I’m so excited to share this milestone with you. As I embark on this journey of content creation, I’ve realized something powerful: the lessons I learned during my first time snowboarding have a surprising connection to the lessons I’m learning now in building my blog.
Let’s dive in!
- Embracing Failure – and learning to be comfortable falling!
Huge kudos to anyone who tries something new and nails it right away. But that simply was not my case me when I tried snowboarding for the first time. Sure, I did better than I expected, and I’m proud that I lasted the full four hours without giving up. But keeping it real – I was physically and emotionally wiped out by the end of it.
Here’s my key takeaway: the more I keep practicing redefining what failure means, the more comfortable I can become with falling. Not just on the slopes – but in life too.
An old version of me might’ve cried and thought, “This is not for me” then give up at the first fall. But now, I’ve learned that failure doesn’t have to be a catastrophic end. It’s just a step in the process. And whether you’re snowboarding, starting a business, or trying anything new, resilience is everything. We have to accept that at the beginning, no one is perfect.
Once we embrace that, we give ourselves the grace to mess up, learn from it, and keep going – without taking it personally.
- Laughing at Yourself – Before the trip, I made myself a promise: I will laugh through every moment of this experience. And that’s exactly what I did.
I fell. A lot. And each time, I forced myself to laugh. Is it realistic to be the perfect snowboarder on day one? Absolutely not. I won just by showing up, by trying something new, and by not giving up.
I won by laughing at myself instead of stressing out. I won by staying in the moment, even when things felt awkward. And if anyone else was watching and cringing? That didn’t matter. I was having the time of my life.
It was especially magical for me – a little girl from a small town in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico, who had never seen snow before. I was touching the snow, feeling the cold, watching it fall. For me, it was pure magic.
And here’s the best part: I realized I am worthy of this experience. Worthy of existing, just as much as anyone else.
And so are you.
- Getting Comfortable Being Uncomfortable– this is the lesson that is more of a continuing practice than another milestone.
I’m not sure if it’s a milestone you achieve once and boom! magically we are done. What I do know is that growth happens when we put ourselves in those uncomfortable situations. When we confront the shadow aspects of ourselves – the parts we often try to avoid in our routines.
For me, my life journey has been about facing and accepting the discomfort head-on. I’m working on continuously reprogramming my mindset, and learning how to navigate those moments that trigger my deep uncomfortable emotions.
While acknowledging and understanding those emotional triggers is a vital first step, it’s not always easy to navigate the discomfort they bring. So, how can we manage those intense feelings without letting them control us? Here are a few strategies that have helped me—and may help you too—in handling those moments with more ease and resilience.
- How do I react to failure?
- Why is this making me upset?
- What limiting story am I telling myself?
- Why am I holding back?
- What belief am I holding onto?
- Where does this thought come from?
- What can I do to let it go?
It’s through these uncomfortable moments that I’m learning to navigate life and accept every version of myself.
I hope these insights have sparked something meaningful for you. If you’re ready to explore these ideas further and embark on a deeper journey into the heart of these conversations, don’t miss out on the Dazed & Confused Podcast with Diana Cano– where we dive into the complexities, the nuances, and the powerful truths of life.
Thanks for reading, and here’s to embracing growth, one fall at a time. ✨