Reason to SMILE #65: TRYING NEW THINGS
How often do you try something new? Are you an adventurer or are you content to live in the safety and comfort of the well-known? I am not the adventurer, at least not in the truest sense of the word. When I find things that I like to do or foods that I like to eat or people that I connect with, I stick with those things, foods or people. If it ain’t broke, right?
“That’s not truly living,” you might say. I hear you. I do. But attempting the unknown has not always yielded the best results for me. Let’s talk about new foods as an example. Sometimes, I look at a menu in a restaurant and say, “Hmmm. That sounds yummy. The picture looks great, too.” So, I give in to the clever advertising of the restaurant industry and I order something I’ve never before tasted. The new food is served. I take a big bite and…. (You know, it’s one thing to spit out food when you’re in the privacy of your own home; it’s another thing when you’re sitting in a restaurant. I am not proud of everything I’ve done in life. 🙂 ) Ordering something new always turns into reordering my “usual” and explaining to a manager or waitress why I need a whole new meal when I have another sitting right in front of me. (Uhm, because the menu lied and the meal I ordered first is gross!) I tried something new and it wasn’t good.
Tonight, I set all of those horrible food experiences aside and I attempted something brand new. I attended a painting party. Now, I love all sorts of arts and crafts but one art at which I’ve never excelled is painting. Regardless of my shortcomings as a painter, my friend had invited me to the party so I went. And you’ll never guess what happened. I actually had a fantastic time! My painting did not turn out like I wanted but it was so relaxing to sit for two hours, thinking of nothing else in the world but painting cherry blossoms. I tried something new and it was fun!
I guess it’s okay to try something new every now and then. In fact, if it brings a SMILE to my face like it did tonight, I just might try something new every day! I think I’ll stick to my usual orders at restaurants, though. That really is best for all of us. 😉
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