Maybe tee ball coaches have it right when they say everyone's a winner.

Reblogged from Rewriting Herstory:

“You’re not obligated to win. You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day.” - Marian Wright Edelman

Most people are taught that winning is everything. If you are not the best, didn’t get the highest grade, or came in 2nd or 3rd in some competition, people will entertain the idea that you did your best, but it often comes with some tone of disappointment. We often feel some kind of way about falling short of our goal, which is fine. Although it’s important to want the best for ourselves, we do ourselves a disservice if wanting the best comes at the expense of not recognizing and appreciating the preparation, dedication, and skill it took to even attempt our goal.

Doing our best is all we can ask of ourselves. Sometimes we win as a result, sometimes we fall short. I’ve been known to beat myself over things that I can no longer change. I’m learning to take a step back, assess the situation, and ask myself if I did all I could do. If the answer is yes, disappointment may linger, but it doesn’t weigh me down as much. If you put in the necessary time and energy toward the task, you’ve probably done all there was to be done. Be proud of that. Winning is nice, but it isn’t everything. Plus, there are lots of lessons to be learned from falling short.

This right here is why I shouldn't be afraid of new or difficult things, or of things that I don't believe "come naturally" to me. This right here is why I shouldn't be afraid to try. To try takes all kinds of courage, you know? And courage is some good shit.