It’s a New Year! There’s a feeling of inspiration, motivation, and action in the air. A societally determined fresh start, a new beginning!
Here at Stand InBalance, we’re embracing this energy of NEW, too. We’re enhancing our programs for leaders, teams, and organizations to include more assessment and consulting; we’re also developing new workshops. A brand new WORKSHOP we’re really excited about is coming up right around the corner
While new is exciting, it can often be scary, intimidating, and leave us feeling vulnerable. So, what’s so good about it anyway?
Just like the horses, we all have different temperaments and tolerances for things that are new and scary – some are curious, some are cautious, others are excited, and some are downright flighty – staying away from new challenges at all costs. For those prone to depression and anxiety, new experiences can be very overwhelming.
Consider an insecure horse that is “herd-bound” or “barn-sour” – terrified to leave the safety and security of their herd or stall. While we might think that a larger space or new experiences would be wonderful for them they become fearful and anxious, unable to enjoy the NEW. Helping them to gain confidence and increasing their threshold for vulnerability through our patience and leadership is key to shifting their perception from fear to enjoyment. The same is true for us – as we increase our capacity to tolerate experiences in which we feel vulnerable we gain confidence and enjoyment! Not only do we get to kick up our heels and have more fun, we also build our emotional agility – which benefits us in innumerable ways.
Here are just a few ways that TRYING NEW THINGS enhances our lives!
Become COURAGEOUS! Going out on a limb to try something new takes COURAGE! Acts of courage inevitably lead to increased CONFIDENCE, and confidence builds on self-esteem. Showing yourself that you have what it takes will only make you feel better about yourself. You will surprise yourself and realize the potential you’ve held all along.
BREAK out of a RUT – Trying new things keeps boredom at bay. Boredom ensures that we remain stagnant with no possibility of development. A great way to break you out of your mundane routine is to do something you’ve never done before. Wake up your brain and tell it that you’re not just here to go through the motions. You’re here for a purpose!
NOTICE the VALUE around you – Sometimes a little bit of perspective is all we need to gain a great appreciation and sense of value for the things around us. Things like everyday life, time with our kids, friendship, and interacting with new people all seem completely new and revived when we are exposed to something NEW in another area of life.
Open to POSSIBILITY – The possibility that you may ENJOY something NEW. Entire careers, passions and life paths are carved out by people dipping their toes into small ponds and suddenly discovering a love for something they had no idea would capture their imaginations. Also, opening yourself to POSSIBILITIES fires the imagination and can lead to a life lived more joyfully and expectantly.
SLOW down TIME – or at least our perception of it! When we embrace new adventures, we’re interrupting our everyday flow — in the best possible way. In a 2011 New Yorker profile, neuroscientist David Eagleman explains how our bias for the familiar affects how fast we think time flies:
“This explains why we think that time speeds up when we grow older,” Eagleman said – “why childhood summers seem to go on forever, while old age slips by while we’re dozing. The more familiar the world becomes, the less information your brain writes down, and the more quickly time seems to pass.”
DRIVE your personal GROWTH! We don’t really grow from taking familiar action. Accomplishing the same old actions requires only what we have learned until now! Growth requires we take new action, in the form of new situations, a new attitude or a new way of thinking. Thrusting yourself into new experiences forces beneficial change. A spirit of constant self-challenge keeps you humble and open to new ideas that very well may be better than the ones you currently hold dear.
“Pearls don’t lie on the seashore. If you want one, you must dive for it.” – Chinese proverb
APPRECIATE yourself – Do you really appreciate yourself for all you do and are capable of doing? Trying a new thing, whether it’s a new look, a new hobby, or a new motto, will help you to appreciate what you’re really made of. Self-love is incredibly important for your mental health and happiness!
BECOME HAPPIER! Psychologist Rich Walker of Winston-Salem State University looked at 30,000 event memories and over 500 diaries, ranging from durations of 3 months to 4 years, and says that people who engage in a variety of experiences are more likely to retain positive emotions and minimize negative ones than people who have fewer experiences. Research by Psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, suggests that we need between 3-11 positive events for each negative event to maintain optimal mental health. Trying new things offers more opportunities for positive experiences!
Our brains require challenges in order to remain stimulated. It’s a medical fact that the older we get, the more our brains need to be active. So instead of slowing down as we get older, we should be trying new things, learning new things, challenging our long held beliefs about the world and about ourselves.
“You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things”. -Nate Berkus
If we keep learning, keep experiencing and trying new things – we can sustain the positive energy of the NEW Year well past its beginning and reap the benefits of its rewards all year long! Check out our Upcoming Events for opportunities for you to learn something new!
Sources:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/04/25/the-possibilian
http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/everydayinspiration/2014/03/the-benefits-of-trying-new-things.html#ixzz3NRWRF2db
Time Magazine
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