here is to your darings, dear friends!
Picture: This is someone, who’s not afraid to try. My sweet daughter, Emma.
