Let Me Help Inspire Your Change

Last time, I asked you to make a goal to try something new. I hadn’t thought of the importance of change until the doctors told me I would never work full time again after the brain injury. I had two little boys. How in the world could I give up everything, including being able to take care of them properly?

In reality, I easily could have believed the experts. Who was I to question all the specialists who tested and prodded me every week?

Depression hit, and I gave up for far too long. I went through the agonizing stages of grief, but something happened when I reached the “Angry” stage. Suddenly, I stopped listening to the experts and started listening to my body. Daily, I struggled through a litany of things I’d never done before:

• Computer Memory Games
• Biofeedback
• Water Aerobics
• Making Lists (Lots of Lists!)
• Thermography to identify areas of damage to my neck and back my brain didn’t register pain for
• Group Therapy Sessions
• Relaxation Techniques
• Visualization

The benefits that come from incorporating “new” into your life during Covid or any tragedy are multifaceted.

Here are 7 of them:

Change it Up – Learning Something New

You will never learn new things if you don’t branch out. Think about an activity you’ve never tried before. You probably know very little about it, right? You can discover amazing choices that range from free to very expensive. It’s your choice, but you’ll never know until you try it. Here are some suggestions:

• Take an art or photography class
• Engage in crafts or needlework
• Take a class unrelated to your job
• Try a new recipe
• Plant a garden or flowerbed
• Walk or bike to work
• Take a yoga class
• Once a week, try a new restaurant
• Volunteer for a community activity
• Book a reservation in a location you’ve never visited
• Attend a concert
• Go camping
• Reorganize one closet per day
• Rearrange your living room
• Go for a boat ride or go fishing
• Learn to play the harmonica
• Take dancing lessons
• Call an old classmate
• Arrange fresh flowers in a vase
• Write a short story or poem
• Turn off the television and turn on the music

Put yourself out there and try something new or something you haven’t done in years. You’ll love the feeling of freedom and release.

Try Changing Your Daily Habits: Defeating Boredom

Boredom is one of the worst of life’s experiences. When you’re trying out new projects, unknown places, new people experiences, etc., that boredom slips by the wayside. Keep your brain engaged, and you won’t have to deal with monotony creeping in.

Try approaching boredom as a time for inner reflection and an opportunity to do something for yourself. All of us are finding the circumstances of the past year have forced us to accept changes we never asked for or expected. Once the shock was over, many people scrambled to do the things they’d always dreamed of doing. Writers wrote books. Poets found an entire litany of subjects for additional works. Parents finally had the time to sit down and play with their children. Pets learned life was much better with their owner’s home all the time. (Trust me; we are struggling to figure out how to integrate our young dog into the world around her and it isn’t easy.)

Start seeing moments of boredom as an opportunity for change. What have you always wanted to do in life?

Change is the Foundation: Creating New Stories

As you try new things and meet new people, you accumulate more stories about your adventures. Whether it’s a funny story or a scary story, your stories become part of who you are. What a great perk!

• Take your camera along on a bike ride and use the pictures to tell today’s story on social media.
• Go on a walking tour of your local community and make an effort to speak to everyone you meet along the way.
• Research a craft project online and try to create a replica.
•  Meet in small groups with friends who also got the vaccination and swap quarantine stories.
• Create some care packages for the elderly in the local nursing home.
• Write a letter to a soldier or former soldier. (Your VFW can help you direct it.)
• Purchase a journal and record your favorite stories of childhood.
• Organize your favorite recipes and copy them for family and friends for Christmas gifts.
• Do something artistic; let your inner child out for a change.

Every Change Forces Us to Embrace A New Perspective

In art, we need to learn perspective to make our drawings realistic. Without perspective, our attempt to create something others will cherish won’t work.

Sometimes, you need to sit in another area of the room to change your perspective. Similarly, it would help if you tried new things to change your perspective on life. Seventeen months ago, we believed getting in the car and going to work would only end when we retired. We were so wrong. Instantly we discovered how to work from home while trying to teach our children on a computer screen.

I discovered during Covid that all those things I was saving through the years meant nothing. The lives of my family and friends were the only things that mattered. I started downsizing with a vengeance. My perspective on life is totally turned upside down now. That is not a bad thing.

Boldly Change to Foster a New Sense of Self-Discovery

Let’s face it—we spend a lot of time with ourselves. We spend an entire lifetime living in this body, in fact. If you do the same thing day in and day out, you probably won’t see the many sides to yourself. Self-discovery leads to discovering your greatest attributes.

Healthline offers 9 Ways to Kick Off Your Self-Discovery Journey.

Start your journey today to a renewed sense of confidence, self-awareness, perceptiveness.

Change Increases Your Levels of Confidence

Nothing does more for my sense of confidence than to learn something new. I remember the year my sister-in-law invited me to come along to her watercolor class. I’d never considered myself capable of doing anything artistic. That was probably because my parents didn’t believe I had any talent for it like my brother, so they did nothing to encourage me. Thanks to my lovely sister-in-law, that was the first day I’d ever picked up a brush and attempted to make something beautiful out of watercolors. I’ve been painting ever since. You can purchase copies of my artwork and photographs here on the website.

Never forget, you can accomplish great things by simply expanding your horizons and trying new things. Time after time, you’ll gain a new sense of confidence in yourself and your capabilities.

Celebrate Your Life to the Fullest and Embrace the Changes

There’s a reason people say you only have one life to live. If you take this sentiment to heart, you’ll want to get as many experiences out of this life as you can. That begins with your daily habits. When you push yourself out of your comfort zone, you’ll gain more of these experiences. Who knows what you could learn about yourself or your life? Please give it a try today. Don’t /waste this opportunity to find out how amazing life is when you embrace change!

Print the poster above and place it above your desk to remind you of your daily commitment to change.

If you missed the first article in this series click on it here: 6 Tips to Find Joy and Change Your Future