Of course, there are countless reasons why trying new things is awesome.
But let’s be honest…
Trying new things can also be intimidating, awkward and embarrassing.
Or it can be daunting. Or you may not like it. Or you may end up looking dumb.
When we try new things, we risk failure, judgment, or even pain.
Like when I was working on my crow pose (new thing #7).
Of course, I wanted to get it right the first time, but then I read people can master it in a few months and I aimed for that. So imagine my frustration when I still couldn’t do it two years later.
I felt incompetent, silly for even trying. I was ashamed to admit I’ve been working on it for so long. Not to mention just fail at attempting it in front of other people at the gym.
The worst part was that I knew that what holding me back is not my body, it’s my mind. And it was the hardest thing to work on.
I was scared of falling forward. I got carried away by all of the bad things that could potentially result from the fall. Like I could hurt myself, break my nose, sprain my wrist, or maybe even get a concussion. I don’t know, but I have a vivid imagination.
Can you relate? I bet you can!
Because it’s natural to have anxiety while trying something new.
It’s normal to think about what can go wrong and how many people are going to see that. And it’s fine to be sort of afraid and not enjoy new things right away.
But then all of us have two choices:
- Make excuses why not to try new things and risk becoming living a little bit dead inside not really knowing how great life can be.
- Or approach new things with positive emotions, like excitement. Enjoy yourself. Have fun while doing it, even if you fail.
And I’m choosing the later. I know I’m going to make mistakes, mess up and look goofy. But that’s okay. The fun is in the process, in stepping out of the comfort zone, in figuring out how to do it.