Go ahead and try something new!

Camp is full of new experiences. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for campers to struggle with trying new activities. Let’s face it, trying something new can be scary. You might ask yourself, why take risks when you don’t have to?

Let’s look at why it is important to embrace new situations.

Decrease Your Fears

Campers are often afraid to try something new, so they end up avoiding unknown activities. Did you know, though, that the more you face your fears, the less scary they become? Avoidance actually increases your fears over the long run; you will actually decrease your worries if you try new activities. The more you try, the less afraid you will become.

Missing Out

If you decide not to try something new, you might be missing out. What if you avoid it and it turns out to be something you would have loved? For instance, say you are afraid of trying to learn the guitar because you fear you might not be good at it. You avoid it and you never find out that you love it. Maybe you could have been a famous musician. You never know if you don’t try.

Decision Making

Whether you know it or not, you are always making decisions at camp. You have to figure out if a new activity is something worth doing. You go over the pros and cons in your mind and eventually make a choice to either try it or not. This is a process you will repeat thousands of times in your life. It is never a bad idea to practice. Making a good decision is a powerful skill.

Learning

When you try something new you always learn something. It may not go perfectly but, whether you succeed or fail, you will learn something new about yourself. For example, say you are interested in attempting a new activity at camp, like photography. Maybe you try it and it does not go so well. Was it a wasted effort? Of course not. You found out what it is like to try it. Maybe you learned that you have to practice taking more pictures. Maybe you found out you don’t like it. Whatever the case, you gained some knowledge and knowledge is power.

Pursue Your Dreams

In order to pursue your dreams you have to take some risks. Being comfortable is nice but it keeps you stuck. Hardly anything is ever gained without going outside your comfort zone. Do you think Mark Zuckerberg took the safe route when he founded Facebook? No, he sacrificed a Harvard education, moved across the country, and went for it. Trying something new at camp can be the first step in reaching your goals.

Builds Confidence

Whenever you attempt a new experience at camp, you build your confidence. You begin to believe in your ability to successfully confront your doubts. This is very reinforcing, especially if you enjoy it. The more you do it, the more confidence you gain. After you do it enough, you develop perseverance. Perseverance is the ability to keep trying even if life doesn’t always go as planned. It is a valuable strength.

The best part about trying something new is that you never really lose. Sure, you may not always enjoy everything you try, but you always gain something positive out of the attempt. So, next time you are thinking about whether to join a new camp activity, take a chance. You’ll be happy you did.