Why Saying ‘Yes’ to a Challenge You’ve Been Avoiding Might Be Worth It: A Personal Story

We have been pretty busy lately, and I think it might be a while until Craig’s next post is up. So, I thought I’d take this opportunity to introduce myself and share a recent experience with you all.

Hello! I’m Thomas, co-founder of Discover Your Star and the one behind the web design. I usually work behind the scenes and nudge Craig to write up the interviews for our series—so, you probably don’t know much about me yet.

Today, I want to share a personal story and ask if you’ve had a similar experience. Maybe it’ll help you reflect on how you handled it or how you might act differently next time.

In mid-August, just a week before school started, my teacher emailed me, asking if my brother and I could perform the National Anthem as a cello duo at the first-day assembly. She was kind and confident we’d do a great job. But honestly, my first thought was, “No way.” I wasn’t obligated to say yes, and I had a whole list of excuses ready. I was swamped with ACT prep, soccer practice, and designing this blog. My brain was already fried!

I shared all of these excuses with Craig, and in the middle of my rant, he started laughing. Puzzled, I asked why. He simply said, “Even after all your complaints, you know you’re going to do it.” That hit me. Craig knew I wasn’t looking for an excuse—I was just anxious about the pressure.

He was right. The first-day assembly is a big deal with a large audience, including all of the seniors’ parents. And while I felt confident juggling a soccer ball, performing the cello felt like a huge risk. I’ve been playing the cello since fifth grade, but I’d taken a three-month break from lessons during the summer, and I didn’t want to show rusty skills in front of the whole school. But still deep down, I knew playing at the assembly was an honor and a responsibility as a senior.

So, after all the drama, while playing soccer in our basement, my brother and I agreed to go ahead and perform. We emailed the teacher, expressing how honored we were and asking for her feedback before the big day. From there, we practiced whenever we could—recording our sessions, making adjustments, refining, discussing, and sometimes even arguing. But no matter what, we kept improving.

When the day came, we were super nervous but played without any mistakes. While we weren’t perfect artists, we felt proud to have met the moment. Afterward, we got compliments and cheers from friends and teachers, and I realized we had taken on a challenge we didn’t want, but turned it into something memorable.

If you asked me, I’d say we’re glad we decided to do it. It was a nerve-racking experience. My legs felt like they were made of metal, heavy and hard to move as I walked to the front of the stage. But somehow, at that moment, I had no doubt we’d finish the song. It was also the perfect way to kick off our senior year, planting in our minds that we were determined to make a meaningful impact this year. Looking back now, it’s funny to think about all the worries I had before.

So, here’s my question to you, readers: Have you ever faced a challenge like this? Did you confront it or avoid it? And what did you learn from it?

If you’re a teen like us, exploring and trying to find your path for college and beyond, please keep coming back to read our blog! I’d love to say, “Subscribe by hitting this button”, but we’re not quite there yet. It’s at the top of my to-do list, so I promise the subscribe button is coming soon!

Hope to see you again soon!

Best,
Thomas