In getting older you have more experience. Experience in your work, in relationships of all kinds, and life in general. But I think the value of experience lies in what you do with your experiences. Believe me, working in the service industry and dealing with people of all ages, the young are not always naive and the elderly are most definitely always wise. In experiencing life, reflection is vital.
Oops, you made a mistake on your homework or at work -- learn from it and improve. Fall in and out of love and come to know what you want from a romantic relationship. Make friends and lose them so you know what kind of people you want to be in your life. Experience is everything, and it's the key to finding out who you truly are as a learner, teacher and liver of life.
Without experiencing anything or much of anything, how can you be sure you have lived your life to its fullest potential? I believe that going outside of your comfort zone, even just a little bit, can help you grow as a person. I am a really picky eater, but I’ve learned to at least start trying some new foods. Just last year I found out I actually really love potato salad after turning my nose up at it for the past twenty years of my life. It seems like it was a small step, but for me it was huge since I thought this side dish was horrific all those years. One little bite led to a normal sized bite, and now I have one more option to choose from at picnics.
Experience is also valuable when it comes to being a more well-rounded person. In knowing different areas of study the ability to see different perspectives is critical in seeing the whole story. I have a liberal arts education from St. Catherine University, and I cannot overemphasize how impactful it has been in taking a course in all different kinds of disciplines, and how that has molded me into a better critical thinker-- able to question what is in front of me without taking it naively at face value. I am able to question, “What is this really saying?” or "Who says this information is true?”
Big or small, your life experiences are added up together to make your life great. If you’re shy or introverted, take small steps in new experiences, there is no reason to rush. But the bigger the step outside of your comfort zone, the bigger the memory. If you’re outgoing or extroverted, maybe take a step back and try and really enjoy some of the smaller moments in life. After all, those seem to be the ones that make the best memories to look back on.Author's Note: In last week's article I discussed the book 500 Writing Prompts which inspired this article.
