Try something new

When was the last time you bought a ____________ (pair of shoes, pants, hat, you fill in the blank) in a color you would have never imagined wearing before? Or tried a new recipe, cut your hair differently, or ordered something other than your usual coffee in Starbucks?

I usually wear contact lenses, so my eyeglasses were over ten years old. I only changed the prescription but not the frame throughout the years. Yepp, my eyes are getting older, and although I see perfectly fine when I read, I need stronger glasses for driving or watching tv. This means if I want to see near and far, I must use glasses with progressive lenses!

I remember when my mom complained about them, and now, here I am, tilting my head to use the right part of the lenses to see well. I needed new glasses, so it was time to change the frame! I spent an hour selecting the right shape, thickness, and color.

I went down from twenty pairs to two: a light pink, fun, fashionable one and a brown, more conservative, stylish pair. In the end, I made the safe choice.

At home, my husband noticed that my new pair of glasses looked almost identical to those I bought ten years ago. Bummer. I spent all that money to look the same.

We are comfortable and like things our way. We are "fine," and everything is "okay..."

But Life is an exciting adventure! Challenging? Yes, but also FUN. When did we start looking at it as something we should only pass through?

Let's say you have a dream that is always at the back of your mind. Something you always wanted to try, some place you always wanted to go, the kind of life you always wanted to live, but you give up on it because you don't know what would happen if you started the journey, so you keep dreaming instead of doing. It doesn't have to be big or expensive. Even a tiny thing can change your life.

Let me tell you a secret. It doesn't matter how safe you play; knowing what happens next is an illusion.

You'll have challenges no matter what, so choose the path you are excited about, and try something new. Only by getting out there will you figure out what you really want. Only then you'll discover your strength.

What holds you back? Based on what I experienced myself,

• You might be scared of losing a dream. I learned not too long ago that expectation gives more dopamine than actually doing things we like, so no blame there. Daydreaming is totally fine and, of course, much safer.

• Maybe you don't want to work on it because you think you can't achieve it, so why even bother? I get it. We have our limitations, but most of the time, we underestimate ourselves. You'll only discover your limitations if you actually try to reach that limit!

• Maybe what stops you is the thought of working hard to reach your goal and then, halfway there, realizing it's not what you imagined.

So, what? There is nothing to lose! You can change your mind halfway without explanation. It doesn't mean you quit or failed. It means you tried something and didn't like it. Now it's clear it doesn't work for you, and time to move on.

Enjoy what life offers you in the now, even if it's a lesson to learn, and when you face difficulties, trust yourself. You will figure it out.

What is that one thing you always have at the back of your mind? That one thing you dream of doing if you had enough time, money, and experience? Share in the comments! And if you want to give it a chance, book your first, complimentary call with me, and let's see how I can help you to turn your dream into a goal.

As for me, I don't know when I will buy more fun-looking eyeglasses, but as I worked on this blog post, I decided to sign up for a Japanese ink painting course called Sumi-e –– something I wanted to try for a long time. I'll let you know how it went.