August 2023

It was a late-summer afternoon in Georgia and we were buckled in the backseat of our red Astro van on our way to piano lessons.

As we pulled out of the driveway, my mother announced that today, I would navigate us to the piano teacher's house, turn by turn.

I felt my cheeks flush as panic set in. "But I don't know how to get there!" I said, my tone escalating. "We're going to be late!" (Yes, this was me, even at the age of eight.)

"We'll take it one turn at a time," she said calmly, eyes facing forward. "Right or left?" she said when we reached the end of the subdivision.

"Left," I said quietly. That one was easy enough.

Our teacher's house was only about 12 minutes away, but it felt like twice as long as I studied the surroundings, looked for familiar landmarks, and felt the weight of the responsibility to get us there successfully and on time.

As we navigated the back streets of our teacher's wooded subdivision, I hesitated. "Right?" I said tentatively when we reached a stop sign. My mother turned dutifully, knowing full well it should have been left.

I began to panic when suddenly, everything looked unfamiliar, but fortunately, it was a loop and we ended up back where started. One more left turn, and we arrived at our piano teacher's house right on time.

I mentioned this story to my mother recently and she didn't have any recollection of it. "I was probably trying to distract you from fighting with your brother," she said, rolling her eyes.

But my recollection was that it was a test, not of my sense of direction (which is still questionable) but of my self-confidence.

Turn by turn, I recognized: I can do this. I'm capable of more than I think.

Maybe you've found yourself put on the spot or asked to do something new or unfamiliar this year. Maybe you feel unprepared for a new job or feel the weight of responsibility resting squarely on your shoulders.

It's easy for panic and self-doubt to set in, to paralyze you and tell you all the ways you're not ready, not prepared, not capable of what's in front of you.

My advice? Take it one step, one turn at a time.