“Twenty years from now, you’ll be even more disappointed in what you didn’t do than what you did.” ~Mark Twain
Let me set the scene.
It’s a fierce summer day in Miami. The kind of humidity hugs you tighter than you at a high school reunion, and the air makes you feel like you’re swimming in warm soup. Not to mention sweating through the surprise death training at Muscle Beach, the weather isn’t the kind of weather you’d like to move around.
But I was there.
The trainer reveals that he is a training sergeant in his past life, but “One other person in charge and we’re done!”
Ah, yes. Famous last words of all group fitness classes so far.
Spoiler: We weren’t finished.
The “another person in charge” has been turned into 10 exercises each punishes more than the last. Finally, I was sure my feet had applied for release. My tank top could have been used to wipe the floor. Still… beneath the fatigue there was a mysterious, rich sensation of the wild.
I tilted my head towards the sky as I collapsed on the grass after it was folded. Not for inspiration, but perhaps for God’s rescue. Instead, there were clouds. Big, unhappy, rolling fast.
Now, as a local in Miami, I knew what was coming. rain. In 5 minutes, you’ll give and take it.
Our group – sweaty partial parts decided to grab the food at a nearby Greek spot 6 blocks away. That would have been a simple call… if the weather didn’t turn into a tropical tantrum.
And that’s when the debate began: “Uber to Uber?”
That was the moment.
It was a question that opened up something bigger than I expected.
Because I was thinking. Existentially, not essentially: what makes a better story?
Dry and comfortable dry? Or are you walking in the storm and laughing wet?
You can guess what I chose.
We left on foot.
The first raindrops were tentative and almost polite. Then came the heavy rain. A real deal. Soon we were soaked in the skin, but free.
We splashed a puddle. We cried out. We laughed like kids allowed to stay up before bed.
As we finally jumped into the restaurant, it looked like a joyous chaotic group to be with wet, wind blowing and grinning. No one cared about what they looked like. No one regretted going for the walk.
Because we just didn’t choose to eat. We chose memory.
So now I ask you the same thing you asked yourself: what will make a better story?
It’s not an easy thing. It’s not refined. It doesn’t keep you neat and devoured.
A better story. Something with heart, risk and colour. What you live – even if you get a little messy in the process.
They tend to choose based on comfort and control. Choose something convenient. Predictable. safety. But the stories we remember, and the stories we are proud to tell, usually start from moments of uncertainty.
A leap. yes. “why?”
It probably felt like a risk, but it’s a relationship that has become a reality.
Perhaps it was the day you finally stood up for yourself despite your voice trembling.
Maybe it’s a job that you weren’t ready, but said yes anyway.
Or, like me, it’s just a walk through the rain that reminds you how alive you truly are.
Your life is made up of stories.
And every day you write the following line:
So, what will that be like today? Do you play safely? Or would you choose the version for this day (your own version)?
About Daniel Dam
Daniel Dam is Life and Leadership Coach, Speaker and Founder of Coach Dam LLC. Through her signature programme from the invisible to the unforgettable (U2U), she ends up a life of ambitious yet overwhelming as she ceases to live in an autopilot and actually feels as good as she looks. After years of chasing external validation, Daniel is now able to help others reconnect with the truth, rewrite old patterns, and build a life rooted in purpose, existence, and personal power. Find out more or connect with her on CoachDam.com or on Instagram @danielle_coachdam.
