My daughter, Haven, and I went down a YouTube rabbit hole with an influencer, Jia Jiang, who faced his fear of rejection by putting himself in embarrassing situations. One challenge involved asking a man if he could take a picture in his backyard with a soccer ball; surprisingly, the man agreed. In another, he asked a Cheesecake Factory staff to sing him happy birthday, even though it wasn’t his birthday, and they did! Throughout the videos, you can see his initial nervousness transform into confidence as he learns to embrace rejection.

After watching these videos with  Haven, we felt inspired to do something similar the next day. I suggested she give real compliments to five strangers at her junior high school. She agreed to do it. Then she told me she had an assignment for me and she said, “You and Mom are getting breakfast tomorrow, right?” I confirmed that we were. She then instructed me, “Don’t explain anything, just get a selfie with the waiter.” The next morning, I replied, “Done,” as I took a picture with Rick, our server.

Friend, the key is to gain experience by taking action and not fearing that we will make a mistake! Embrace the wisdom of author William Butler Yeats, who said, “Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.” This quote emphasizes the importance of taking initiative and creating opportunities instead of passively waiting for the right conditions. It suggests that our actions can shape a situation to be more favorable. This is a fundamental principle of success, encouraging us to stop worrying and start acting.