If You Want To Find Out, You Have To Go In

In New York I met Anna-Belle, who I’ve been following on Instagram forever. Anna-Belle is a fitness-junkie who loves a lot of the same things I do, so we got along great.

While we were having cocktails one night, we were talking about her New York marathon. The topic of conversation changed into the things she and I still wanted to do in running, and life.

There’s this quote I love, Anna-Belle said, “that helped me run the New York marathon when there was a big, big chance I couldn’t, when I was afraid, when I was in doubt about it all:

If you want to find out, you have to go in.

I got out my phone and put it in my notes while muttering to myself about the brilliance of both the quote as Anna-Belle, and that I was going to steal it.

I love that you can read the quote two ways.

One, if you want to find out? You have to go in.

Clean, simply stated.

If you want to learn, if you want to find out you can do something, if you want to see if this relationship works, if you want to see if you can be a good enough whatever (whether it’s runner, writer, blogger, singer, professional mime), you have to go do it. You have to sign up for the course, start the training, get your name out there, do the work…And see what happens. You have to go in, to come out with what you want.

Two, if you want to find out? About what you can do, what someone can be for you, what opportunities are available to you, what dreams you could realize?

You have to go IN.

Like, IN.

Like, balls deep.

Conviction, dedication, determination: Going all for it, being honest about your ambitions, owning up to your shit you have to fix in order to make it happen, putting in the time, the hours, the blood sweat and tears.

You have to set your teeth in it and not let go, like a Schnautzer with a bratwurst.

I like both. The regular going in and the Capslock going IN. I lean more towards one some days, while going balls deep on other days (as is life and let nobody tell you differently, you can’t go hard all days).

The thing is, thinking you could may be do something (and be great at it) and then not doing it, means nothing. “I could have run a marathon”, “I could write a book”, “I could balance 21 plates on 21 straws while singing Bad Blood by Taylor Swift.”

Oh yeah? Prove it.

You want to find out? What you can do, what you can become, the goals you can achieve, the plans you can make and realize fully?

If you’re serious, if it’s not just talk that keeps the silence of your regular life at bay?

If you want to find out? Go in.