You’ve done this.

I’ve done it.

And the bizarre part…you didn’t plan on it happening.

I’ll come back to this in a minute…

Only because it reminds me of one of those times.

I was 17.

Had just gotten my driver’s license.

And decided to go to the mall with my friend.

While there we each had to go to the bathroom. Nothing unusual…right?

So with my friend leading the way we scurried down the long hallway…hooked a sharp left…and then another quick left into the bathroom.

After taking a few steps in something didn’t look right.

And while my friend was laughing and acting his “crazy self” I said, “Vic there’s something out of place here.”

He was half laughing and half “grunting” as he ran out of the bathroom.

And at that moment I realized what was out of place…

We both ran into the woman’s bathroom.

Then after I walked out…I still remember to this day…there was a guy—who looked like Nelson Mandela— sitting there and laughing at us.

It was embarrassing…only because someone had seen us run into the woman’s bathroom.

This now brings up what I mentioned earlier…about what you and I have done but didn’t plan on happening.

And what I’m referring to are those embarrassing moments you’ve been in.

Along with this…

There’s a hidden “life gem” involved in these moments that can and do change the course of how your life turns out…as long as you’re aware of it.

And it has to do with you taking what seems like “risks” in your life.

Think of a time when you wanted to do something…

It could have been speaking in front of a group of people.

It could have been asking someone you like to go out on a date.

It could have been an idea you came up with that you knew people would laugh at.

It could have been anything that was “stretching” you beyond your normal comfort zone.

It can even be what your life purpose is.

Now let’s say you did follow through on whatever it was for you. Did you notice that it wasn’t as “bad” as you originally thought?

Yet at first you felt embarrassed at the thought of doing it…even to the point of outright fear.

Also think about this…

Let’s take those moments I just mentioned. What if you approached those without any preconceived thoughts. In other words, let’s say you didn’t know any better.

Would you have felt embarrassed at the thought of doing it? Would you have had any feelings of fear by doing it?

And this goes back to what happened with me that day I ran in to the woman’s bathroom at the mall.

I didn’t know any better because I didn’t know it was the woman’s bathroom at first…because if I did there’s no way would I have walked in.

Because in that moment—even though I wasn’t consciously aware of it—I saw a balance of positive and negative…and therefore had no fear of going into the bathroom.

Yet…

After I walked in…realized what happened…then ran out…and saw the Nelson Mandela looking guy laughing…that’s when I felt embarrassed. Plus I was also thinking, “what if other people saw this, would they tell on us?”

This brings up another part of this “life gem”…

Worrying about what other people will say and think of you.

Even though the Nelson Mandela lookalike witnessed this entire episode it was still embarrassing at first. And if I had noticed him sitting out there to begin with I would not have gone into the woman’s bathroom.

But…

After I walked out and saw him laughing I knew what my friend and I did wasn’t that “bad” after all. And if anything that guy sitting out there saw us as having the “guts” enough to do what we did.

So was I worried about what he thought at this point? Of course not…because he was laughing about it.

And that’s the point to realize here…

Because many times you’ll find yourself worrying about what other people will think of you when you do something that is “beyond the ordinary.”

At this point you have two choices…go with the “status quo” or go beyond the norm and stand out.

And this is exactly what’s involved in you going from where you are now to where you want to be.
It’s the difference between staying stuck living a life of “have to’s”, “supposed to’s”, and “got to’s.”

Versus…

Living a life of “I love to’s”, “I’m inspired to”, and “This is what I’ve always dreamed of doing.”

And it’s not a matter of what other people think.

You’ll have people liking and disliking you no matter what you do.

You’ll have people supporting and challenging you no matter what you do.

You’ll have people praising and criticizing you no matter what you do.

And you know what?

You’ll also have those “embarrassing moments” come up along the way. These are necessary to get you to go beyond yourself.

They’re necessary because they help bring out the best in you.

They’re involved in getting you to appreciate who you are and all that you do.

They’re involved in getting you to realize how much value you contribute to the world through your uniqueness.

And they get you to see how special of a person you are.