OK. True confessions. I often get in a food rut.
You know the kind.
You are at a restaurant.
OK, maybe the same one you ate at 2 maybe 3 times this week.
And HEY! I’ll have the exact same thing I had before! We are human and we often get into comfortable patterns. I mention this especially because once we are over 35 years old. over 40. Over 50. Many boomer, Gen X and Gen Y dating singles fall into those ranges. Get into life ruts. And just keep doing what we HAVE been doing.
Whether it is the restaurants we frequent.
The routes we drives.
The food on the menu we select even when the menu is 25 pages long.
A Law of Success in Life is… keep trying new things….
Indeed, for singles who are looking to pair up, pair bond as the anthropologist put it (they are studying us, you know), if you want different results than what you have currently realized, yes, you WILL need to DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
What is that wonderful popularized definition of insanity?
Doing the same thing and hoping against hope expecting different results.
So, today… I did something different.
So different from what I normally do for where I eat… the restaurants… that I even went in a different direction. And I SELECTED a different restaurant. I selected it simply based upon its location. I had driven by it so I knew essentially where it was. I was all prepared to eat the same dish I always get at this kind of restaurant….
… and then…
when I walked in…
It was an oasis of tranquility…
Frankly, to tell you the insiders secrets of how I really responded to it… I loved the environment so much I want to move in and LIVE there. Peaceful. Beautiful. Tranquil.
And more serendipity….
It turns out the restaurant I selected… is national award winning and considered The Best Thai Restaurant in the country. They are third generation restaurateurs. And they have served Thai aristocracy and royalty. And Me? Well, I totally stumbled across it right there on PCH in Newport Beach. My lunch companion and I even joked that being its California, Thai restaurants are like Starbucks. There is one on every street corner.
But the Gods, Providence, The Universe, whomever you want to refer to… today led me to a beautiful tranquil oasis in the midst of The OC where the food we ate was indeed fit for royalty…. us!
When you are looking for different results in YOUR life, try something different. Go somewhere different. EAT something different. (I had Crying Tiger rather than my usual Chicken Satay, which btw I still utterly love. Just I had to try even something MORE different while I was there.)
You will practice the Law of Success. It’s on Napoleon Hill’s list of 21 Laws of Success Stretch yourself. Open new neuro-pathways. And indeed meet new people. I sure did. I met 3 new people while there.
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Las Vegas and Orange County Christian Singles Conference Speaker
Steve Chambers says
September 25, 2009 at 11:05 PMI read somewhere that if you sated a random sample of ten people one of them would make for a very good life partner. Dating more people simply complicates the process by confusing people. Making a decision from a limited field makes for better, and easier, decision-making.
Similar to the jelly experiment.
Of course, some people are in it for the fun.
Steve Chambers
Business to Business Sales Trainer
Jim says
September 26, 2009 at 1:45 AMComfortable patterns, yeah.
Safer that way isn’t it. If you eat the same foods, day in and day out, you know that the spices of the different food won’t bother your stomach.
At least, this has been my defense at times.
It still doesn’t fly with some of my closer friends.
I’ll have to consider your article 🙂
Jim
BusinessAndMarketingMakeover.com/blog
James Mason says
September 26, 2009 at 1:39 AMWell… I am accused of being in a rut, just because I don’t change even my eating habbits…
Well, you may have an idea here.
Thanks for the info,
James Mason
Mister P says
September 26, 2009 at 3:05 AMGreat post April!
Your post moved from something everybody can relate to, into the area of your expertise.
Bert (alter ego- Mister P)
Rob says
September 26, 2009 at 3:46 AMIt is rare to find my favorite word– serendipity– in a blog post. But there it is.
Serendipitous encounters are the best kind… not sure why that is true, but it often is.
Seize the Day,
Rob
Keri Eagan says
September 26, 2009 at 4:03 AMSerendipitous encounters are the BEST! Mind you I love spontanety and chaos – keeps me on my toes.
I would love to know where that study is about 10 randoms, one very good life partner. Sounds much more time efficent. Sounds like a great restaurant.
Keri Eagan
John Ho says
September 26, 2009 at 5:56 AMWe are habits creature. Tht’s why it’s improtnat to set up GOOD habits and avoid bad ones right from the start.
When I worked as a waiter while I studied years ago, I observe many regular patrons, esp. those older ones, always order the same dishes most of the time.
John Ho
Lynn Lane says
September 26, 2009 at 7:05 AMApril,
Always good to try new things and enjoy the moment. Thai is a fovorite of mine. Wish I had been there with you sounds great.
Lynn Lane
Success Strategies For Life
Robert Martin says
September 26, 2009 at 7:19 AMScary thought for us, but we are just like other animals. Take for example a buck deer; he comes out at the same time everyday, walks the same trail everyday, marks the same spots everydat, ….etc. Just like clockwork. We are the same, and hate change for the most part.
Look at how many people date the same type person time after time.
Robert Martin
Martin says
September 26, 2009 at 4:22 PMWhere does that leave marriage…the same dish every day?!
😉
April Braswell says
September 26, 2009 at 8:47 PMHi Martin,
There are over 579 ways to serve chicken. 🙂
I wrote a blog post last spring about long term relationship success (I have been married before. I’ve been widowed. So it all only about datin’ lol!) which addresses that
Indeed, for long term marriage happiness, we need to incorporate Newness periodically.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and commenting!
April
April Braswell says
September 26, 2009 at 8:50 PMMy NY Sister worked at the Upper East Side Restaurant, Serendipity, years ago. The Land of FroHos, Frozen Hot Chocolates before there was Starbucks and Frappacinos. SERIOUSLY yummerz.
How serendipitous that we should both enjoy the word, Rob! 😉 Thanks for stopping by and commenting at my blog.
April
Jose Escalante says
September 27, 2009 at 1:47 AMDoing new things makes live fun right April.
Jose Escalante
Katie says
September 27, 2009 at 12:07 PMDid you know that your brain actually processes the information differently when you choose a new route?
It literally opens you up to new possibilities even at the atomic level!
, Katie
Lisa McLellan says
September 27, 2009 at 7:31 PMMove over girlfriend, I’m joining you for some Thai food – my favorite! I absolutely love pad thai. Yummy yummy yum yum! I wish I could make it at home. I’ve tried but it came out “yucky.” Oh, and how about some tom yun goon (not sure I spelled that one correctly)? And yes, another great idea to meet new people.
Lisa McLellan
Child Care Expert,
Babysitting Services, Babysitting Tips, Babysitters, Nannies
Kate McKeon says
September 27, 2009 at 10:44 PMOpen the mind, open the heart, adventure awaits! Great advice April.
Expanding spheres of influence, Kate
JJ Jalopy says
October 2, 2009 at 2:37 PMMmmm…. I love Thai food.