"I've Never Done This Before"
Central Park, Earth and Sky, Diana+ with Velvia 100 filmI'm a total beginner over here these days, doing all kinds of things I've never done before. When my daughter goes back to school next week, I'm using the extra time for a couple crash courses of my own. I often feel pressure to look like I know what I'm doing (the looking like part is even more important than the actual knowing part), which makes learning about saving face and looking good.
Eh. As you know, my growing suspicion is that looking good is overrated.
How great would it be to just own my beginner status? I'd love to have a t-shirt that said, "I've never done this before," that I could wear. Or, I could just live as if I were wearing that shirt. I soften and slow down when I learn the barista is new on the job, I dig up extra patience for people who are still in training. I have great affection for people who aren't slick or put together yet, but are putting themselves out there anyway.
We often extend extra grace to beginners, and I will be happy to draw on as much of that grace as I can this month. I'm not sure if the t-shirt will get made or not, but if you see me looking disorganized, clumsy, awkward or disheveled, just think, "She's probably never done this before."
What t-shirt could you use today? What would happen if you just started living as if you were wearing it right now? I'd love to know.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 8:31AM | Share Article 19 Comments | Email Article Print Article | Permalink | in authenticity
Reader Comments (19)
today i think that my shirt would say, i'm trying to get/be better. i have a soft heart that sees people for who they are and what they need. but many times, i don't let people see that right away. i don't let people see me because i have my own trust issues. if i were wearing this shirt today, i would let people not only see my soft heart, but also how wildly creative i am and how confident i ought to be.
In my current state, my t-shirt would say, "Full of joy with room for more", because I am. When I am in a mood like this, I embrace it with all of my heart. Our emotions and moods are so fickle sometimes and when you are feeling good, you have to completely be in that moment. I am there and I like it and it feels great.
Being a beginner is such a blessing. You come into a situation un-jaded. You come in with fresh eyes and you are open. I have a saying, "I am on the edge of beginnings...", for me,that means I don't have all the answers, I am ready to leap with faith and I trust that where this beginning takes me will be a grand adventure. My goodness...I think that is another t-shirt!
i love this jen.
my t-shirt says, "i'm re-gaining my fire".
therefore, anything my little wick needs to hold that flame, is OKAY. anything.
thanks :)
Thought provoking post. My t-shirt would say: "I know that I don't know (and I'm good with that)."
Great post :)
Mine would say "I'm still figuring it all out as I go."
I'm not new, doing almost everything that I've done every day, but even in the old stuff, there are new challenges all the time. It's like I'm trying to put together a puzzle when new pieces pop up out of nowhere. I'm constantly trying to figure out where these new pieces fit into the big picture :)
thank you. thank you for this post.
for speaking the truth that i share.
i am a beginner, too. freshman, newbie, totally green--and looking for little grace.
i'll be wearing the same t as you when i get off the plane in Delhi in two weeks, loaded with camera gear and a heart that yearns to tell stories of truth and freedom...
much love, lisa
my shirt would say "why didn't i try this before?"
I've been trying things I've never done before, maybe because my kids are a little older, maybe because I'll be 40 (!) in two months and 28 days. (not that I'm obsessing about that at all) I recently took a couple of mini vacations by myself, to places where I don't know anyone. It's not a huge deal, but I'd never done it. I'm glad I did.
my t-shirt would definitely say 'patience' as i am a bit raw from jet lag and insomnia, a strange combination.
i was talking about the beginner phase just this morning with my daughter, who is entering 3rd grade tomorrow. she's been so excited to learn cursive, but declared that it will 'probably be hard and she might not like it much...'
i explained how even though photography can be so frustrating to me, the girl that never reads the manual, just wants to jump in, that i still love it. and i added that most things that have been the hardest for me, have turned out to be my favorite.
happy perfect september weather in NYC day.
I loved reading this as well as the comments. I'm always stumbling through a new endeavor ~ my newest: cracking a genius CSS code to get my blog aligned right!! I have no clue !! But I like it that way. Life is fun when you learn as you go.
Mine would say: "There's more going here than you can see."
my t-shirt is deep "Superman" blue, short sleeves, size medium and it says "I'm not slow, I'm slowing down". xo
I love the idea of wearing a t-shirt that says that! I'm entering a new life phase with both kids in school at least a few hours a week so i'm looking to reinvent myself, my priorities, my hobbies...I think your t-shirt would fit me just fine!
This afternoon, my t-shirt would echo my almost-two-year-old daughter's words, "No, I"--a statement of complete confidence and sufficiency and faith.
This really resonated with me.. recently started a new position at work and this is my philosophy. I have found that living by this mantra got easier when I hit my 30s. And I find that most people really respond positively when you say "bear with me, I've never done this before" or "I don't know but I can figure it out". Thanks for this!
My t-shirt says "Tell me More." People are so incredibly interesting. I always want more stories, more details, about their lives, where they've been, where they're going. That's probably why I read so many blogs!
a) I would buy that Tshirt in multiple colors if only to bolster my courage at trying something new, because I do not like to be bad/beginnerish at anything and b) this is ironic or bunk or whatever because I always give beginners who are not me lots of slack.
Not knowing how -- and not knowing that I'd succeed -- keeps me from doing what I really want to do (thanks for your email on that, by the way). I've felt like I can't do this or that until I've taken that class or have this paper or so much money is in the bank.
Except with photography. Photography feels safe, because EVERYONE takes pictures nowadays, and with digital I can make all sorts of mistakes that no one ever has to see. Which is why I still haven't developed any of the 5 rolls of film I've taken so far with my Diana+. I'm afraid that not a single image will turn out, and the lab guys will laugh at me. But tomorrow, the film's going to Walmart for processing and scanning and if it's all black, well, I'll face that when and if it happens.
So nice. So true. So resonated that I got a chill. Thank you.
I love the T-shirt idea - and I think mine would say "Taking it slow" today. Thanks for this - so deep and so true, as always.
Mine would say "I am wanted" :)