“Twenty years from now you may be extra dissatisfied by the belongings you didn’t do than by those you probably did do.” ~Mark Twain
Let me set the scene.
It’s a blistering summer season day in Miami—the sort the place the humidity hugs you tighter than your ex at a highschool reunion, and the air feels such as you’re swimming via heat soup. Not precisely the form of climate that makes you need to transfer, not to mention sweat via a shock death-match exercise on Muscle Seashore.
However there I used to be.
The coach—clearly a drill sergeant in a previous life—barks out: “Another rep and we’re carried out!”
Ah, sure. The well-known final phrases of each group health class ever.
Spoiler: We have been not carried out.
That “yet another rep” was ten extra workout routines, every extra punishing than the final. By the tip, I used to be satisfied my legs had filed for emancipation. My tank prime may’ve been used to mop the ground. And but… beneath the exhaustion was a wild, inexplicable sense of aliveness.
As we collapsed onto the grass post-torture, I tilted my head to the sky—not for inspiration, however maybe divine rescue. As an alternative, I bought clouds. Huge, moody ones, rolling in quick.
Now, as a Miami native, I knew what was coming. Rain. In 5 minutes, give or take.
Our group—equal elements sweaty and semi-traumatized—determined to seize meals at a close-by Greek spot six blocks away. It might’ve been a simple name… if the climate weren’t about to show right into a tropical tantrum.
And that’s when the talk started: “To Uber or to not Uber?”
That was the second.
That was the query that cracked open one thing greater than I anticipated.
As a result of I discovered myself pondering—not virtually, however existentially: What would make the higher story?
Ubering dry and cozy? Or strolling into the storm, drenched and laughing?
You may guess which one I selected.
We set off on foot.
The primary raindrops have been tentative, nearly well mannered. Then got here the downpour. The actual deal. Inside moments, we have been soaked to the pores and skin—however free.
We splashed via puddles. We screamed. We laughed like children who have been allowed to remain up previous bedtime.
Once we lastly burst into the restaurant—soaking wet, windswept, and grinning—we seemed like a bunch of joyful chaos incarnate. Nobody cared about how they seemed. Nobody regretted the stroll.
As a result of we didn’t simply select a meal. We selected a reminiscence.
So now I’ll ask you an identical factor I requested myself: What would make the higher story?
Not the simpler one. Not the polished one. Not the one which retains you neat and unbothered.
The higher story. The one with coronary heart and danger and colour. The one the place you come alive—even if you happen to get a bit of messy within the course of.
We are likely to make selections primarily based on consolation or management. We decide what’s handy. Predictable. Secure. However the tales we bear in mind—and those we’re proud to inform—often begin with a second of uncertainty.
A leap. A sure. A “Why not?”
Possibly it’s the connection that felt like a danger however was one thing actual.
Possibly it’s the day you lastly stood up for your self, although your voice trembled.
Possibly it’s the job you didn’t really feel prepared for however stated sure to anyway.
Or perhaps, like me, it’s only a stroll within the rain that reminded you ways alive you actually are.
Your life is made up of tales.
And on daily basis, you’re writing the subsequent line.
So what’s going to or not it’s at the moment? Will you play it protected? Or will you select the model of this present day—the model of your self—that you simply’ll be proud to look again on?
About Danielle Dam
Danielle Dam is a life and management coach, speaker, and founding father of Coach Dam LLC. By her signature program, From Unseen to Unforgettable (U2U), she helps formidable but overwhelmed girls cease residing on autopilot and begin main lives that really really feel nearly as good as they give the impression of being. After years of chasing exterior validation, Danielle now empowers others to reconnect with their fact, rewrite outdated patterns, and construct a life rooted in function, presence, and private energy. Study extra or join along with her at coachdam.com or on Instagram @Danielle_coachdam.
