Today is one of those picture-book perfect Autumn days. It calls to my heart to come outside and play. I want to get in the car and just drive off to wherever the wheels take me. There I want to have tea and scones and breathe in the crisp air that can only be found in the Freestate on Autumn days. Simply exhilarating.
This brings me to another lesson we can learn from children. They love to explore. Children are not afraid to discover new things or to try something new. They are always ready for an adventure. Children do not come up with excuses or reasons why they should not do something new. They are excited at all the possibilities of what life has to offer them.
As adults we seem to have lost that fearlessness. The unknown fills us with dread. We desperately cling to our comfort zones and we overthink everything. We worry about the what-if's and the how's until we find enough reasons not to do something. Our safety net becomes so small that it restricts our growth, our movements and it strangles all our dreams. Yes, as adults we need to be responsible and our safety and security are very important to us. There is nothing wrong with living your life within your comfort zone, but what if there is more to life? What if we were meant to live life to its fullest, to learn and experience more than just the mundane and ordinary?
There are huge benefits to venturing beyond our comfort zone and trying new things. Firstly, we learn to overcome fear. Fear debilitates us, and keeps us stuck in a rut, but the more we step into the unknown, the more we loosen fear's grip on our lives. We build our courage one step at a time. Whenever we do something new we inevitably also experience growth. We meet new people, we acquire new abilities and we discover new things about ourselves. Pablo Picasso said that he was always doing those things which he could not do in order that he could learn how to do it. What seemed impossible now becomes the possible. The truth is that if we only do that which we are able to do, then that is all we will ever be able to do.
When we try something new, when we stretch ourselves and we let go of the familiar for something new, we become excited and it boosts our confidence. We become happier people when we add new experiences to our lives. We meet new people and gain new skills. Even if we did not really like the experience we would have learned something from it, and we would have discovered something about ourselves in the process. By trying out new things we challenge ourselves which in turn stimulates our brains. It increases the blood flow to all of our body parts as a result of the faster heartbeat. The excitement of the challenge boosts our well-being. We start to look at life from new perspectives and discover new horizons.
Another benefit from exploring new territories and trying new adventures is that we are creating memories. Memories remind us that we have lived, loved and enjoyed life. It gives us stories to tell our grandchildren which they in turn will expand upon and share with their children.
Living in our comfort zones, are easy and even relaxing. It is a safe haven. Yet, if children were full-filled by living there they would have been fat, milk-fed blobs unable to move. They would have put no effort into crawling or walking. You see, in the comfort zone nothing much happens. No growth, no excitement and no progress. There is no incentive in the comfort zone.
We were all once upon a time wide-eyed children excited to explore every nook and cranny, but as adults we have forgotten the excitement which comes with new experiences. We need to learn from children how to seek out adventure again. Start with small steps, doing something different every day. Maybe try something as simple as taking a different route to work, or trying something new for dinner. Every new experience expands your vision and takes you to where you have never been before.
Don't spend another day in your comfort zone, the world awaits, explore!!!
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