People who are close to me know that I am a lover of all kinds of games and activities. Whether it's board games, lawn games, or table games - I am always ready to play! Some games I can win fairly easily and others I almost always lose. It is not my way to pick and choose games according to my ability - I choose games that are fun to play! In fact, some of my favorite games are ones I can rarely seem to win. But I will never get better at them unless I actually spend time playing.

Over a game of foosball (table soccer) recently, I thought about how getting in the game, no matter the outcome, is a metaphor for moving ahead in life. When we stay on the sidelines, afraid to fail, we miss out on so many rich experiences and learning possibilities. So what does it really mean to face opportunities head on, even if we are not in our comfort zone or assured a win? Read on for a few thoughts on the subject.

• Getting more comfortable with being a "beginner". Being a beginner means being a learner and learning is all about growing and becoming more of who you are. Nothing great was ever accomplished without taking a first step!
   
• Becoming more at ease with the uncertainty of life. We don't really know how things will turn out and as much as we prepare, sometimes things don't play out the way we want. "Win or lose" is a discovery process and being open to all possibilities creates less worry about the future so we can live more in the moment, appreciating the ride.
   
• Setting real calendar dates to do things you have always wanted to do. Whether it's a special trip, an exciting project, or a new business venture, many of us have wishes and thoughts of what we'll do "some day". The fear of stretching ourselves or of failing has stopped us so far. Get in the game and start those meaningful projects!
   
• Stepping up to be a participant instead of a spectator. When you stay on the periphery of things rather than jumping in, you deprive others of your unique voice and your unique gifts. You can have an important impact in many ways in this life. Of course a lot of us are already participating too much and need to cut back! But if fear of not being good enough has been stopping you from getting involved in things, see what can happen when you tap into your courage and step up!
   
• Trying something new that is totally out of your comfort zone. Eleanor Roosevelt famously said "Do one thing every day that scares you". Although we don't have to purposely scare ourselves in order to grow, breaking out of our ruts and patterns can be tremendously freeing. We tend to have fixed thoughts in our heads of what we should and should not do. When we challenge those thoughts and start to stretch in new directions, it's amazing  how things can shift for us, in a good way.