I’m a strong believer in the fact that a coalition of simple acts by just one person DOES lead to making this world a better place to live in.
So I decided that I’ll create a new category on my blog called “ Change the World “. Hopefully write something from time to time, mainly from personal experiences and aspirations, that someone can probably take something from and add in their bit in their own way to making a difference in the world.
I’ve been pondering about expanding your horizons and living life in abundance lately. A few things that came to my mind which I’d like to share…
Have you wondered how “routine” life can become over time? I mean, time and again we find ourselves being stuck in a rut of what is required from us - making ends meet, catching up with same old friends, having a good time like we have always been, listen to the same genre of music, eating the same “favourite” food.
Don’t you think you’re being underexposed in life? Not trying anything new, not going anywhere, not seeking new connections?
Yes I know, you’re wondering where I’m going with this…
I’m trying to inspire you to think “broad”, explore life to it’s fullest, live in abundance, take risks and give thanks at the end for a wonderful journey each day.
Life is so full of new things - different cultures to learn from, so many different hobbies, meeting people with completely new personalities and so much more, all offering different perspectives on the way you think.
Ask yourself - have you been sailing? Have you been to a museum?
Have you:
- been fishing?
- learnt a new language?
- been skydiving?
- heard a symphony?
- been to a rock concert?
- tried playing a musical instrument?
- offered voluntary help for the community?
- explored a new culture?
- been to an art gallery?
- visited a new country?
The list is endless.
You may say “Well I’m not the kinda person who likes art”… How would you know unless you give it a shot?
Maybe you can’t afford to visit a new country, but you can definitely spend a few hours by the beach, or your local park and read a book isn’t it?
I still remembered many years ago when I had just met my EX, she made a plan for a bunch of us to go to an amusement park. Now I used to despise amusement parks - but then again I brightly agreed to go - of course at that time I just wanted her to like me :) I would’ve gone to a mental research facility for psych tests if she would’ve asked me to back then LOL!
Anyways, I pompously remember now having so much fun that day - and that’s when I realised, I had simply pre-judged going to amusement parks until then.
Prejudice has nothing to do with just race or religion. You could pre-judge a culture, a hobby or an event! Have you thought about how many things have you simply, subconsciously pre-judged and ruled them out of your life without even giving it a second thought just because you’re not “used to it”?
I was always the kind of person who’d hang out with the same kinda friends, watch the same genre of tv-shows/movies and mostly have the same kinda food. For me it was like if someone has no clue about technology, xbox, my sense of humour, I didn’t have anything to do with them! Can you imagine how small my life had gotten? It was that “similarity” that I was after, that was actually limiting me. It wasn’t until recently I’ve actually started exploring more in life - thinking of broadening my life.
I remember a few months ago, I came back home from one of the worst days at work, and was pretty much in the mood to just curl up, feel miserable and sleep it off. Just then a friend of mine who lives up the coast called me. And I began my whining while explaining to her what happened all day so she could “empathise”. And she goes like, “alright - put on your running shoes right now and just walk out. Don’t question it or sit to think about it - just do it”. So I did, still grumbling though trying to reason out “how would this really help!”. A few minutes in just walking aimlessly, something beautiful started happening - I started to pay attention to nature, people around, still waters (there’s a wharf close to where I live) etc. I ended up spending over an hour just sitting by that wharf. I gave her a call to thank her and she told me she was doing the same thing - so we kept chatting on our walk back home, both being more appreciative and positive about the day :)
Imagine how much you’d grow as a person when you explore, see different cultures, develop new hobbies, meet people who look at things from a different perspective or learn about the history of a new place.
Even if we disagree with someone or something, we’d still learn something.
Getting out of your box every now and then will not only help you to grow, but also bring in enthusiasm in your life, stay excited and appreciate all that life has to offer.
So to sum it up, I challenge you to give some of the points below a shot in the coming week itself:
- Get out and meet people who are NOT like you. People who don’t share the same views as yours. Who don’t have the same sense of humour as yours. People who grew up in completely different environment than yours.
- Set out some time to visit a local art gallery or a museum in your city. Better yet, take a friend you recently got acquainted with to tag along.
- Welcome differences in attitudes and people - You don’t have to agree to the differences, simply acknowledge that you’re welcoming it to seek different perspectives.
- Remind yourself everyday that life is abundant and there’s always so much to see, learn, observe, accept and be thankful for.
- Every often think about one, complete selfless act, that you could do voluntarily that may make a difference to someone and in turn, make you feel better. It could be as simple as randomly greeting a stranger and wishing them “good day”.
- Try to explore or cultivate a new hobby - read up on the internet about it, or go to your local library and read a book about it.
- Call up a friend and see the sunset together.
- Write a hand-written letter to a loved one.
- Do something out of your normal routine of your day to day life.
You never know - you may be missing out on the best part of life just because you’ve pre-judged something and have made up your mind that you’re not gonna like to do something.
Life is way bigger than your mindset, bigger than your career, your ambition, your lifestyle. The more you’ll explore, the more appreciative you’ll become and make better decisions.
