Stretched

I hear it a lot.  Being stretched.  I thought of that when I read this in the James Clear email. “You should attempt things that are difficult enough to guarantee some early embarrassment, but important enough that long-term regret is unlikely.  Trying something difficult will usually make you look foolish or inexperienced. That’s fine. That's the cost of learning. But if it's important to you, then you'll work through the early failures and — even if things ultimately change shape or don't work out — you'll never regret going for it."
They reckon such things are good for the brain.  Often older folk are doing cross words and taking on new tasks.  Not just because they enjoy such things but often just to exercise the brain.
I feel the line “You should attempt things that are difficult enough to guarantee some early embarrassment…” is something since my stroke is an ever-present reality.  I do public things like speaking or getting to know others and the whole time I know I am vulnerable to embarrassment.  It can be emotional or physical, but it is an out there thing.
But it is what the email goes on to say that for me makes it all worthwhile.  “…but important enough that long-term regret is unlikely.”  When I speak in public it is not for the sake of talking, or hearing my own voice, or trying to impress others.  It is because I feel I have something worth saying that will help another.  Others of course may dispute that, but it is why I am willing to suffer potential embarrassment.
For me it is always a case of “it is better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.”  That matters to me a lot.  So often I feel like I am “out there.” Yet there are few better feelings than to be out there and it comes off.
The only “bad” experience is one unlearned from.  Even embarrassment is a potential learning experience when I am open to it.  Never enjoyable but so worth it.  No matter what, being stretched is always potentially valuable.