Don't underestimate giving it a shot.

For those of you who follow our summer adventures at www.survivingsummer.com, you know about my friend L and the play she was in that we (6 moms in a mini-van) went to see.

Here's the thing about L. SHE *does* stuff. I mean, we all *do* stuff, the blah blah mundane of our everyday lives, but L does the other things, the things we all say we would but never do.

I first met her at a get together for a local moms group. It was my first outing as a mom to meet other moms and I didn't know a single one. She was soooo nice to me that night (and she probably doesn't even remember) that I decided to give this "having-mommy-friends-thing" a shot.

Later, she moved in next door to a friend (who then moved out, not a related issue, thankfully) and I would see her periodically at playgroups. Then, we started our kids at the same preschool.

Soon after, she started running. I watched her miles increase, her waist shrink (I never thought it needed shrinking, but she shrunk it!) and her energy soar. I remember being amazed at the miles she was telling me she was running. She trained for triathlons and competed in them. Recently, she has taken on the role of mentor to some other friends and is coaching them. Way back at the beginning, she told me she hated to run, but she was doing it anyway so her body would be healthy. She sets a great example for her kid (and mine!) and now I hear stories of 35 mile bike rides and running with two four-year-olds in a jogging stroller while emulating Jiminy Cricket for her mentees.

That was the first thing. The second was auditioning for this play. Someone told her they were having open auditions and to try out. Now, she's not a stranger to presenting in front of an audience, but for her, it's usually children (and she makes an EXCELLENT Christmas Mouse). She was cast, and she was GOOD. She juggled her kid and her endlessly supportive husband (I'm pretty impressed by him as well) and her workouts and the whole thing to learn her part in 2 weeks and give 5 shows. Phew!

I wouldn't call her a "can-do" type (because they can be annoying) more of a "will-do". An "I will do what I'm doing and will also encourage and support you to the ends of the earth if you want to join me but will not pressure you and make you feel like a loser if you don't" type.

My own personal experience with giving it a shot? I became a business owner. I had been laid off halfway through my maternity leave and we were going broke pretty darn quick. I went to the garage, told the husband there was this "thing" called Virtual Assistance and I thought I could make it work. He told me to go for it, so I did. Scary, but worth it.

As far as everything else, I should get back to giving things a shot more often. Dismiss the excuses and the nay-saying part of my brain and try something new. What will *you* shoot for?