Day 8 of 31 Lessons from an Epic Beginner
Once, my brother and I got lost on our way to Kansas City due to an intense debate about trying new things. It's as ridiculous as it sounds.
A little history: I'm the youngest of four. I have two brothers, 7 and 4 years older than me, and a sister who's 2 years older. Getting to be their tag-along proved beneficial to me, because I got to try (or more often was strongly encouraged to try) all sorts of things my reserved self would normally avoid. Especially from my brothers.
It's something I've affectionately nicknamed "Brother Pressure." It's kind of like peer pressure, but it's a little more bossy and hobby-related coming from your older, wiser, stronger brothers. They were never mean about it, just determined. I road motorcycles (and learned random facts about dirt bike brands), rappelled from a pine tree in our yard, played army, rock climbed, and other things I would normally not choose for myself unless given just the right encouragement and environment to do so.
I was usually open to try whatever new sport or activity my brother was into. But I never felt the need to commit. It was nice; it was fun. I loved the challenge and adventure in trying. But after a couple tries, I was usually done. I like a lower-key, slower-paced kind of life. You know, yoga and long walks on the beach? I wasn't into free-climbing or mountain bike races like my brother. That was his thing.
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And that's where our discussion on a short roadtrip to KC came in. We both agreed that people should try new things with an open mind (and of course, by "people" we were talking about me). However, one of us felt that anything tried with an open mind would be liked, otherwise it wasn't really tried with an open mind. The other of us felt having an open mind helps, but doesn't necessarily guarantee it'll be liked. Yes, that discussion kept going until we were lost; we are stubborn people.
Whatever the case, there's one thing I know--nothing is rarely, if ever, liked if it's tried with a closed mind. And it's hard to like something if it's never been tried.
In order to know that rock climbing is fun, but not something I necessarily wanted to commit all of my money and time into--I had to put on those awkward shoes, harness up, and start climbing. I'd happily do it again, knowing I likely won't become a great climber. In order to know I actually could drive a motorcycle, I had to get on one and pull the throttle. I had a blast, and I didn't care too much that I couldn't keep up with the bigger kids.
The list goes on. Point is: I'm thankful to my brothers for helping me discover a little, teeny sense of confidence in branching out of my comfort zone. Maybe I didn't get all into these cool sports and hobbies that they loved, but I had an open mind and I tried some new things. And my life is better for it.
Who knows, maybe there's something new just around the corner that you'll love. You won't know if you don't try.
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Answer in the comments:
Have you ever tried something you weren't sure about, and surprised to find you liked it?
Day 8 of 31 Lessons from an Epic Beginner
