Jill Wheeler Shows You How To Try Anything (Safely)
Q: I have always played it safe in life, but I want to be more adventurous. How do I try new things without worrying about hurting myself or looking stupid?
A: Your attitude is the key to living an adventurous life. Consider this John A. Shedd quote: “a ship in harbor is safe but that’s not ships are built for.”
Humans too are built to withstand the struggles inherent to living an adventurous life. We are also hardwired to handle stress—especially the heart-racing, blood-pumping good kind of stress that comes from trying a new sport, adventuring to new lands or learning something out of your perceived comfort zone.
One suggestion is to powerfully visualize yourself doing the sport or activity. It sounds funny but the more you practice “seeing” yourself master it, the more fluently you will pick it up.
Having someone with you and having a great sense of humor are also essential. The fun (albeit sometimes unnerving) thing about adventure is you don’t know what is going to happen next. The adventures that go wrong are often the ones we laugh hardest about after the fact, and the memories that bond us to our friends and family because we experienced them together.
You’ll have to accept that you might look like a buffoon while trying something the first time. It’s also important to consider that getting comfortable with being uncomfortable is a great way to expand self-induced limits. Now, I am not suggesting you try everything with wild abandon (some things require proper coaching or professional guidance), but know that some pain, bumps and bruises are small prices to pay for living a life of full of fun and adventure!
If you simply don’t know how to get out of your routines, there’s good news. The Internet allows unprecedented access to sites with information and groups to help you try something new. You simply have to make up your mind to do it. Those first few steps are always the most difficult, so grab a buddy, and go for it.
Whatever you tackle next, keep me posted! Send an email, write a comment on my Facebook page; inspire me! That is where the magic happens…when we inspire others through our own experiences!