A little over five years ago when an old friend learned my wife and I were having our first child, he said “Congratulations! You’ll never sleep again.” While it hasn’t been that severe, there is an element of truth to it that many parents experience. Last night was a sleepless night. It was the night before kindergarten.
Walking to school he seemed full of excitement but something was off. I could hear the nerves in his voice and his grip on my hand grew tight. He wasn’t excited. He was scared.
After settling in to his new class, I witnessed my five year old boy sitting in his seat while venturing far outside his comfort zone. He was taking flight while sitting completely still. He was facing his fear.
John Wayne once said “Courage is being scared to death… and saddling up anyway.” Today my little guy was scared, and I watched him “saddle up!” I thought to myself, “when was the last time I did something like that?” The answer is, I haven’t in a long, long time.
Today, I realized my little guy will likely inspire me much more than I will him. I always thought I would be the teacher but at this moment, I’m the student.
Wherever we are on our career path or personal journey, we tend to look for inspiration from those on high. To be sure, there is plenty of great advice out there by very experienced individuals. That shouldn’t be ignored. But look all around too. Those little munchkins that are barely waist high are courageous and full of inspiration.
Whatever you do this week, be as courageous as a kid on their first day of kindergarten. Be scared to death and get in the saddle anyway. You’ll be glad you did.
