Have you become pigeonholed doing what you have been doing and not trying to do or experience new things? Are you a one trick pony? Do others have certain expectations of you that you are uncomfortable to try and change? Would you like to branch out and have some new experiences, personally and at work, but are afraid of what others might say?
It is easy to get into a “comfort rut,” when you become closed off to new experiences and skills. I think everyone is guilty of it to a certain extent; I know I am! With the universe of new music, art, travel, languages, books, friends, family, politics, work opportunities, etc., it is scary to pick just one or two. It is much easier to say to oneself: “Well, with so many options out there, I think I’ll just stick with what I am comfortable with and not try anything else; that way I won’t be overwhelmed by the choices, embarrassed by my potential failure, or disappointed if I don’t like something.”
Comfort is nice, but stagnation and closed-mindedness are not. Why not leave yourself open to trying something new, just one thing to start, and see how that goes. Watch a new sport. Listen to a different type of music. See a movie of a different genre than you are used to.
I was never a fan of punk rock, I was always a classic rock kinda girl. We’ve recently watched Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and his documentaries, Sonic Highways and Sound City. I would consider the Foos to be your quintessential rock band. However, during the documentaries, I discovered that Dave’s roots were firmly planted in the punk rock movement…that was a surprise. In one of his documentaries, he recorded a song with punk rocker Lee Ving called “Your Wife is Calling.” I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. This was just one simple way I expanded my borders, albeit a small one. Give it a try…