I went with friends and did a ‘polar dip’ – where we (intentionally) jumped into a large body of water. Needless to say it was a quick dip; invigorating and exciting (and a great way to raise the heart rate and blood pressure!) amidst cold shouts and raucous laughter.
My friends do this annually – it’s part of their New Year’s Day tradition. For me, it was my first time – I’d always thought people that dipped were exercising poor judgement.
I fully suspect that the other folks at the water’s edge made a similar assessment of me this year, watching me race in, trip, and submerge in the icy water before coming out and shivering into a towel.
It began my year of adventure… I’ve decided that at least once per month, I will do something new. Something I’ve not tried before, something that’s unexpected. I’ve no idea yet what February will bring! And given that many adventurous things have already filled my life, it could be quite interesting.
The thing with trying something new is that it doesn’t have to be expensive, or some grand outing; it doesn’t need to be something I decide to do again (the verdict remains out on polar dip 2024), or even enjoy - it just needs to be new. (Even my dog today tried a new thing – apparently he likes pickles?!)
The willingness to try new things is the whole point. It can be so easy to cement ourselves into existing patterns, such that we lose the joy and enthusiasm of trying a new thing.
Life can fill us with (as the New Zealand Prayer Book offers) new days, new joys, new possibilities” – but only if we are willing to embrace them. New can be any number of things – awkward, uncomfortable, fabulous, exhilarating, mediocre – whatever it is, though, it is part of life.
So for 2023, my intentionality is to embrace the new – from the comfort of those rhythms and traditions that are consoling and comfortable. For everything now was once new; and who knows what joys await, what growth is possible, and what connections are yet to be made.
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