Have You Tried Something New and Exciting Lately?

My husband and I had the joy of spending the day with our 10 month old grandson yesterday. It is magical to see life through his eyes where so many of his experiences are exciting and new.

My husband and I sat on the floor a few feet away from each other and our grandson took several first steps between the two of us. Seeing the elation on his face and hearing his giggles of excitement as he took a few tentative first steps, were priceless and caused my heart to burst wide open with love.

This morning I woke up thinking about how proud he was of himself and how he kept practicing those wobbly, quick steps between my husband and I. I thought about how excited and safe he felt and how he wasn’t thinking, “I fell down. I suck at this walking business so I’m going to quit.” No, he kept practicing with pride, determination, and joy.

As I reflected on this, my mind drifted to the fear so many of us feel when we think about trying something for the first time. How many times does our fear of failure prevent us from even trying something new? When did we develop this critical voice in our minds that prevents us from trying exciting, new things?

I love to paint, but my inner critic sometimes gets loud and causes me to shrink and block my creative flow. I have learned to recognize her fearful voice and meet her with lovingkindness. Then, together we forge ahead with our creative expression. My goal is for my inner critic to feel as safe in her attempts to try new things as my precious grandson does as he learns how to walk.

When was the last time you tried something for the first time? What was your experience? Were you loving and gentle with yourself and did you enjoy the experience? Were you tentative and scared, but stepped through the fear and did it anyway? Or was your inner critic loud and fearful and kept you standing on the sidelines?

I encourage you to be gentle and loving with yourself and allow yourself the excitement of regularly stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things. If your inner critic shows up, remember to love her and meet her with the same kindness and encouragement that you would have for a precious infant learning to take her first tentative steps.