"Replace Fear of the Unknown with Curiosity"

(originally posted January 2013)
I found this quote when I first started working on this blog.  I know it doesn't have anything directly to do with strength and conditioning or ultimate, but it most certainly can apply to both.

Being afraid of people or situations that are different, new or unfamiliar to me is something that has plagued me for a long time.  I was a pretty shy kid growing up, who needed and got a lot of help from my parents.  They were the ones forcing me to do more social things like cub scouts and sports in my younger years and dealing with teachers and student loan companies as I got into high school and college.  I would make up some bogus excuse, just so I didn't have to talk to someone I didn't know, when in actuality I was terrified.

In college I found myself way out of my comfort zone, I managed to make new friends, which did help with my confidence, but I still had a long way to go.  I never talked to my teachers, one on one, until my last year of college.  During that last year I was forced to do things out of my comfort zone. Whether it was putting together a community project for my internship or giving an oral presentation for one of my 400 level courses.  I didn't realize it at the time but doing things outside of my comfort zone were starting to give me a new level of confidence.

I've spent the past couple years (almost 4 now), sort of indirectly building this new confidence.

This past year has been absolutely amazing, I went out and got myself two awesome internships (CrossfitMF, Spurling Training Systems), one of which I'm still working at, I became a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, coached nationals caliber ultimate players with an amazing coach and friend (Tim Morrill of Morrill Performance and Explosive Ultimate), and played in the Ultimate Club Championships with a team I tried out for (Wild Card Bitches Yeehaa).

 All of this because I decided not to be afraid, was I nervous to talk to some of these people, of course, but I didn't let it stop me, and I feel fantastic for it!

With all of my success in 2012 I plan to make 2013 even better, but I'll save that for another post.

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