The Stretch

New things, actions, choices, people and places are rightly frightening. We do need to be wary of The Unknown precisely because we do not yet know if it will harm or benefit us.
I am however noticing a change in my response to ‘something new’. I

Believe this new way is of benefit. My natural knee-jerk reaction to new possibilities has often been ‘I can’t do that’. Unless I have had a few glasses of wine, at which point I err in the other direction as most ideas seem like they would be ‘great’, I have often shut the door on new things right there and then. Perhaps I don’t even realise how often I have done so, as this behaviour has been so very reinforced so very long.
These days, perhaps because I am older and wiser (?), or because I have evidence that I can (& indeed have!), survived some major mistakes, I am allowing myself a pause before I decide.
With phrases such as ‘I’d like to think about that’ or ‘let’s talk more in a few days’, I allow myself the room to play with a new notion, to imagine stretching into that new place, to open take tentative steps into a new bit of my brain, my untapped ability, or a budding fresh perception of myself or my world.
Instead of closing it down verbally, immediately, I earn myself the right to feel the potential with my psyche and my physicality as opposed to just the fearful bit of my brain.
What might it feel like to walk through that door? Do my spirits lift when I envisage standing in that place? Does my heart sing when I imagine doing that thing? In this way I get to play and explore the newness and its potential impact on me. This way I am tapping into

360 information about myself and not merely ‘thinking’ my decision.
I may still decide not to commit to the offer. I may however see that with a small stretch, huge ground will be gained that will enrich my world enormously. Most importantly whichever way I decide to go, my decision will be informed by real and extensive information about myself and my world. This is authenticity. This is rich and real and rewarding.

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