Earlier this year we had two friends from England visit us in Arkansas. Why they chose to spend a portion of their American vacation in Arkansas is beyond me, but I'm grateful they did.
While they were here, Rob, would excuse himself from the table every now and then to go outside and watch something on his phone. When I asked him what he was watching, he said, "Football... excuse me, 'Soccer'," he forced the last word with a proper American accent. He talked us through the Euro leagues, how they're set up, some of his favorite players, and why the sport means so much to people across the pond.
While it's growing in popularity here, it's safe to say that American Football receives a lot more of the American people's viewing time than traditional Football (soccer).
Just this weekend, I told my wife I was amped for the World Cup to start. She said, "You've never watched soccer, why start now?" She was right. Beyond knowing goals had to be scored, I didn't have a great grasp on strategy of the game, who the players were, or why they allowed ties. Phrases like "Putting in a shift" and "Fox in The Box" were beyond my understanding and if you asked me to explain offsides, I'd have no answer.
For some reason, I just felt like jumping in. I watched the USA's first match against Wales today and loved every second of it. I was invested, yelling at my TV and asking myself why they can't just score?
I found that jumping into something, despite not having any history with it, or any true reason to, is often much more exciting than sitting on the sidelines.
As people we want to fit in, be part of the crowd. Our natural first response when someone is passionate about something unique may be to feign interest, make fun of it, or ignore it altogether. What if instead, we jumped in? If the opinions of others are keeping you from having experiences, that is something you should truly weigh.
The reality is, people will always have opinions. If you choose to not jump in, then all you'll be left with is the opinion of others. If you jump in, then you gain the experience.
Action
Choose something new to jump into this week. Buy a hat of a new sports team. Google how to juggle. Learn an easy magic trick.
Question
What have you scoffed at in the past that you should've have jumped into?
Quote
"You have to take risks. We will only understand the miracle of life fully when we allow. the unexpected of life to happen." - Paulo Coelho