All You Need is 20 Seconds of Embarrassing Bravery
“Courage is like a muscle. We strengthen it by use. And sometimes it’s gonna hurt. A lot. Like leg day at the gym, except you can’t just sit on the couch and eat nachos afterward.” — Unknown
Suppose you’re at the edge of your comfort zone. On the other side? A world of opportunity and growth or probably, epic failure. To get there, you need 20 seconds of crazy, heart-pounding, slightly embarrassing bravery. And let’s be real; in 20 seconds, it can go either way. Either the door opens into something fantastic, or it doesn’t open at all and you’re stuck shuffling off, hoping no one saw you.
That’s exactly why you should. Why not? If the worst that might happen is an awkward moment of silence and a little bit of cringe, then you’re already out ahead.
Spoiler Alert: No One Actually Cares if You Mess Up
Let’s get one thing straight: that cringe-worthy moment when you say a word in place of another? Yeah, nobody is going to remember it tomorrow. Or even five minutes from now. We have all done that at some point or the other: You trip over your words while asking for a raise or mistakenly say “you too” when the waiter wishes you “enjoy your meal.” Sure, you feel like melting through the floor, but guess what? Nobody cares.
The thing is that people are too self-absorbed to remember your embarrassing moments. So, if you’re worried about making a fool of yourself, don’t worry. Embarrassment is like an outfit everyone’s got one, and nobody really pays much attention to yours.
You Never Know What Could Happen
And here is the thing: 20 seconds of embarrassing bravery might be all it takes for something huge to happen. You say something in a meeting; your voice cracks on the words, but miracle of miracles, that brilliant idea gets green-lighted. Or you work up finally to talk to that scary colleague whom you discover you’ve just made a new friend with-and, incidentally, whom you discover is even clumsier than you.
The point is, every great opportunity starts with a moment where you feel totally exposed and out of your element. But if you can push through the discomfort for just 20 seconds, you’re opening yourself up to things you never imagined.
And if It Doesn’t Work Out? Well, That’s Funny Too
Now, let’s get practical. Sometimes, those 20 seconds of bravery aren’t going to end up as life-changing moments. You go out there on a limb and… nothing. But that’s okay. Worst case scenario is you walk away with a story to tell. “You know, remember that time I tried to talk to the CEO and accidentally called him ‘Mom’? Yeah, that was fun.”.
The beauty with these moments is that even if they flop, they are worth it. In the grand scheme of life, nobody is grading you on how cool and collected you looked while stepping out of your comfort zone. It’s just that you tried.
So, Stop Overthinking — Go for It
Next time you’re faced with a moment that requires 20 seconds of insane, embarrassing bravery, go for it. Don’t let fear of a little awkwardness hold you back. Because here’s the truth: no one’s going to remember that weird moment, and even if they do, it’ll be a funny story. But what they will remember is that you had the guts to go for it.
So, what’s it going to be? A lifetime of “what ifs” or 20 seconds of potential cringe that could change everything? I know which one I’d pick — and trust me, after my fair share of embarrassing moments, it’s worth it every time.
