Give yourself permission

We're funny creatures, we humans. We seem to need permission to do things; to affect change; to step outside our comfort zones. It's why a good review gives us permission to try something new; a bad one and we have permission to walk away. It seems a challenge to most of us to give ourselves permission: to start something new, listen to new music, try a horn loudspeaker when we know they all sound bad, listen to vinyl when we're convinced digital's the only way, listen to digital when we're convinced analog's the only way. If you truly want to expand your horizons and grow your comfort zone, even just a little, here's my recommendation. Make an effort, just a small one, each and every day to try just one new thing. Maybe it's the vegetable you never tried at the salad bar, using the middle grade of gas instead of the lowest or highest you normally pump, listen to a new radio station on the way into work, walk around your block in the opposite direction you normally do, pull out a CD you haven't listened to in years, an album, a cable you rejected long ago. What you try new doesn't really matter. The very act of trying has benefits beyond what you are trying; benefits you cannot understand until you step outside your comfort zone, even just a little. Don't believe me? Go on, give yourself permission, just for today.