When it's ok to bite off more than you can chew

Yesterday, I made myself a hot cup of tea. (I gave up coffee a few months ago, but that’s another story…)

What’s nice about the specific tea I drink (Good Earth Sweet & Spicy Tea) is that there are inspirational quotes attached to each tea bag. Yesterday’s tea bag quote came from author and entrepreneur Kobi Yamada, and it said:

“Every now and then, bite off more than you can chew.”

“What?!?” I said to myself. “I thought we weren’t supposed to bite off more than you can chew!”

Growing up and in my adult life, I’ve heard this idiom many times: “Don’t bite off more than you can chew!”

The meaning behind this phrase is simple: Don’t do more than you’re able to do, or don’t try to do something that might be too difficult for you. 

The intention behind the saying is well-meaning. Why put yourself in a position where you might get hurt, or stressed out, or overwhelmed?

But Kobi Yamada encourages us tea drinkers and non-tea drinkers alike to throw caution to the wind.

“Every now and then, bite off more than you can chew.”

Biting off more than you can chew is an invitation to fail. Yes, fail!

What if you knew you had a high probability of failing, and yet you did it anyway?

What if you pushed yourself outside of your comfort zone and ventured into the unknown, without being sure of the outcome?

And what if, one day, you actually became comfortable with failure?

Too often, we’re taught that failure is not an option. Only bet on the sure horse. Play safe in life.

Biting off more than you can chew, every now and then, is a shaking off of who you think you’re supposed to be, and a stepping into an unimaginable, more alive you.

When you do things that you’re not used to, when you embark into lands unknown, when you say yes to making a fool out of yourself and possibly falling flat on your face, you awaken something inside you that challenges you to rise to the occasion.

So for your coaching assignment this week, be open up to the idea to biting off more than you can chew. 

See what opportunities present themselves to you to get out of your comfort zone, that dare you to show up and that might bring a gasp of, “Oh no, I can never do that!” 

And then go and try it.

Yes, you might be scared. But you also might feel more alive than you have in a long time.

Abundant Blessings and Namaste.

I'd love to hear your thoughts about today’s post. Please leave a comment below.

And if you’re feeling the need for guidance or support for a particular area of life, I offer a complimentary life coaching consultation where we can chat. You can learn more about these life coaching consultations by clicking here.

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