Ever found yourself chasing after a bus, heart pounding, feeling ridiculous? These moments of awkwardness and resilience can teach us important lessons about personal growth and persistence.
Who can honestly say they have never had to burst into an unexpected run? The annoying moment when you’re forced into a brisk jog to chase something (or someone). Most people have experienced an uncomfortable speed walk or the occasional full sprint at least once in their life. Many have also felt a cringeworthy, sometimes anxiety-inducing embarrassment as they were doing it. As bad as that feeling can be, it actually makes you a better and more resilient person.
Why Running for a Bus Feels Different
Whether it’s chasing the bus or chasing your stubborn dog through the neighborhood. It’s an unplanned moment and your reaction is swift because it has to be. Although the same motions are happening, for some reason this type of run triggers a completely different mental reaction than when you’re on the treadmill. Despite the fact you’re essentially running for your benefit in both scenarios, this run feels different. Internal embarrassment instantly starts peaking but you’re forced to make it simmer down so you can focus on your speed.
If no one sees you, you can simply shake your head and laugh at yourself. But when there’s a crowd, that can amplify the feeling of heart pounding embarrassment.
As you approach your target, you can quickly assess the situation. If it’s the departure gate, you can slow down a bit since there are still a few people yet to board. Relief. Your dog finally ran out of energy, and you can get close enough to grab him by the collar. Disgruntled relief. Suddenly, whatever you had to do and how cringeworthy you felt you looked no longer matters. The feeling passes until the next time.
Chasing Goals Builds Confidence
The chase is done and you’ve accomplished your goal. You don’t let the fear of being seen in a less-than-ideal scenario stop you from your mission. It’s an overarching theme that can be applied to many things in life. When you see someone running after something, it just means they really needed that particular thing. Conquering the fear of looking foolish while going after something you want is a great way to improve self-confidence.
Chasing the bus in the pouring rain is practicing tenacity on a small scale. The run itself is already annoying, and the rain makes it even worse. It’s very similar to life in general, with the rain being another external obstacle that has the possibility of throwing you off balance. The feeling of running behind something, not knowing if you’re going to catch it, but knowing you have to at least try is crucial. It’s important for growth. We tend to gauge what we perceive to be the extent of our capabilities based on the risks we take and how well they pan out.
Once looking ridiculous or feeling silly is no longer at the forefront of your mind, it becomes easier to do things without that constant fear of “what will people think?”. After a certain point, your focus shifts to potential outcomes based on your efforts rather than the thoughts of others. You begin to transform awkward moments into opportunities for growth
When people see you making an effort, they’re more inclined to try and help you. Often times passengers will alert the driver if they see someone running behind the bus. They may stare, but rarely does anyone laugh. Because everyone understands the mission.
Missing the Bus Doesn’t Mean Failure
Sometimes the mission fails. You ended up chasing the bus but were just one minute too late. You reached the back door just as it was pulling off. Even worse, you feel like you embarrassed yourself for nothing. But the reality is, for the most part, no one cares. There’s always another plane, another bus or another interview etc. There will be many opportunities to push past the embarrassment and chase the next thing you want.
The concept of using embarrassing moments as a tool for self-progress isn’t new. There are videos on YouTube of “embarrassment exposure” challenges. These are social experiments where people willingly allow themselves to be placed in embarrassing public situations, like wearing eccentric clothing or offering free hugs to strangers. These challenges help people leave their zones of comfort and venture into a space where personal opinion is paramount.
Actors often undergo intense public scrutiny, but Christian Bale once said “I learned that there’s a certain character that can be built from embarrassing yourself endlessly. If you can sit happy with embarrassment, there’s not much else that can really get to you.”
Embrace the Awkward
If you have time to spare, you may not feel compelled to run. You may prefer to wait comfortably for the next bus, train, job etc. Or… you can run a bit faster, with more effort and get accustomed to the feeling of putting as much effort as possible into the things you want in life. Avoiding all forms of embarrassment is unrealistic and time is not unlimited.
There’s a rarely seen clip from 1986 of the late Queen Elizabeth II chasing after a toddler Prince William to keep him from being hurt by a carriage. Which just goes to show that no matter who you are, some things are mildly embarrassing but totally necessary.
Do something embarrassing whenever the opportunity presents itself. After a while the sting of feeling foolish starts to become a little less each time.
What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done to chase something important? Drop a comment and share your story—I promise, it’s better out in the open!