You believe your lives are busy and interesting, yet, you hide yourself in your familiar surroundings and routines. It is as if you live a block away from an ice cream parlor that you frequently visit, but every time you go, you get vanilla.
There is sense to this. Vanilla is tasty. You know you will like it and therefore will have a good experience at the ice cream parlor. You may even become so used to the vanilla flavor, that the others cease to exist. The servers see you coming and make it before you order.
It is routine. It is safe. Like a warm blanket in Winter. Warm blankets are wonderful, but they aren't fun. They don't teach you anything new. They don't take you on adventures. Sometimes, it's good to risk the cold in order to expand your experience and your mind.
Will you always like every new thing you try? Probably not, but you might discover something you love. You will give your brain a workout as it processes the new information. Your mental muscles will grow and your life becomes more of an adventure than a routine.
We do not suggest pulling up stakes and moving to another country, but try going to a new lunch spot. Take a different route home. Walk to a local destination instead of driving, or jog, ride your bike or roller skate. Read about something online that you'd always wondered about. Try the raspberry cheesecake ice cream in a waffle cone with sprinkles.
Open a door that you always walk by. It might just be a broom closet, but now you will know. Every new experience makes your world a more vibrant and colorful place. Every new bit of information, makes you just a little bit smarter, as your brain grows to make room for it.
In some of your video games, you reach a point where you find a new screen as your character turns a corner. A whole new world with new opportunities and resources is now at your disposal. The solution to the problem you've been wrestling with is suddenly obvious. Your lifelong dream? There it is! It's been so close, but you've been so stuck in your routine that you did not realize this.
So, try turning a new corner. Expand your mind and your life, and don't forget the whipped cream. ~Silas
Jinnzania's side notes: As I prepare to move from my current residence, I have come to realize how many things in this area I have not explored. I drive by restaurants and shops, knowing them only by the front windows I can see from the street. I drive by streets that I don't need to go down, wondering where they lead. I live a little more than a mile from the Atlantic Ocean, but have not been to the beach. If I could access it without swimming across canals or trespassing on private property, that might have been different, but I never tried very hard to get there.
I've had many great experiences since I moved here, but I'm amazed at the things that are all around me that I've missed. No time for that now. Lesson is learned and the time has come to move on. I'm returning to my former home, a place I've lived most of my life and have yet to fully explore. That will change. I'm looking forward to returning with new eyes, and expanding my experiences. It's always fun to go into a new shop and be amazed at how big it is, or turn down a new street and find a restaurant or club I'd been hearing about.
I'm moving from one paradise to another. I can't go wrong. If I hit a theme park or the ocean, I'll just turn around.
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