I Dare You!

I Dare You to Stretch

When was the last time someone challenged you to do something you thought was beyond your ability? When did you last stretch yourself and step outside your comfort zone?

“I dare you” can be playful words between friends. They can also be an invitation that changes the direction of your life.

Perhaps you have been waiting for the right moment to make a change. More confidence. More money. More experience. A clearer path. We can spend years waiting for circumstances to improve while the opportunity to take a first step is already there.

So today, I dare you.

I dare you to have the conversation, explore the opportunity or begin something you have been putting off. Give yourself a chance to discover what you can do.

I Dare You to Use What You Have

I dare you to stop dismissing what is already in your hands.

You have experience, skills, relationships and lessons learned through difficulties. Something you consider ordinary could be exactly what another person needs. Your ability to listen, explain, organise, encourage or solve a problem has value.

Everyone has something to offer the world. There is a familiar saying:

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

Discovering that purpose often begins with using what you already have. What could you contribute today?

My own life could easily have followed a very different course. I was orphaned as a child and spent part of my teenage years homeless on the streets of Chicago. A successful future seemed a long way away.

There were people who saw possibilities in me that I struggled to see in myself. Their encouragement mattered. So did my decisions to accept help, learn and change direction.

At the time, I could not see where those steps would lead. That is often how change happens: we take a step while the obstacle is still there. Each step brings another opportunity to learn.

I Dare You to Be Faithful in Small Things

My first job stacking supermarket shelves paid $30 a week. I set aside 10%—in this case, $3—for giving and would usually add a little more.

The amount was small, but the habit became part of how I managed money as my income grew. I understood that if I was faithful in small things, I could “graduate” to bigger things.

If I could not manage $30 a week, how would I ever manage $300, $3,000 or any larger figure?

I had to use what was already in my hands.

I dare you to take today’s responsibilities seriously. Keep your promises. Manage your time. Follow through. Practise generosity. Those everyday decisions help prepare you for greater opportunities.

I Dare You to Keep Growing

“If you aren’t green and growing, you are most likely ripe and rotting.”

It is a colourful expression, but it asks an uncomfortable question: have you stopped growing?

When did you last learn a new skill, ask for honest feedback or change a habit that was holding you back?

Growth takes intentionality. Choose something you want to improve, then give it regular attention. Stay teachable and remember to treat people with respect as you progress.

I dare you to keep growing.

I Dare You to Take the Next Step

Choose one step you have been postponing.

Write it down. Decide when you will take it. Tell someone who will encourage you and hold you accountable. Keep it practical enough to begin this week.

You cannot control every circumstance, but you can choose your next action.

I dare you to recognise what is already in your hands.

And I dare you to take the next step towards becoming all you were created to be.