At the park this afternoon I saw a girl learning to ride her bike with her dad. She wobbled and whimpered at first, then got some speed and Dad let go and ran behind. I cheered for her and she grinned as she rode by, still gripping tightly to the handlbars. Totally absorbed in the task and the feeling.

I recognize that expression: childlike absorption, delight, pride, nerves, and excitement. The thrill of possibility when you are first getting the hang of something. Later, the unequaled satisfaction of mastery. Your brain is thanking you. You’re allowing it to grow as it intends. New experiences are oxygen for our brains and bodies. But we are also programmed to avoid them for the sake of survival, for protection, for security. Playing it safe, playing small, staying the same.

Friends, many of us are still at home, but are you trying new things? Are you getting out into the new, by leaps or by inch? Small steps in a new direction count, too. Especially if you’re wobbling a bit. Or a bigger bound into something uncharted, perhaps, where you’ll feel less inhibited by calculation. It’s not risk, or failure, or awkward, or any of that. It’s growth.

There are opportunities popping up every day if you want to cultivate the habit. Little clues, invitations, sparks in our day. Maybe right now you don’t notice them. You might ignore them. Or you might glance at them and turn away: No, that’s not for me. I wouldn’t. I have to do this instead. I’m not the kind of person who does that. I’ve never done that before. Or maybe you think about it longer and the fear shows up.

As Liz Gilbert wisely counsels, we can have a gentle conversation with our fear. “Hey, I hear you. Thanks for looking out. There are some new things I want to do and you’re coming with me. We’ll be OK. I’ll be there to hold the bike and run behind until we figure it out.” The fear doesn’t go away. But we walk with it until it is no longer needed.

I cheered loudly for that girl on her bike today, and here’s what I want her to know: You got this. You have everything you need. You’ve never done this before and yet you were born to do this. You are doing it exactly right.

I’m writing on my phone and she’s cruising now. Dad is catching his breath and hanging back. She fell once, got back up and back to it. Just like riding a bike.

How do you cultivate the habit of growth? When you see an invitation today, hold it a little longer. Ask yourself, do I want to be the kind of person who tries this? Do I want to grow in this direction? Am I ready for a breath today?

(Coachy side note: sometimes it seems good to ask, what would I learn from this? But you’ll always learn something and you likely can’t predict what it will be. So don’t give yourself the opportunity to overthink and talk yourself out of it.

I’m cheering for you, too, and here’s what I want you know: You got this. You have everything you need. You’ve never done this before and yet you were born to do this. You are doing it exactly right.