Act your way into a new way of Thinking

We all want growth. We want to live our best lives and find our purpose…. and then nothing changes. Why is that? Often the idea of that new job, home, experience is magical. Then when we think about taking the steps we need to make it happen, we freeze. It’s new uncharted territory and it feels uncomfortable. That’s not what we were after. We imagined feeling excited and empowered. So we stop and retreat into what is more familiar.

Growth is always uncomfortable at first and the mistake we make is assuming that it shouldn’t be that way. Change takes time to adapt to, even if it’s a change we have chosen for ourselves. If it feels awkward at first then the key is to ‘breathe into it’. Allow yourself to be curious and be open to what you can learn about yourself and others through the process.

It can be magical but only if we continue to move forward and become willing to explore new people, places and things. Be patient with yourself and give yourself the gift of adventure and discovery. Take the action. Try something new and sit with it for awhile before you decide if it’s for you.

When I was growing up, I was fearful and self-conscious. I never wanted to do anything that I couldn’t do well. You can see how that would limit my opportunities. We want to feel ready and have the confidence to make changes or do new things. Truth is that we gain the confidence by taking the action. Bring the body and the mind will follow. Act your way into a new way of thinking.

Finally, remember that when you try something new, you are not committing for a lifetime. You are trying something new. In the book “Designing Your Life” by Dave Evans and Bill Burnett, their guiding principal is that people don’t really know what they want until they experience it. How can we know who we are or what will make us happy unless we fill our lives with new experiences and activities and people? Get curious about life and the world around you. Do something outside your comfort zone and sit with it a minute to see if maybe you are or could be that kind of person.

Life is about movement and growth and becoming. It is not always comfortable or easy but the pay off is big. It comes through action. Act your way into a new way of thinking.