Your parents were probably the first people ever to tell you to try.
While you were laying down flat on the floor, content with crawling around on a pair of arms and knees, your parents were the ones who coaxed you to walk. For a time, you just stared at them like a deer in the headlights.
Eventually you gave in to their attempts to stand you up on two legs and robotically move your feet; you decided to try.
No doubt you were clumsy at first — your first attempts usually ended with bonking your head on the living room table or falling on your diaper-wearing butt. Puzzlement ensued nonetheless.
You probably just couldn’t get why it was so hard — you’ve seen how babies act after their first couple tries — they just revert back to crawling. But one thing you’ll notice is that after those depressing attempts they’ll watch you walk and even try standing without you coming to their aid.
For some reason, after trying, you seemed to want to walk. You tried it before, it wasn’t so bad, but now you wanted to perfect it. The cycle generally continued in this manner:
You wobble to your feet. You stand tall. You take a step and fall.
You wobble some more. You stand tall. You take a few more steps and boom.
You master the art of standing. You take a few steps and actually walk… until another table seems to come out of nowhere.
Then one day, your movements become automatic. You stand up. You stand tall. You walk. And you never crawl again… okay maybe you do sometimes.
This is not a post about babies – my point
We have been encouraged to try new things since the early days of our lives. Everyone has had firsts: first walk, first friend, first piece of candy, first day of school, college, work, etc.
But for some reason, when we reach a certain age, trying becomes something to be looked down upon. In our young years of adulthood, the act of trying new things become synonymous with the act of being weird. Or being stupid. Or being “a deluded dreamer”. These days, you can’t suggest anything resembling a pipe dream unless you want to be criticized.
Since when is it a bad thing to want to try things out of the ordinary? I’m well aware that using walking to support my point isn’t the best example. But why do the things we want to do have to have already been done by everybody else in order for us to do it?
I’ll tell you why. Because somewhere along the line of our existence, we’ve become afraid to try. The curiosity we used to have as children has become rationalized into fear. We’ve come from thinking,
“Hmm, I wonder what will happen if I do this?”
to
“Holy crap! There’s no way in hell I’m doing that! What if (insert wimpy excuse here).”
It doesn’t make sense not to try
I understand there are evolutionary reasons for this. We shouldn’t jump off a bridge to see for ourselves if we can fly. And it probably isn’t a the best idea to try and mimic what you see on TV. I mean, you don’t want to get seriously injured, right?
But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try things that might prove exciting for you. How about just one day deciding to go to Brazil for no reason other than to see what happens? How about talking to that one girl you’re probably never talk to if you don’t try?
How about taking a chance and hoping for the best?
Because honestly, there is no downside. There may be some collateral damage (anything from a bruised ego to some broken bones, depending on what you try — I do not advocate life-threatening stunts), but the results are well worth it.
The way I see it, you can gain:
1. A new life lesson
2. A good story to share
Go out there and take a chance
You only have one life. Everybody knows this and we still act like it’s a lie. What are you waiting on and saving for the future? Why are you drawing up plans for something so simple? When will that “maybe later” turn into “let’s do it right now”?
Become an advocate of living life like it is your last. It honestly does make a difference. Even now, I’m spending my night writing for all of you. Is my life exciting? When I’m writing, you bet it is. Can it get more exciting? Come along for the ride (i.e. subscribe to this blog), and you’ll find out.
Here’s my permission: I’m telling you to try. Keep trying new things until your life runs well out; because that’s what we should be doing, each and every day.
photo credit: fdecomite
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15 comments to “Why There’s Nothing Wrong With Trying Something New”
JOHn, I agree with you completely on this! What fun is life if we are so so stuck in our comfort zones. We arent making memories by not living….and, not trying new things is as good as not truly LIVING.
Loved this post and its awesome message
Much Love,
Z~
p.s. is it me or has your comments forms font gone lighter ..way too light? ..while typing that is…
Hey Z,
Life is all about living – maybe it won’t always be fun, but it should always be interesting. You’re welcome for the message.
About the comment colors – I’ll see if I can fix it this weekend (since I have an essay due later today).
Thanks for writing this post… It was just what I needed, as I’m about to start something very new soon. It can be scary, but it’s important to break out of our comfort zones!
Hey Dani,
Have you listened to Seth’s Linchpin April session audio recording? It’ll help on the path to starting your ‘new thing’.
John,
TRYING… it’s just that easy, isn’t it. I remember thinking I didn’t want to do something because I was unsure of the level of success I’d achieve and then hearing words like “practice makes perfect” and “oh just try” when I was young. It really does come down to that. One may want to avoid the perfectionist tendancies that come along with hearing “practice makes perfect” his whole life (mostly through self talk in my older years) but that’s another story all together.
Great post, John, thank you,
Darren
Darren Sproat´s last blog ..No Such Thing as a Bully
The problem that people who have a problem with trying is that they worry too much about the end. They keep filling their minds up with pointless questions:
“What if it doesn’t work?”
Well, have you even tried yet? Stop asking about the future when you haven’t even acknowledged the present.
You’re welcome for the post, Darren.
I suspect that people aren’t so much worried about outcomes and getting hurt… as being laughed at [for trying]
Until the world decides to be more kind to those who ARE willing to “give it a go”… fewer and fewer people are going to stick their neck out where others fear to go. Failure should be encouraged as a good thing. Without it we’re just spinning our wheels. A few of us around here are exceptions to the rule [brave maverick souls]… and I can’t see that changing any time soon… can you John?
Another great post. Thank You!
Jean Burman´s last blog ..Connect The Dots!
Very true, Jean. As usual, fear has the power to consistently deter us from paths undiscovered. I do think the entrepreneurial world is beginning to shout loud enough to people that failure is not something to be feared. Risks must be taken to make progress.
I really hope this changes, but even if it does start, it will take decade (maybe even a century) for there to be any significant changes.
You’re welcome for the post.
trying something new is what the variety of life is all about. You get forced into a zen state of beginners mind which is beautiful as well.
Richard | RichardShelmerdine.com´s last blog ..Book Reading Simplified
Right on, Richard. It is indeed the spice of life.
Hi John, when a child learns to walk they are learning what NOT to do as much as they are learning what to do. The same for us adults. When we try something new we learn what we don’t like and what doesn’t work as much as we learn what we do like and what does work.
Stephen Mills´s last blog ..Wishful Thinking
True, Stephen. I see your point. But it is also true that when we reach a certain age, in general, our parents tell us to think realistically instead of embracing the imagination that once ruled our young minds.
Of course, blanket statements do allow for exceptions to this rule.
Great post and I think your example of learning to walk works. As children, above all when we are very young, we cannot sense outcomes or probabilities. Perhaps this is because children explore the world. As we age, we seem to become obligated to ideals, losing our curiosity. It is impressive how a child can stumble and yet soon he or she is running with ease. Did they try to comprehend running? They just took pleasure in what they were doing; living rather than merely existing. Children have the skill to experience life to its fullest, and maybe we can discover from them, how to engage our natural curiosity.
Sandra Hendricks´s last blog ..There’s No Harm in Positive Thinking
Welcome to my domain, Sandra
I truly believe we are at our purest when we are children. As we grow older and experience more in the world, we tend to forsake our purity. That innocence becomes responsibility, our curiosity becomes acceptance, and our love for adventure becomes an aversion to change.
It is important that we do not let our age and knowledge determine how we go about living. I advocate acting as adults, but living as children.