Hi friends,
Isn't it interesting that there seems to be a pattern in our culture that at some point in life, we stop trying new things? 🤔
Which is so sad because the brain loves new and novel experiences, whether that's through travel, learning something new, or moving our body in different ways.
The brain also loves consistency, repetition and habit which is helpful but it's a slippery slope towards complacency. 😬
Learning something new often brings out our perfectionist tendencies, fear of making "mistakes," challenges our patience and can resurface deeply held stories and beliefs about oneself, maybe dating waaaaay back.
Let's face it, it's way easier to give up than to continue through the very natural process of struggle that is inherent in the learning process. But the struggle and moving through our doubts and fears means that we get so much more than just learning something new. You did a hard thing and persevered! You almost gave up but you kept going and look how good you feel!
Embrace the power of "mistakes".
The enriched feeling inside myself and sense of who I am and what I'm capable of wouldn't be here if I gave up when it got hard or when everything was new and scary.
Learning is supposed to be challenging. And it's the real disservice of our perfectionist culture that most of us have internalized these stories that prevent us from being vulnerable, making mistakes and trusting the process. "Mistakes" are where we move forward and gain insight on the direction of our growth.
I hope this comes at the right time for you. Maybe you've been tempted to give up on a new endeavour because it's not happening as fast or smoothly as you want. Or maybe you've been drawn toward learning something new but feel fearful that you won't be good at it.
To help inspire you further, here's some cool info about what happens in the brain when we try new things:
Increases your sense of awe
Gets you out of habits
Builds flexible thinking
Improves problem solving skills
Increases dopamine 😄
Improves learning and memory
Builds confidence
Ready to do the thing you've been scared to do? It's going to be worth it!
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