Trying New Things

The gang getting ready to hit the water

This month at my studio, the trainers and I tried Stand Up Paddleboarding.  We started out early on a warm Friday morning.  Calm water and a beautiful sunrise greeted us as we headed to the shore to meet our guide.  With a few quick tips and some safety instruction, my team was headed to the water, board and paddle in hand.
Now, we're a strong bunch and we have good balance and great core control, yet one by one we got on the boards and were amazed at how uncoordinated we felt.  A little shaking in the legs, awkwardness as we tried our first stroke, fear to go to the deeper parts of the water.  It was amazing how this seemingly easy activity was challenging and humbling us.
Trying new things in life can be hard.  We usually approach them with fear, anxiety, and self-doubt.  Due to this, we try to avoid them or procrastinate until it is absolutely necessary to tackle them.  However, trying new things, whether we succeed or fail breathe life into our, well, lives.  New things inspire us to grow, to be courageous, to become better.  Without new challenges, without leaving our comfort zone, the body and mind become stale and unmotivated.
As the summer slips away and it is easy to get into a daily routine, remember to give yourself the gift of trying something new each day.  Try a new food or even a new way of preparing food.  Smile and wave at a stranger you may have not even noticed the day before.  Read a new book, try a new route to work, change your workout routine.  Challenge and change yourself everyday to keep yourself motivated and inspired.
The trainers and I eventually did travel to deeper water and the shaking in our legs subsided.  We became confident enough on our boards to try racing, headstands, and some yoga.  We left the water energized by the new skill we learned and the confidence we gained by overcoming our initial timidness.  Such a small change to our day, inspired us to go to the next horizon and become a better version of ourselves.