Inspired by seeing Jen365‘s blog featured on CNN, Lisa Murray decided to shake up her life in a light-hearted way, break out of her rut and out of her shell … by doing one brand new never-tried-it-before thing every day for a year.
I love this idea.
I know a lot of my “new things” aren’t spectacular, but you know what? Even if I’m the only 23 year old who’s never made Jello shooters before … people who may be laughing and ridiculing me should realize that they too had to make them for the first time sometime.
Yeah, exactly!
It’s all about getting your mind to work in a new way, little bit by little bit, just opening the door to creativity and seeing the world with new eyes. (That, and stocking up on life experiences on the way to becoming a fabulously cool little old story-telling Granny, some day in the far distant future…)
Mind you, sometimes the “new things” are not particularly planned, or pleasant, or welcome. One day, Lisa’s “new thing” was side-swiping another car on a misjudged pass. Fortunately, it was just a scuff, no ill effects, but still… not quite the kind of new experience she’d had in mind!
Lisa tells me that it’s sometimes challenging to come up with something new to do every day — whether that’s as simple as wearing black nail polish or just pure silly fun, like ordering a smile at a McDonald’s drive-thru — but it’s been worth it, so far:
I’m learning to love who I am by not focusing on what others think of me. I’m “finding myself”, getting out of my comfort zone, and providing entertaining reading material!
She’s always looking for new ideas for new things to try… What do you say, are we up for it? Can we can come up with some suggestions for Lisa?
Oh sure, a creative bunch of people like this!
Tell you what, I’ll start it off — just scoot on down to the comments section, and we’ll see what wacky and wonderful ideas come floating to the surface…
@LA, soft-serve with fries – yuk! But you’re right, they’d try to sell it!
I love your idea of exploring the ‘community ads’ to find great gear and new adventures… that’s something of how it feels to wander around the internet, too … only, just a bit less of that healthy Yoga activity when you’re parked in a chair and web surfing… ;)
lol…the cheapest thing on the menu at McDonalds in Australia are the 30c Soft Serve Cones…they’re yet to put a price on smiles here Down Under. I’m sure they’d try and up-sell you to some fries with that anyway.
One thing I thought of from my recent experience of having no internet access at my home office for 2 weeks (and having to travel to the local library to use theirs) is ‘reading the local commumity ads’ that appear in the library…I now have a new Yoga Class to attend and my printer is sitting on a gorgeous 2nd hand bamboo table…all from those wonderful ads.