My dog, Charlotte, is one of the quirkiest animals I have ever owned (please keep the “apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” comments to a minimum). Occasionally I will toss her treats- not because she is good at catching them but because she is so so bad. When I toss her a treat, she usually ducks and flinches even though she knows that it will not hurt if the treat hits her and it is a treat- something she absolutely loves.
You can see in the GIF that Charlotte is chewing on a treat we just gave her and then flinches as soon as we throw her another one.
I started thinking how this correlates to our lives. Occasionally, when good opportunities come my way, I find myself doing the same thing- flinching and dodging. It is hard to jump into something when it will put us out of our comfort zone or we are not sure if we will be good at it. What is the worst thing that could happen though?
I believe it is valid to say “no” to additional responsibilities or opportunities because you have already said “yes” too often. But saying “no” out of fear could possibly limit your potential. Think of the contacts you could meet or the additional skills you could learn.
The next time an opportunity comes your way from work, church, or another avenue actually consider it (unless God is saying to not move forward of course). Saying yes to that opportunity may lead to even greater opportunities.
Have you ever pulled a Charlotte by initially flinching when an opportunity came your way only to later find out it was a very positive experience. Send me your story below.