I was vibrating with excitement.  “Yes sir, I’d love to !”  With a huge smile on my face I turned to my partner and then froze.  She had taken a step back, her head shaking back and forth, excuses already forming.  I shut up and waited to see what the outcome would be.

Earlier, I had been paired up with another newcomer to the Taekwondo class.  She’d started 6 weeks before me.  This was my second class.  She was 15 maybe 20 years younger than me.  We’d encouraged each other as we each strived to meet the physical requirements dictated by the lead instructor.  Jumping jacks, push ups, scrunches, you name it we did it.  I don’t know about her but my mantra has always been if I feel like I should do some type of exercise I lie down until the thought passes.  This stuff was foreign to me but a necessary requirement to learning Taekwondo.

The sweat was pouring as I learned (and everyone else practiced) the basic kicks and blocks.  I attempted to learn, while everyone else went through, the motions of Basic 1 and then Basic 2.  Encouragement flowed to and through me as we both participated in the routines.

The last 15 minutes of the class we watched others spar.  Little ones against little ones, medium against medium, black belts against other black belts.  Each round was only a minute.  Carefully guided by the instructor and his assistants.

Then he walked over.  “Would you ladies like to suit up and do some sparring?”

I was so excited I forgot to bow!!

Then I turned and noted her reaction.  She hadn’t joined Taekwondo to hit anyone else.  She wasn’t comfortable enough with the kicks yet.  Her legs hurt.  She was actually planning on leaving a bit early tonight.

The instructor wasn’t letting her off the hook but the excuses kept coming and coming and coming.  He turned back to me, saying nothing, but he could see in my eyes how badly I wanted to participate.  A slight tip of his chin told me this wasn’t over yet but he walked away and shortly thereafter the class ended.

As we all gathered up our stuff preparing to go home, the woman made a special effort to get as close to me as possible.  She smiled at me, chatted a bit about the road conditions, offered another excuse to me and then repeated some of the ones she had given the instructor.  I listened, nodded occasionally, made polite noises and over her shoulder saw two of the black belts, now in plain clothes, give me the thumbs up.  I understood and appreciated their encouragement.

If we would have been in the network marketing world, I would have known exactly what to say to her.  “Quit lady.  You’re just playing at network marketing.  You don’t have a strong enough desire to achieve those big figures you talk about.  I don’t care how much you tell me you really want this to work, your actions tell me a different story.”

In the gym, it wasn’t my place to say anything.

The instructor knows where I want to go.  Is it going to be scary to step into that circle and face a blue or a red belt?  You bet it is.  Could I get hurt?  Sure.  But I’d sooner do that than stand on the sidelines and watch my opportunity to grow and get better, slip on by.

It’s called stepping out of your comfort zone.  Knowing you’re afraid and doing it anyway.  Facing your fear and overcoming it.

I could go on but you get the point.  People are people wherever you meet them, whatever they do or in this case, don’t do.

The important thing to ask yourself is:  Where are you?  In the ring or watching from the sidelines?

Joyce Penner is an entrepreneur and author. Her latest ebook “You’ve Started A Business” was written specifically for those who have started a business working from home.  Making the transition from “working at home” to being an entrepreneur is a mental adjustment with very few books, mentors or guidance on what needs to be done to accomplish the change.  The free ebook is available only by signing up for it on her blog at http://joycepenner.info

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