Oh, Really? Let’s See About That.

Note from Jamie

I like to share things that light me up, fill me with joy, and make my life easier. Nothing is sponsored. These are just things that are helping me along my journey.

Oh, Really? Let’s See About That.

I have a little phrase that I think I need to start using more often:

"Oh, really? Let’s see about that."

Because this week, life kept handing me little reminders that I don’t always know what I think I know.

Take my teeth.

I had a new hygienist at the dentist this week, and I am so grateful for her. She suggested that I start flossing before I brush.

Wait. What?

I have been doing this backward my entire life.

Her reasoning made perfect sense: floss first to loosen and remove the food particles hiding between your teeth, and then brush everything away.

Simple. Logical. And somehow completely new to me.

She also convinced me to try an electric toothbrush, and suddenly I’m brushing my teeth for the full two minutes instead of my usual 30-second-ish effort. 😂

My teeth feel exceptionally clean. And it got me thinking…

How many things do I do simply because “this is the way I’ve always done it”?

How often am I so certain that I know the right way that I don't leave much room for someone to show me another way?

Apparently, sometimes all it takes is a new hygienist.

A few days later, I found myself having a completely different version of that same experience at Divine Consign.

If you're not familiar, it's basically a giant, boujee Goodwill store held at a convention center. Hundreds—or maybe thousands—of people shopping hundreds—or maybe thousands—of racks of clothing.

I walked in thinking I was about to have the thrift-shopping experience of my dreams.

Instead, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of clothing and underwhelmed by the prices.

$42 for a used Lululemon zip-up in fair condition?

Hard pass.

I left with nothing.

And you know what?

That's okay, too.

Not everything that is popular or beautiful or highly recommended has to be for us.

Sometimes staying curious means being willing to discover that we don't like something.

That's information, too.

I think we're often told to keep an open mind as though the goal is always to change it.

But maybe the goal is simply to be open enough to find out.

And then there was Emma.

She was invited to play on the Varsity Volleyball Team, and I couldn't be more excited for her.

Not just because of the opportunity to play, but because of the girls she'll be surrounded by. These older girls become a little bit like the big sisters our kids need as they grow into themselves.

There is something really special about watching your child enter a new room where you aren't the expert anymore.

You can't teach her everything.

You can't protect her from every experience.

You can't always be the one she looks to.

And, honestly, that's both beautiful and terrifying.

Parenting a teenager requires a strange combination of trust, surrender, boundaries, and deep breathing.

And sometimes, a sense of humor is the only thing keeping you from completely losing your mind.

That same lesson came up again this week in one of those messy parenting moments when a friendship got complicated.

I found myself needing to have an uncomfortable conversation with a teenager—not my own—about honesty, trust, and the way our choices affect other people.

It would have been easy to avoid the conversation.

It would have been easier to say, They're kids. They'll figure it out.

But sometimes being the grown-up means being willing to say the thing that needs to be said.

Not to shame someone.

Not to make them feel like a bad person.

Just to tell the truth.

It reminded me that being kind doesn't mean being silent.

Being compassionate doesn't mean abandoning a boundary.

And loving someone doesn't mean pretending something didn't bother you.

Sometimes love sounds like:

“I care about you. And this isn't okay with me.”

Then came the experience that tied all of this together for me.

I attended a conference session about leadership and the ways the principles of improv comedy can make us better leaders.

Honestly?

I almost didn't go.

The session description mentioned "experiential learning," and my immediate reaction was:

Absolutely not. 😂

I did not come to this conference to be put on the spot, participate in activities, or potentially embarrass myself in front of strangers.

But I went.

And I had a blast.

I laughed. I participated. I connected with people in the room. And I left feeling energized in a way I hadn't expected.

The facilitator talked about the importance of creating psychologically safe environments—spaces where people feel comfortable being curious, trying something, making a mistake, and contributing without fear of being judged or humiliated.

And I couldn't stop thinking about how much this applies to everything.

Leadership.

Parenting.

Friendship.

Marriage.

Business.

Life.

People open up when they feel safe.

They become more creative when they aren't afraid of being wrong.

They take more risks when they know they won't be punished for trying.

They become more honest when they trust that honesty won't be used against them.

And perhaps most importantly…

They become more themselves.

One of the foundational ideas in improv is “Yes, and…”

It's about accepting what is offered and building from there rather than immediately rejecting it or trying to control the outcome.

And I've been thinking about that a lot this week.

My hygienist said, Try flossing first.

Yes, and… my teeth feel amazing.

I went to Divine Consign expecting to find treasures.

Yes, and… I discovered that maybe it's not my thing.

Emma was invited onto Varsity.

Yes, and… I have to loosen my grip a little and trust the people who are going to help guide her.

A teenage girl made some choices that disappointed me.

Yes, and… I can love her, tell her the truth, and hold a boundary at the same time.

I almost skipped an improv session because I had already decided I wouldn't like it.

Yes, and… I walked out feeling more connected and energized than I expected.

Maybe that's what I'm taking away from this week.

Not that we should say "yes" to everything.

We absolutely shouldn't.

Not every opportunity deserves our time. Not every relationship deserves unlimited access. Not every price deserves to be paid. And not every behavior should be tolerated simply because we want to be kind.

But maybe we can stay open long enough to discover what the moment is actually offering us.

Maybe I don't have to know exactly how something will turn out before I try it.

Maybe I don't have to assume I already know the best way.

Maybe I can change my mind.

Maybe I can say, “That's not for me.”

Maybe I can say, “I was wrong about that.”

Maybe I can say, “I don't love what happened, but I'm willing to have the conversation.”

Maybe I can walk into a room I almost avoided and discover that I needed to be there.

And maybe I can create enough safety for the people around me that they don't have to know either.

They can try.

They can stumble.

They can tell the truth.