Experience the Joy in Learning Something New -- Find Your Passion!

I grew up in NYC where I was fortunate enough to have tons of opportunities to try different activities. My parents introduced me to everything from dance, guitar lessons, acting classes, swimming lessons and anything else they could come up with for me to try. I am the same way with my children and if they show an interest in ANYTHING I will sign them up. I feel experiencing these things is the only way you will know if you have that passion for them.

So what is it about when we become adults that stops a lot of us from trying new things or educating ourselves in something new? Fear of failure? Fear of how we'll look doing something new? Fear of the unknown? How will you know what you are passionate about if you don't try a myriad of things? The only way you can excel at anything is learning about it, practicing and accepting that there will probably be some set-backs along the way.

Because my parents led by example I still have the drive to try new things. My father was taking new lessons over age 40 including tennis, tango and guitar lessons. If I hear of something and it holds an interest -- I want to pursue it to know if it IS a passion or something I want to learn more about.

After college, my friend Alissa and I took belly dancing together and had a BLAST. I've taken yoga, trance dance and a plethora of other dance/exercise classes. When I moved upstate NY I took up cross country skiing because I knew I would need to see the light of day in the long winters. I knew I'd probably fall and not have any kind of form WHATSOEVER but the point was to get out and try it -- and guess what -- I fell in love! When I saw "The Secret" I knew I had to learn about the Law of Attraction and the Mind/Body Connection and it resonated within me that THIS was something I was MEANT to learn about and experience.

Then -- there's inventing. I have had my idea for the last 5 years and only in the last 2 1/2 have I worked steadily on it and I have been amazed at all I have learned and experienced. I started off knowing NOTHING about inventing except that it interested me. I won't say I am an expert or a Stephen Key by ANY means now but I can tell you I have learned far more than I ever imagined I would. I have had TONS of set-backs but am still going strong. Thomas Edison's quote that "Inventing is 1% Inspiration and 99% Perspiration" rings VERY true to me!

When I was ill and in chronic pain I had my moments of wanting to give up on the inventing because it was "too hard" or "too much work". Since I have healed and studied the Law of Attraction I don't experience those feelings anymore. I know you have to fail in order to learn and progress. I have my goal of seeing this through and giving up won't make that happen. Priscilla Palmer wrote a great post on How Your Goals are Always Manifesting. I won't say I don't get disappointed when something doesn't happen the way I wanted to. I just choose not to dwell on it. It helps TREMENDOUSLY knowing there was a REASON things went the way they did and it helps to ask myself what I learned from the experience and will do differently next time.

The best thing about learning something new is the self confidence boost you get if you look back and see how far you have come! If I had never pursued inventing I would probably be kicking myself and wondering "what if?". Do I know if my invention will be manufactured and make me tons of money? I sure hope so and that is my intention and goal but if it doesn't that will be OK too. I do know I have learned priceless lessons in something that interested me for a long time and I will be MUCH better prepared to pursue my NEXT invention.

If I had not pursued learning more about the Law of Attraction and the mind/body connection after seeing "The Secret" it is probable that I would still be in pain instead of the feeling the best I have felt in over 20 YEARS! I would not have found BLOGGING if I was not physically well enough to take an internet marketing course..... Following one interest can easily lead to discovering a new one. Blogging is a GREAT love for me and I am SO grateful that I have the opportunity to write as often as I do about subjects that I am passionate about! If you pursue an interest and it doesn't resonate with you that is OK as well because at least you can say you have tried it and not continue to wonder.

What have you always wanted to learn more about or try? A language? An instrument? Indian Cooking? An exercise class? A sport? Writing poetry? What makes your heart beat with excitement when you think about it? NOW is the time to explore it further. There are TONS of resources online for learning new things. If you live near a college there are usually inexpensive exercise/dance classes available. (I took 1 1/2 hour yoga-dance classes for $5/class). There are libraries EVERYWHERE -- take out books to learn more! Just go for it and feel the joy within when you learn and experience something new! Find YOUR passion!