I Double Dog Dare You…(To Try Something New)

By Erika Fehrenbach Prell

Remember the double dog dare when you were a kid? You know, the ole “I double dog dare you to…” fill in the blank with a silly elementary school idea. No one ever wanted to back down from a double dog dare, no matter the cost to your physical well-being or level of public embarrassment. The humiliation of backing down was a way bigger deal than the fear to go for it. The double dog dare gave you that push out of your comfort zone, to try something new, take action without overthinking.

I think it’s time to bring the double dog dare back this year, Dream Chaser, but with a SoulShine twist. Let’s be real, the double dog dare of our elementary years was not usually to encourage positive action. Our SoulShine twist will be to keep it in the realm of positivity and possibility…lol. 

Why is trying new things so important? Glad you asked! Trying something new is how you stretch your comfort zone, and stretching your comfort zone is how you live the best life you were meant to live. The magic in life happens outside your comfort zone. Those dreams in your heart? Those are dreams because they are not your current reality, to get them you need to grow and stretch. Growing and stretching expands your current comfort zone and opens you up to new possibilities in your life.

So, I’m issuing you a challenge. Are you ready?!? I double dog dare you to try something new. That’s it. Pick something new and try it. It can be small or big…it doesn’t matter. It just has to be new. Here are a few ideas:

-A new approach to an old problem
-A new genre of book you’ve never read or listened to
-A new type of exercise
-A new instrument
-A new craft
-A new mindset
-A new de-stressing activity
-A new hairstyle

It just has to be something new! Guess what the result will be? A confidence boost! You will realize that trying something new and stretching the comfort zone isn’t as scary as we make it out to be. After a few wins in the try something new category, you will have the confidence to keep trying bigger and bigger new things, stretching that comfort zone further and further. Before you know it, you will have achieved that dream in your heart. Know what happens then? A new big, audacious, out-of-the-comfort zone dream will appear. One that is so big and awesome that you will be shocked you not only dreamed it but also know you can achieve it. Here’s the truth, though, that even more awesome dream cannot and will not appear until you are ready, until you have grown and stretched enough to take it on and be able to get it.

That’s the fun thing about this goal getting, dream chasing journey. It keeps going! Pushing you further and further to your very best life. But, sometimes, we just need a little positive peer pressure to stop overthinking and start taking action, getting that momentum going. So, here you go…

Dream Chaser, I double dog dare you to try something new. Do you accept the challenge?

Shine On!

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