Sometimes things take us by surprise. We think we know people or situations so well and then our world is turned upside down.

Maybe we even think we know ourselves and then through a series of events, we surprise ourselves with what we’re capable of. For me, gymnastics is one of the many areas of my life that has shown me I’m capable of so much more than I give myself credit for.

And I’d venture to say, the same way we sell ourselves short, we often do the same to others unintentionally. We see the person in front of us, and think that’s all there is to them. We dismiss people based on first impressions or because of things we’ve heard. Yet, we never give them the chance to prove us wrong.

I don’t know about you reader, but recently, I’m really enjoying being proven wrong and discovering I’m capable of more than I imagined. I’m enjoying finding out people are so much more interesting than I gave them credit for and I’m enjoying being humbled by the fact I don’t know it all.

For the first time in a while, I’m seeing things from a new perspective and for the first time, possibly ever, I don’t mind discovering that I’ve been so wrong.

People are worth giving a chance. People are worth the investment of time it takes to discover what makes them tick, what makes them light up, and what breaks their heart.

Making the effort to really get to know people has given me a new perspective into the world around me and myself. I’ve learned things about myself that I never recognized and I’ve become a better person through those moments of self-realization. But had I not opened my heart to getting to know people who might be different than me or have different perspectives than I do, I’d be missing out on so much.

Give people a chance, reader. You never know when you might be pleasantly surprised and amazed at what you’ll find.

<3

Manda