I’m Ash, and the biggest thing I’ve learned is that growth lives right where you want to stop. The first time you try something new, it feels awkward. Your mind tells you that you’re behind, that everyone else knows what they’re doing, that you should go back to what’s easy.
I know that voice well. Starting NINE meant putting my face on camera, posting before I felt ready, walking into rooms where I didn’t know anyone, and saying out loud what I do and what it’s worth. As a mom who homeschools, it also meant choosing myself in a schedule that’s built around everyone else. None of it felt comfortable at first.
Uncomfortable is not the same as wrong
Discomfort is usually just unfamiliar. Our brains are wired to keep us safe, and anything new reads as a risk. But the brain also adapts to what we repeat. The first class, the first hard conversation, the first time you put yourself out there: each one gets a little quieter the next time. That isn’t luck. It’s practice reshaping what feels normal.
That’s the real meaning behind the name NINE. Nine is the end of a cycle. You can’t close a chapter by staying exactly who you were in it.
How I practice it
- One new thing at a time. A different class, a new studio, a skill I’m bad at. Small enough to repeat, big enough to stretch me.
- Go back a second time. The first visit is survival. The second is where you actually start learning.
- Notice the body, not just the thoughts. Tight shoulders, shallow breath, clenched jaw. When I name it, I can breathe through it instead of running from it.
- Count showing up as the win. Not doing it perfectly. Doing it again.
I don’t do this to be fearless. I do it to stay in motion. We’re constantly evolving, and the only question is whether we’re doing it with intention.
So here’s my question for you: what’s one small uncomfortable thing you could practice this week, and then practice again?
