There are moments in life when you know you are not quite ready.

And then there are moments when you realise that perhaps being ready was never the point.

This week gave me one of those moments.

On Wednesday, I played my first-ever round of golf at the SAPS Golf Day in Modimolle.

Just four lessons in.

I remember wondering beforehand whether I was ready. Whether four lessons were enough. Whether I would actually know what I was doing once I stepped onto the course.

Then I remembered one of my favourite quotes from Richard Branson:

“If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity, but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!”

So, I said yes.

And I showed up.

Let me tell you… the beginning was a little messy.

There were moments when I questioned the decision. But somewhere along the way, I stopped worrying about whether I was doing it perfectly and simply started playing.

I warmed up.

I got better.

I hit the ball.

And then I chased it.

Again.

And again.

And somehow, that felt like more than golf.

It felt like a reflection of where I am in this season of my life.

Sometimes we wait to feel completely prepared before we step into something new. We convince ourselves that we need one more course, one more conversation, one more year of experience, one more sign that we are ready.

But perhaps growth doesn’t always work that way.

Perhaps sometimes you learn by stepping onto the course.

You learn by taking the shot.

You learn by missing.

You learn by trying again.

You learn by chasing the ball down the fairway and refusing to let one bad shot define the entire game.

And at the end of the day, something rather beautiful happened.

I won a prize. 🏆

Was it because I was the best golfer on the course?

Absolutely not.

But I think the universe was having a little conversation with me.

A reminder.

Keep showing up.

Keep taking the shot.

Keep learning.

Keep moving.

And keep winning.

Because sometimes the win is the prize.

Sometimes the win is the opportunity.

Sometimes the win is simply having the courage to say yes.

And sometimes, what looks like a loss in the moment becomes the lesson you needed all along.

So, I am carrying this one with me:

If it’s not a win, it’s a lesson.

And either way, I am still moving forward.

Still learning.

Still becoming.

Still showing up.

And, after everything life has thrown my way, perhaps the most important thing I can say is this:

Still, I rise.

#Project50 #StillIRise #TheGrowthNarrative #KeepShowingUp #Growth #Becoming