The Excuse that Kills Dreams

A few years ago, I had the good fortune to watch Tabla legend Zakir Hussain live in concert.

To be frank, the first 20 minutes or so of his performance was underwhelming, But then, as his set progressed, it got better and better, and by the end of his performance, all of us in the audience were mesmerized and in awe of his skill.

When I look back now, I am so glad I went to that concert, because I had second thoughts on whether to attend it after my friend had backed out at the last moment.

It would have been a big loss to miss it for no other reason than being hesitant to go for it alone.

Lack of company can be a reason for many of us stop ourselves from doing something we want to do.

We hope and wait around for our friends or family to join us before taking the plunge to do something, whether it's travelling, joining meditation/yoga classes, or going to the gym.

Recently, a friend was telling me that over the years, there have been lots of things she’s wanted to do like watching plays, going to museums, travelling, joining book clubs but the main reason that was stopping her from doing these things was a lack of company.

When I look back on my life, I notice that many of my fondest memories and experiences would have never happened if I had chosen to wait around for company to do something.

One of the most life-changing decisions I made — to travel for three months around India would have never happened if I waited around for someone to join me for it.

Learning to be comfortable by ourselves and enjoy our own company is an important skill that’s worth cultivating.

We are all unique individuals with varied interests and desires. And if there is one thing that I have understood in my life is that you are not always going to have company to pursue the things that light you up and make your heart sing.

But don’t let lack of company be the reason to stop you from fulfilling your desires and dreams.

Many times, I have used this as a reason to not pursue things I wanted, and in hindsight, I feel this was nothing more than a silly excuse.

Sure, doing certain things where I have preferred having company has sometimes felt awkward and uncomfortable. But in the end, I have always been glad for doing these things, and I’ve never regretted doing them.

Also, going for something alone doesn't necessarily mean you will be alone because there is always the possibility you will meet other like minded and interesting people.

So the question I'd like to ask you is, "what is one thing you have not been doing in your life because you have been waiting around for company?"

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