There are things that have occurred in life that are decidedly different from the way I intended them to be. Sometimes these moments of irony go poorly, but sometimes they result in great things for us. Here are some good “ironic” things in life that have occurred.

  • I used to vow that I would NEVER get back back on my bike again. This lasted for 11 years, until I got back on the bike. The irony is that I now store my bike about 3 feet from the edge of my bed, so it’s the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see when I fall asleep. Something I used to vow to never want to see or ride again now bookends my day.
  • I vowed that I would NEVER be a runner… and now I’m training for my fifth half marathon.
  • I used to be so incredibly nervous for public speaking situations that I would break out in hives, wouldn’t be able to sleep the night before, and couldn’t concentrate on anything I had to do before my speech (yes- this made college difficult at times). The irony- I now give lectures as a job and I LOVE it! And yes- the hives were in check by the time I started grad school.
  • In middle school and early high school there was a list of 3 or 4 states that I promised myself I would never live- I grew up making fun of these states, and to me they just seemed pretty lousy. The irony- I have lived in one of them for 9 years now, and I really enjoy it. Silly middle school me.
  • I remember saying that I would NEVER be someone who would work out in the mornings… Then I started working out maybe once a week in the morning. And now I wake up at 4:50 two mornings a week to teach pilates/ pilates barre class. 5 years ago if someone had told me this, I probably would’ve cried.
  • In grad school I remember telling people that I didn’t see how people were able to see clients early in the morning (early= before 11 am). I said I couldn’t concentrate, and would much rather see someone from 8-9 pm than 8-9 am. I can’t even fathom that now, and actually go into the office an hour earlier than all my other co-workers except my boss to start seeing people earlier. I love it!

Sometimes I smile or laugh when I think of these things, as these things make my life so different than I had imagined. The thing is, these things that I was convinced I would “never” do bring so much joy and fun into my life, and I really enjoy them. So, I guess the saying is right: “never say never”.

Now it’s your turn to share! Is there something you thought you would “never” do that you are doing now?