In pickleball last week, a young girl stepped onto the court as we were starting yet another game, and immediately claimed she was not a good player as a beginner. I told her what I tell myself each time I step onto the court with three other players ... "just hold your own." I know how to play pickleball - and that's all I need.
I suggested she not worry about the other players and what they do, how they play, and to ditch the intimidation. To merely focus solely on her own pickleball skills - that is how she will learn and improve.
Last week, my Advanced Italian class began on Zoom through the cultural learning center in Baltimore's Little Italy. I had to fight my intimidation. I did not know who else would be in the class, whether they had taken Italian with this instructor previously, nor what level Italian anyone could speak. I told myself, "Just hold your own." I know how to speak Italian - and that's all I need.
I suggested to myself to merely focus solely on my own Italian language skills - that is how I will learn and improve.
We cannot control what others do or how they play or how they speak - not on a sports court, not in a class, not in life. We should not feel intimidated by how skilled or how awful someone is compared to us - in anything: marriages, careers, school, sports, looks, fashion, cars, languages, personality, philanthropy, weight, houses, you name it.
There always will be someone better than us.
There always will be someone worse.
We can focus only on ourselves and what we do, how we play it.
We can only hold our own.
