I went repelling a few weeks ago and I’m not gonna lie, I was pretty nervous. The last time I stepped off a cliff was when I was newly married and attended a mock BootCamp with some youth. My legs were shaking so badly that I couldn’t get myself to step over the side. Makes sense right? Our bodies were made to keep us from doing dangerous things. This time I tried to trick myself into thinking that it was no big deal. Even my 9-year-old son did it. So I casually hiked up to the top, made light conversation with my daughter and nieces while I put on my harness, and then waited and waited and waited. The longer I stood there the greater the probability of backing out became. I continued to tell myself that this was going to be fun and when the time came to step over the edge my legs started shaking and my heart raced faster than the rocks that came loose under my feet and fell to the ground. But you know what? I didn’t die, even though my legs continued shaking until I picked up momentum. My kids were actually shocked that I followed through and made it to the bottom. But my confidence increased ten fold and I new I could do it again if I wanted to.

Isn’t this how it feels sometimes to meet new friends? We know it won’t kill us. We know it will probably end up being fun if we could just get ourselves over that first cliff. Here’s what helped me get over my cliff and might help you get over yours.

Start with a group of friends you already know and ask them to introduce you to one of their friends that you aren’t familiar with yet. This way you feel safe among your current friend group and get practice meeting new people.

Then repeat step 1! Again and again! After taking a few shaking steps down the side of the cliff I eventually got to the point where I could jump away from the wall and swing back. It was actually fun! Trust me, take the first step.