A lesson from 31 nervous kids

I got to sit in on auditions yesterday, to help my friend with casting for a children's musical. 31 adorable kids walked in and out of the room, each showing up with their individual gifts and a full spectrum of nerves/comfort levels. I tried to give my biggest, most friendly smile to ease their minds, but it didn't seem to help much. 

I saw an 8-year old who had never auditioned before, begging her mom to come in with her; a set of twins that sang the cutest duet while looking into each other's eyes and strengthening each other; and a 14-year old who was so nervous she could barely stand still, but as soon as she opened her mouth and sang, she absolutely blew us away. 

While they were all so different from one other, I noticed something that they all had in common: Their nerves were telling them to back out and run away, but their hearts were focused on how much they wanted to be in the show. 

In other words...The thing they had in common was courage.

Courage is when what's in your heart is stronger than what's in your head. It doesn't mean that you don't feel scared or doubtful or nervous; it just means that you're choosing not to let those feelings run the show.

If you're trying something new and feel those nerves and doubts attempting to talk you out of it, let them say what they will (fighting them just makes them louder), but give your heart the megaphone. The reward of being true to that voice is well worth the discomfort of taking the leap and trying.

I know this is true because I watched it happen. The proof? There was another thing that all these kids had in common: the light shining from their eyes after they had successfully finished. It was absolutely beautiful to watch. This confirmed to me that we are meant for choosing courage. These kids proved it.