Something New

I recently helped my son move into his new house. While I was there in a more supervisory role, I did help move a few boxes!

It was entertaining to speak with him and hear his excitement about owning his very first home. He was so proud to walk me through the house and around the yard.

This experience brought me back to when my wife and I bought our first home. We were a little late in starting home ownership, but I vividly remember driving up to our house with our three small kids and exploring our new home. It was something new.

When was the last time you experienced that feeling of “new”—a new home, a new car . . . or something else?

Just the other day, I was speaking with one of our preemployment welding students, and they were so happy to talk about their new beginnings and new career possibilities that were going to be theirs once they had completed our 12-week program. It was so easy to get caught up in their excitement, their “new” feeling toward their bright future.

You don’t have to buy something huge like a house, or make a career change to have that “new” feeling. Even trying something new can do the same thing. 

A few years ago, I challenged myself to do a triathlon. The new feeling was there, but there were also those voices in my head yelling at me: “Tell me again why you are doing this? What were you thinking?”

Eventually, the negative voices changed their tune: “You can do it! Can you believe you went that far?” And the feelings of unease over something new were replaced with feelings of accomplishment and achievement in something new. I still get those feelings to this day as I hustle around a race course.

The best part of something new is the sense of ownership that comes with it. Even if your something new is not a material possession, but something to be achieved, you are still reminded that these are your goals, this is you striving for accomplishment, and these are your successes.

When we shake up our lives in pursuit of something new, it often feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable at first. But once the newness fades away, we are able to reflect back on how that change has shaped us for the next new thing.