First Times

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Do you remember the first time you travelled on an airplane? The first time you went to the movies? The first time you rode a bicycle or went on a date? The first time you pushed yourself beyond what you thought were your boundaries? Do you remember? When was the last time you did something for the first time? When was the last time you put your fear aside, and stepped into new horizons for the first time?

They say the first time of anything is the best time ever! The first time you rode that bicycle, with no help, is engraved on your heart and brain and is definitely the best time you ever rode a bike! Mine was a green one and it was the best bicycle I ever had! What is so special about first times? Well, because you have never done that one thing before, so the first time is filled with excitement, thrills, a rush of adrenaline, anxiety, doubt… etc. That’s what gives the experience a whole new meaning!

Think about it, we always reminisce about the past, about how we wish for the old days to come back, how things are never the same after that very first time of anything! If you go now for a hike for the first time, it will be the best hike ever. So, my philosophy is to always do things for the first time, even things that you do daily; change and tweak something about them every day and voila!

First times are magical, exceptional and really incredible! Like shiny stars in the darkest of nights! They embellish the past, and make your heart smile every time they cross your path again.
Each one of us has a little stash of these ‘first time’; they make us smile each time we think of them, they make us long for more first times. They make us want to try everything and dive into the unknown every day. And it is really funny, the more you do, the more you want to do! It never stops! That hunger for new things is insatiable!

Yet fear is always there, trying to hold you back, to convince you that you are just fine where you are, trying to make you believe it’s safer to stay just here, where you are now, where you were yesterday, where you were last week and last month! But that’s not a bad thing.

Fear is that friend that never leaves your side. Fear plays the role of an overprotective mother that won’t let you go anywhere near ‘first times’, and you do want this friend near you, just to let you know when you cross the red line; but never let it stop you. You can talk to this friend and say that you will be fine, even if you get rejected, even if you fail, even if you fall and hurt yourself. You will still be fine!

And instead of your fear convincing you, let us reverse the roles and, instead, you convince your fear to let you go, convince your fear to be there but silent! Yes that’s exactly it, make it your silent friend.

First times are what we will remember when we are 80, first times are what will make us think peacefully about death. First times are our tickets to a great past, an enticing present and a magical future. You can take control of your life, you can design your past by shaping your present. You can dream for your future and make it a reality now. Don’t procrastinate, start today and do something new for the first time, every time!

I made a pact with my own silent friend (a.k.a. fear), we will stay together forever, but I get to decide, to say the last word. Even when this friend decides to rebel against me, I pat it on the shoulder and remind it of our pact! And since then, we’ve made peace with this whole ‘first time’ business and life has never been so exciting and fulfilling as it is now! So, what are you waiting for? Go and find something to do for the first time…