Photo Credit: panicX03, deviantart
Growing up, I made the ugliest faces after biting into grapefruits; the unbecoming flavors left such bitter and tart tastes in my mouth. Consequently, I went through the years shying away from grapefruits, grapefruit juice, grapefruit anything and everything. I did not want to have them in my presence.
Then today happened.
As I took a stroll and glanced over the breakfast foods in my work's commissary, I selected my daily egg whites and tomatoes. Next, as I went for the fruits, I looked over and noticed dozens of halfed grapefruits and cantaloupes. Instantly, my childhood memories came back of how I absolutely hated the taste of grapefruits. I began thinking to myself, 'I have seen several people digging into these everyday - I wonder what the hell is wrong with them.' So I said, ‘why not' and picked one up with the thought, in the back of my mind, that it would probably be thrown away rather quickly.
Something else happened.
I walked over to a fellow co-worker and asked, 'do people add sugar or salt to grapefruit?' Supposedly it's just like cantaloupe - some people add sugar, some people add salt and some people add the flavor of nothingness. After walking back to my desk trying not to spill my water, I began cutting into the grapefruit only to be welcomed by large citrusy squirts to the face and eyes. I grabbed a piece of the fruit along with some of its juice and for the first time in my life I smiled and thought, 'wow, grapefruit is tasty - this is actually pretty good.'
It turns out, it only took a simple retry of something I disliked as a child to know that it would no longer accompany me as an adult. Just because you hated something as a child does not mean you will hate it as you get older, and just because you loved something or someone during your younger days does not mean you will have the same feelings as you get older.
True living is about stepping outside of your comfort zone, taking leaps, being a consistent student of the world and trying new things (and old).
What is something you have been wanting to do for days, months and years? Why haven't you? What is holding you back? Do you have bad childhood memories? If you are scared of something new (and old), don't be - life will expand and love you just as much as you are willing to love it. Life is definitely what you make it. William Jones once said, 'the greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.' He forgot to remind us to eat our daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
This morning happened and I am so happy it did. Here's to trying something new (and old).
P.S. When life gives you grapefruits, grab a spoon and dig in!
One Life, You Decide™
P.S. When life gives you grapefruits, grab a spoon and dig in!
