Trying New Things
Routines, favorite foods, scents from our childhood bring comfort, a sense of belonging. On rough days we choose to indulge in our memories, hoping the memories of love and laughter will consume the negative feelings and challenges. In these moments, the idea of trying something new, of daring to allow someone or something new into our lives, we almost feel as though we are betraying our memories.
Routines are comforting to me. I love starting and ending my days in the comfort of my known routines. The flow of working through the process, of not having to invest energy or thought into something, of being able to relax, think, ponder ideas, and reflect on moments both energizes and relaxes me. I also love the routines of my workday, of scheduling work and meetings around the routines that ensure I am successful, complete tasks, and have time to be a mom.
Yet I love trying new things, new styles, and new foods. The anticipation of figuring something out, tasting a new flavor, and learning something new excites me more than anything. I attribute this love of new to a childhood that was filled with new experiences, locations, homes, and travel. The continually changing scenery, stream of new people, different cultures, and new foods created a need for travel, a sense of adventure in my life.
As an adult, life changed, it settled down, and I settled into routines. Days began to blur together, weeks seemed like five minutes, and months seemed like 10 years. Routines began to tug at my heart, my spirit faded, and slowly, life lost its joy. Continuously knowing what would happen, having set days for certain activities made me feel trapped, I wanted to scream. The sense of adventure and the desire to try new things seemed like memories from a former life. I felt bored, and worse, dull.
Making a Consciousness Change
Life has been hectic, stressful, and filled with unpleasant surprises. The past two years have brought tremendous growth and clarity, at a high price. The continual sense of not knowing what the pandemic created forced me to be creative, to learn how to change course mid-stream, understand what people need, and find ways to deliver. Not being able to eat out made cooking at home a necessity. Hobbies became the only form of escape we had. And so I explored new hobbies, learned to cook new recipes, and got truly creative in my work.
These slight changes, although born of necessity, reminded me how very much I loved trying new things, being creative, and embarking on an adventure. Slowly, I felt my spark coming back. I made new friends, tried new things, and challenged myself to find peace in the midst of chaos. While everyone else worried about what would happen, I found myself.
Life in the midst of chaos
I suppose it would be fair to say my life has never been normal. I have lived in a form of chaos for most of my life. I quickly learned your address meant nothing, would never, could never bring happiness. Life is what you make of it, your home is where you choose to make it. And happiness is a decision. We can choose to experience joy, to be happy and content, or we can choose to be miserable. Life is truly this simple. Trying new things can add spice, adventure, and experiences to our lives. Life will always be chaotic, there will truly never be any peace. Peace is found in how we handle the chaos of life, and what we choose to do with the energy created from the stress.
Mastering the Chaos
The moment we learn to embrace the chaos, to roll with it, is the moment we find peace. Peace never truly exists outside of our hearts and souls. Our mind is the keeper of peace. When we master our thoughts, when we learn to control the negative, to push those thoughts out, to turn failure into a learning experience, we control the chaos. This is the ultimate secret of the universe, understanding we can never stop the chaos, rather we learn to find the peace and beauty of the moment, we have overcome the rat race. Choosing how we react, and controlling our thoughts, is the most powerful weapon we have.
Joy in the New
And yet, no matter how well we control our thoughts and develop the ideal routines, we can become bogged down by the sameness of it all. Learning to try new things to not be afraid of the unknown can add the spice we crave, and need, in positive ways. One of my favorite ways to spice up a weeknight is to try a new recipe, do my workout backward, or take my dogs for a walk in the backyard. These simple activities are enough to calm my soul, spice up a dull day, and give me the energy needed to keep moving forward.
Sincerely,
Sara O
