When Was The Last Time You Did Something For The First Time?

When was the last time you did something for the first time?  Click through for some tips on how to get through first times like a breeze!

First times are exciting and new.

I saw this question about trying something for the first time on pinterest and it got me thinking about first times.  There’s something so precious + scary + fun about first times; I remembered my first time learning to drive a stick shift on my friend’s Geo Tracker when I was on vacation in Florida (Hello 90’s!).

The most I remember about that time is the patience he had shown me as the car was lurching + grinding forward; I learned a lot faster because he was kind.

First times are scary and intimidating.

I remember the first time I got the lead in a school play: It was a small yet important part (ok, I was a princess), but I was up against one of the prettiest girls in school.  I remember thinking I was just going to try my hardest and not think about my competition.  I was scared to try out so I was open to suggestions + I was willing to try what the director suggested; as a result, I got the part.  It felt like a new world of possibilities opened up from that–it was a good lesson in letting the fear go and taking risks.

First times are about being open and acknowledging what you don’t know.

I remember the first time I tried yoga–  I was coming off of a bad break up and I was desperate to feel something other than sadness.  That first class was extremely uncomfortable–I was sweating like a pig and my muscles were shaking to embarrassing levels–but something cracked open in me.   I finally got out of my head and I felt like in trying that new way of moving, I learned a new way to look at things.  Yoga brought me back to myself in a new way.

First times are a lot about trust + leaning in to that fear of newness. 

As we get older, first times get harder because we think we’re supposed to already know everything we need to know, but that leaves little room for growing + learning.  It doesn’t allow us to make mistakes.  We need to keep trying new things no matter how old we are, so that we learn more about who we are meant to be.

A few years ago, I started taking a formal painting class.  In the beginning, I felt awkward and uncoordinated.  I was almost embarrassed to go because everyone else was so much better than me but I wanted to make painting a part of my life terribly, so I kept showing up.  It reminded me to ignore the fear and focus on the benefit.  Now, here I am with my own shop of prints + products.

When trying something new, you don’t have to know how to do it or know the outcome–you just need to be willing. 

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Do you have thoughts about this you want to share?  Come on over and tell me!