I have a habit of dismissing things that I haven’t tried. I believe that what I have is already enough, and I would assume that I wouldn’t like whatever else was offered on the table. But I’m often pleasantly surprised when I give something new a try.

When I first had deep dish pizza, I ordered from Gino’s East. For years, that was the only place I’d order deep dish from. No other Chicago deep dish spot compared. Even though in reality, hadn’t tried any other spots. One day, my friend who swears by Lou Malnati’s convinced me to try it. My life changed and now Lou Malnati’s is by far my favorite. I’ve since tried other deep dish spots in Chicago and I now have valid opinions on the merits and my dislikes about each spot.

This isn’t a pizza lesson, but my point is that we should always be open minded. When you say no without any consideration, you can be missing out on something amazing.

It’s very easy for us to stay in our comfort zone and dismiss the new. Next time you want to blatantly reject something, ask yourself these questions:

1. Why am I so opposed to it? Is there a logical reason behind it or am I just stuck to my own ways? One of the dangerous things in life is assuming that things need to always be the way they are and also assuming that your way is the best way.

2. What is there to lose? If it’s nothing, give it a shot! Why not?

I will leave you with a challenge for this week: Say yes to something you have always said “no” to before you’ve actually given it a fair shot.

Let me know how it went by leaving a comment. Hope you come back with a pleasant surprise.