January 2003

Don’t be afraid to try new things. Now, the normal response to that is, “Oh no, I love trying new things!” However, the reality is that most of us stick with the tried and true, day after day. Even to always going to the same restaurant and ordering the same thing each time that we go.

So why don’t we try new things? Because we are comfortable with what we know. We know how to do things in the way that we have always done them. It is safer and more comfortable.

And while that is true, there are still some wonderful new reasons to try new things. We may discover tastes, sights, sounds experiences we have never experienced before that we might enjoy. Okay, true, we may really hate those experiences as well. But I doubt that we will hate all of them! The more that we experience new things, the more our brain expands and grows. Senior citizens who keep their brains active have a decrease risk of dementia.

The more that we try new things, the more we come to appreciate our world and what is in it. For instance, travel to a new country, or, at the very least, a new part of our country. Test your pre-conceived ideas of how people live in that area and what they are like. I’d hazard a guess that you were mistaken in your assumptions. And, quite possibly, made some new friends along the way.

Try something new today. And enjoy the journey.