Did You Change Your Mind This Year?

I thought about this for an hour and couldn't figure out what I had really changed my mind about. Then it hit me: it's cold. I changed my mind about cold.

This happened almost a year ago at a lake in Idaho. I was able to overcome my dislike for the cold by trying an ice bath in the lake. Now, I approach the cold with open arms. I guess I didn’t change my mind in the traditional way, but experiencing cold did something to my nervous system that became enjoyable, and my mind played a huge part in it.

I also changed my mind about teenagers. I used to think that they had to follow in their parents' footsteps, like graduating from school and being ambitious about similar interests. This year, I realized that pressuring kids to pursue what you deem valuable and worthwhile will most likely backfire. I've already told them I have a fund set aside for any future therapy, and for any therapy they need right now. At this point, I simply marvel at all the hobbies, friends, and work they do, even if it looks very different from what it was like in the 90s.

What did you change your mind about this year?