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Seek Out First Time Experiences in the Second Half of Your Life

Guest post by: Sheryl Nicholson

Article Overview: I love this "touchstone" I have hanging in my office. It seems the older we get the more excuses we have NOT to participate actively in life. "I might break a nail" if I learn how to climb rocks. "I might break a leg" if I roller blade with my kids. "What would the neighbors say if they saw me out there on my kid's scooter"? All we're doing is shutting down our bodies and our minds with this type of negative talk. "Just like fruit on a tree, if you're not continuing to grow, then you're ripe, and beginning to rot" my friend told me.

Seek Out First Time Experiences in the Second Half of Your Life

I love this "touchstone" I have hanging in my office. It seems the older we get the more excuses we have NOT to participate actively in life. "I might break a nail" if I learn how to climb rocks. "I might break a leg" if I roller blade with my kids. "What would the neighbors say if they saw me out there on my kid's scooter"?

All we're doing is shutting down our bodies and our minds with this type of negative talk. "Just like fruit on a tree, if you're not continuing to grow, then you're ripe, and beginning to rot" my friend told me.

When do we usually have our "first time experiences"? When we were children. At birth a child is reaching, touching, tasting. As much as we love them we secretly can't wait until their crawling and walking...until we realize the work involved in child-proofing everything! They are asking why and how questions until our heads are swimming. We couldn't wait to be that person who taught them how to ride a bike, a scooter, a horse. They couldn't wait to grow old enough to drive, to go out on their own and experience new things. And what happened to us adults? We just got tired!

Have you lost your dreams or enthusiasm for growth and learning?

It's the continuing to stretch ourselves that adds to our life balance. It keeps us from becoming isolated in mind and spirit. It allows us to have interesting conversations with all types of people.

I have some in-laws that are just the most boring people in the world. When we meet at the Holiday table, to catch up with "what's new", after taking about the kids and the grandkids and what's for dessert...the conversation dead ends. Now that some of my children are adults, they too have noticed the "work" that it takes to make a connection past the superficial.

The feelings of fear, anticipation and victorious success should not be saved only for the young. And I'm not telling you necessarily, to "jump off a cliff". You don't have to risk your life to enjoy this life balance technique. You can stretch yourself with new menus, new travels, new dances. Learning to juggle, do judo, ballet (yes even as old as you are), fish, play cards, anything that you've never done before COUNTS!

Make a list of all the things you haven't done in life yet and try the easiest ones, closest to home first. After those first few successes (and remember I don't believe in failure because if you've learned something from the experience it's a SUCCESS) you will be more confident to try others. It's just a matter of taking that first step...

So...start something today! (c)2009

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Article Tags: first time experiences, personal growth, risk taking, touchstone



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