Pushing Boundaries
My first trip to Asia was in early 2016. Sarah and I were invited to Hong Kong for me to interview for a board position. To say I was nervous would be a drastic understatement. I grew up in a farm town in the Midwest. Sure, I had traveled a decent amount by 2016, but for whatever reason, Asia felt exceedingly intimidating. While I was terrified going in, what I experienced upon arriving in Asia would change my life forever. Over the course of that trip, and the many Asia trips I've taken since, it's felt more and more like home.
Quick tangent. Sarah and I sold our house in Iowa in 2019. The plan was to rent a small townhome so that we would have fewer household responsibilities and liabilities (mowing, snow removal, potential basement flooding, etc.). With that newfound freedom, we planned to move to Thailand and split our year between Asia and Iowa. That's how convicted I am about my love for Asia.
I've been reflecting on that first trip to Asia lately. The excitement. The anticipation. The fear. The unknowns. As I'm mere days away from my upcoming Mongolia trip, I can't help but think about how unbothered I am about it. I'm not sure what my days there will look like. I don't know what activities we'll participate in. I don't know what cities I'll be traveling to. I haven't started packing. If there's any way I can describe it, it feels like a weekend road trip to Chicago.
This trip will obviously carry more significance in my life than most, but the fact I have no anxious energy heading into it is a weird feeling to think about. I believe that's the power of pushing boundaries.
Things are scary....until they aren't.
Things are new.....until they become normal.
We don't know how to do something.....until we've done it.
It reminds me of a conversation with a friend who desperately wants to start a podcast, but doesn't know how. He's anxious about it. It feels intimidating. He asked how I learned how to podcast. My answer: "By starting a podcast." Cole and I knew nothing.....until we knew something. Fast-forward 360+ episodes later, and we know a lot more about podcasting than when we recorded that first episode.
This principle applies to every single area of my life and your life. The only thing standing between us and where we want to be is having the courage to push the boundaries. Make yourself uncomfortable. Try something new. Push through the fear. You'll be so grateful you did!
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