After yesterday's success under pressure, I awoke feeling much more confident about my ability to manage this project. If I could pull out a, (actually pretty cool if I do say so myself), novel experience with all of the limitations I had had the day before, a normal day should be a piece of cake! With the sun shining through my bedroom window, I began to get excited about all of the possibilities for novelty this day might bring. After all, I was actually going to be able to leave the house!
As I lay in bed anticipating my upcoming day, I could tell that this project had already changed me in subtle ways. I faced my day with a level of energy and sense of adventure that I hadn't been able to access for quite some time. So after making sure that the family was rested, fed, and dressed, we set out for a drive to the local beach.
The beach was gorgeous, as usual, and, with the chilly February temperatures it was virtually empty. Now I am a warm weather, high humidity kind of person. Why I've chosen to live in New England for my entire life is a mystery that I try to unravel on a daily basis throughout these long, cold, dark months. So, when I found myself offering to take my toddler for a short jaunt on the beach despite the frigid temperature, it was clear to me that something about me was a little off. In my quest to experience novelty, I had started to adopt an attitude of both seeking and taking opportunities, novel or not, and I was reaping the rewards of this new approach to life!
As I watched my son pick up shells, I started to think about the concept of "Improving the Moment" that comes from Marsha Linehan's brilliant work with Dialectical Behavior Therapy
. (And... FYI... This is not poetic license. I actually had this thought at the beach... Again, did I mention that I am a total nerd?!) The idea is that if people take the effort to do little things that make an experience more poignant, enjoyable, and/or meaningful, they will be less likely to experience depression. For instance, the decision to light candles and play soft music during a dinner improves the experience of that meal, (and perhaps your chances of getting lucky afterwards!) In this situation, the concept could be better applied to my choice to put on a warm hat while outside. However, the moment when I made the choice to leave the car, and other moments when I took maximum advantage of the opportunities presented to me, had improved my day immensely.
With this moment improving mindset firmly in place, I quickly agreed to stop for lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. With all of the focus on novelty, going to a familiar family haunt would be a welcome break. Little did I know that this day's best opportunity for novelty would arise in a place where I've sat in every booth and know the menu by heart! Come to find out, in our postpartum absence, the restaurant had created a specials menu just for the month of February. And there, on that menu, was an opportunity that was simply too good to pass by.
Yes. Your eyes do not deceive you! For the second time this week I am having a novel experience with ravioli. This time, however, the ravioli was found on the dessert menu: Fried pumpkin ravioli served hot with cinammon sugar and butter pecan ice cream! Ravioli as a DESSERT! As I had just had ravioli with fruit as an entree two days before, I briefly considered letting this opportunity slide. But the menu was expiring in a few days. It was now or never, and how could I pass up something that was just so... well... novel! So, foregoing the chocolate lava cake, we ordered the ravioli dessert with three spoons. And... it was no chocolate lava cake, but it was pretty darn good!
So today was all about doing unusual things in my usual places. The time spent on the beach was in no way novel, but I'm finding that there's a novelty-seeking spirit that makes everything I do feel more like an adventure. It's only day four, but I feel like I'm embarking on a life-altering journey and I'm excited to see where it takes me.
As I lay in bed anticipating my upcoming day, I could tell that this project had already changed me in subtle ways. I faced my day with a level of energy and sense of adventure that I hadn't been able to access for quite some time. So after making sure that the family was rested, fed, and dressed, we set out for a drive to the local beach.
As I watched my son pick up shells, I started to think about the concept of "Improving the Moment" that comes from Marsha Linehan's brilliant work with Dialectical Behavior Therapy
. (And... FYI... This is not poetic license. I actually had this thought at the beach... Again, did I mention that I am a total nerd?!) The idea is that if people take the effort to do little things that make an experience more poignant, enjoyable, and/or meaningful, they will be less likely to experience depression. For instance, the decision to light candles and play soft music during a dinner improves the experience of that meal, (and perhaps your chances of getting lucky afterwards!) In this situation, the concept could be better applied to my choice to put on a warm hat while outside. However, the moment when I made the choice to leave the car, and other moments when I took maximum advantage of the opportunities presented to me, had improved my day immensely.With this moment improving mindset firmly in place, I quickly agreed to stop for lunch at one of our favorite restaurants. With all of the focus on novelty, going to a familiar family haunt would be a welcome break. Little did I know that this day's best opportunity for novelty would arise in a place where I've sat in every booth and know the menu by heart! Come to find out, in our postpartum absence, the restaurant had created a specials menu just for the month of February. And there, on that menu, was an opportunity that was simply too good to pass by.
So today was all about doing unusual things in my usual places. The time spent on the beach was in no way novel, but I'm finding that there's a novelty-seeking spirit that makes everything I do feel more like an adventure. It's only day four, but I feel like I'm embarking on a life-altering journey and I'm excited to see where it takes me.
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