There it was. Right in front of me. I had no other choice but to eat it. I didn't eat breakfast that day and was famished. The “it” was a vegetarian pizza that our cafeteria served us during lunch in high school.
For the longest time, I was scared to try something different. I was a picky eater growing up. The only type of pizza I would eat was a plain cheese pizza. My family would tease me about my eating habits, but that teasing didn't prompt me to want to change. I made the decision that day, on my own, to give it a shot. I did enjoy the smell for the longest time of veggie pizza. But couldn't get the courage to actually try it. That day when I finally did try I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed it. Now, don't go thinking that all of a sudden I devoured a pizza that had every vegetable imaginable. I settled with the veggies I did like which are onions and green peppers. Hey, it was a step up from just plain cheese.
That experience taught me a few lessons.
The first one is that whenever I am scared to try something I think to myself, “What's the worst that can happen?”. And when I truly think about it, most of the time, the worst-case scenario is that bad. And if anything I will learn something new about myself.
Another lesson was not to judge or have assumptions about something beforehand. The only way to really know is to try it and experience it individually. And if I don't, then I might regret in the future of not taking that chance.
Lastly, the more open to experiences I am, the more stories I could have and the more I can potentially relate to others that have gone through a similar experience.
These mindsets have helped me grow out of my shell and become more open-minded about what life has to offer.