Tried Something New Lately?

Tuesday’s Dose of Outer Savvy…

It’s amazing how trying something new can energize you, even if it’s a simple activity! It’s actually been a while since I remember trying something new, but recently a friend invited me to be a guest at a Zumba class at her health club.  In case you haven’t heard of Zumba, it’s basically a dance exercise class on steroids. Sounds easy enough, but I have never felt so uncoordinated and I am pretty athletic. What a workout, though…and so much fun.  I don’t remember laughing that hard in a while!

In addition to burning a lot of calories and moving parts of my body that had never moved, a simple Zumba class reminded me of a few things.  Most importantly, it reminded me of the opportunity my divorce has given me to open myself up to new ways of being and doing, and to put the fun back into my life. It’s easy and safe to keep things as they always have been, but the more we try new things in our life after divorce the more we are able to develop a new identity.

As a single mom, depending on your childrens’ visitation schedule, you may now have more free time than you did when you were married. Very often friends may be busy with their families and aren’t available to get together when your kids might be with their dad.  Pursuing new interests and interacting with new people not only keeps you from being alone, but also expands your social network and potentially even your professional network. It also allows you to surround yourself with people who may be facing some of the same challenges you do. Be sure to surround yourself with only positive people, though, or those relationships will become draining.

Trying new activities, pursuing a new hobby, or overcoming a fear can truly ignite a new energy within you and make you feel more optimistic about the future. In some cases, it can even have your kids looking at you differently! I’ll never forget the look on my kids’ faces when I told them I had zip-lined through the rainforest in Belize when I went on a business cruise…they know how afraid of heights I am.

I’d love to hear about the new things that you’ve tried in your life after divorce. Please share!