Doing Things Differently—The Benefits of New Things In Your Life
So many people try to find stability in their lives and keep things going as they have been. They like to have a familiar routine, the same friends, and the same activities. There’s nothing wrong with this. Long-lasting relationships, routines, and traditions give people a sense of belonging, a feeling of home, and comfort. But it’s also essential to have the unfamiliar in your life. I know that doing different things and interacting with new people can provide a healthy jolt to the old psyche. I recently left a very long-term job and now work full-time on Blocks of Life. This experience has led me down a wonderful path filled with exploration and discovery. It literally fuels my dreams, which are constantly filled with new and different things because I’m always doing new and different things.
Different is exciting
Expanding your experiences is exciting—it gets your adrenaline going and your heart pumping. Think back to when you last had a new romantic interest and how exciting and intriguing that was. If you have the right attitude and proceed with an open heart, every time you try something different, you will experience a version of that. Each time you experience this unique excitement, you grow as a person. You change in such a way that you become someone different, and then everything you do will be different and exciting because you are doing it with fresh eyes and a different perspective.
Different is interesting
When you expose yourself to new and different ideas, places, and experiences, you open yourself up to whole new worlds you didn’t know existed. You will absorb these new worlds through your thoughts, senses, and emotions, translating into new insights, perspectives, and knowledge. Some of this will be impactful in ways you only realize once you experience it. Ultimately, this will also make what was familiar new through these new insights, perspectives, and knowledge. You will fundamentally grow as a person.
Differences make us strong
You’ve likely heard that there is a risk associated with putting all your eggs in one basket. The same can be said for a narrow perspective. If all you have is a long-established set of experiences and perspectives, you can only function well in the context of those experiences and perspectives. If something changes or you face a new challenge, you will be ill-prepared as you have yet to experience the new and the different. This is true not just about the specific changes or challenges but about dealing with the unfamiliar. The more you expand your horizons, the better you will be able to experience the new and the different fully.
Different is healthy
New experiences are healthy in a variety of ways. Your brain reshapes when you have a new experience or learn something new. Your brain is meant to be changing, and it changes through exposure to the unfamiliar. This is true for people at any age, not only for young people whose brains are still developing. The brain constantly grows, changes, and forms new connections whenever we try something new or learn something. This capability is called neuroplasticity. With each connection, your brain becomes healthier and more resilient.
Being open to the different
One of the most essential elements of trying new things is experiencing them with an open mind, open heart, curiosity, and a sense of wonder. Traveling, meeting new people, and having new experiences without significant benefits can happen if you have a closed mind. If you try new things behind a defensive wall and are only exposed to things in the context of your current state, you can never grow. It’s vital to become a child again and approach new things with a childlike sense of wonder and curiosity. It’s important not to compare new experiences to what you already know but to treat them entirely differently. This becomes harder the older we get, but it’s possible to do it well with practice, even for the most worldly-wise people.
New and different experiences keep life fresh and help you grow. Embrace the different in your life.
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Artwork by Grandfailure.
