“Never be afraid to try something new. Because life gets boring when you stay within the limits of what you already know.” (Unknown)

Point to Ponder:
Do you resist trying new things, feel stuck in a rut, or have a difficult time with spontaneity? Have you done anything new lately and experienced a jolt of revitalization as a result?

Action Item:
Say “yes” to trying something new this week.
Inspire others to do the same by sharing your experience on our Facebook page!

Do you ever find yourself amazed how much there is to do in our sweet, little-ol’ Austin, Texas? Seriously, Austin is no longer just the weird, hippie, home of the University of Texas Longhorns. It’s a tourist’s haven, and people actually love vacationing and visiting here because of all there is to do! Which leads me to my next question: Why in the world don’t I participate in all of the cool, creative and fun things available, such as amazing restaurants, festivals, concerts, and arts? We live in a mecca of options, yet I find myself rotating through the same and often times boring, in-my-box activities.

Of course, traffic, work and children certainly dictate my level of participation and spontaneity, however, there’s always the weekend. So, last night, after spending a few hours at our favorite summer spot — the Pease Park splash pad — the Springmann family ventured to South Congress where we grabbed a bottle of wine and a few to-go pizza’s from the very popular pizza joint, Home Slice Pizza.

You see, we’ve never eaten at Home Slice or even tried their pizza. And, we never go to South Congress, so simply driving down SoCo (I feel so hip saying that-ha!) revitalized our weekend because it was something new. As for the pizza, it was delish and the customer service was excellent. In the event you’ve been living in a cave like me, and have not tried their pizza yet, I give it five stars!

How about you? Have you done anything new lately and experienced a jolt of revitalization as a result? Or, are you in need of a revitalization re-boot and need some motivation? If so, you’ve come to the right place! In the spirit of our country’s and our own independence, we aren’t just going to celebrate our freedom on the 4th of July, rather we are going to live like the gate is open throughout ALL of July with the hope this free-spirit living will inspire us to permanently live this way. I mean really, sometimes I live like I have an electric fence around my life and I’ll get zapped if I try something new. It’s ridiculous and it’s time to make some summer waves!

According to medical doctor and author Alex Lickerman, who struggles with trying new things, he reminds us that opening our minds to new things or a new way of thinking is often frightening because by definition it’s unfamiliar. Unfamiliarity often rings the alarm bell “danger—potentially unsafe.” But if you think about it, most of the things we fear don’t actually come to pass. When faced with trying something new, here are four benefits he often reminds himself of:

1. Trying something new often requires courage. And needing to summon courage is in itself a benefit. Once it’s released it will, like its second cousin once removed, anger, indiscriminately engulf everything in its path. How wonderful to open a flood of courage and be carried on its waves to destinations of unexpected benefit.
2. Trying something new opens up the possibility for you to enjoy something new. Entire careers, entire life paths, are carved out by people dipping their baby toes into small ponds and suddenly discovering a love for something they had no idea would capture their imaginations.
3. Trying something new keeps you from becoming bored. Even I, the most routine-loving person I know, become bored if I’m not continually challenged in some way. And it’s not the new challenges I’m eager to take on that represent my greatest opportunities for growth, it’s the ones I’m not eager about.
4. Trying something new forces you to grow. We don’t ever grow from taking action we’ve always taken (the growth that enabled us to be able to take it has already occurred). Growth seems to require we take new action first, whether it’s adopting a new attitude or a new way of thinking, or literally taking new action. Thrusting yourself into new situations and leaving yourself there alone, so to speak, often 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 (this happens to me all the time).

So, I invite you to join the iGnite Team in living like the gate is open. Say “yes” to trying new things that you are unsure about or you think you can’t do, even though they make you nervous.  And, when you do try something new, even if it is just a new bottle of wine, please let us know on our Facebook page (or if you don’t use Facebook, leave a comment on this post). This sharing will be a great way to inspire one another to try different things, plus, it’ll just be fun to see what everyone is doing to live like the gate is open!

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