Learning to like it.

As a kid I was busted in the most spectacular way by my brother. After a couple years of regularly executing on my scheme, I was caught red-handed heading from the dinner table to the bathroom with a generous wad of napkin-wrapped salad in my hand. I was about to give it a well-practiced and not-so-ceremonious disposal in the toilet.

I. Hated. Vegetables.

The thought of eating them was a daily nightmare. Even the “just squeeze your nose and swallow it” method didn’t work for me.

Once my brother spotted my contraband, the jig was up. My Mom was horrified, and worried I’d become malnourished after realizing how long my “small bladder trick” had been underway. My brother, on the other hand, could not stop laughing and pointing with glee at the evidence in my hand. Let’s just say Dad was nonplussed about the whole situation.

So, when I was tucking into a recent holiday lunch with my family at Mykonos, a favorite Greek restaurant in Tarpon Springs, FL, and lo and behold the veggie of the day was stewed lima beans, what did I do?

I started to cue the “Yuck!” face. Then, I caught myself, remembered I am an adventurous eater, switched gears and put on my “learn to like it” face. Yep, the same one my husband and I have coached our kids to don when trying something that’s new or not a favorite. And guess what? Those lima beans were outstanding – equally as delightful as the main course.

This experience underscored a couple things about how we as humans approach our work and life:

1. Your likes and dislikes do not define you and they can change.

a. We’ve all heard folks say (or perhaps said about ourselves many times), “That’s just how I am. Take it or leave it.”

b. While this can sound like a way of practicing self-awareness and acceptance, it also can be rooted in inflexibility or defensiveness - which can squelch one’s openness and learning agility.

2. You can change small things about yourself and get big dividends.

a. When we’re able to be present with ourselves, focus our attention and tune into our inner world, we realize that in the subtlest of ways we are always changing.

b. Whether it’s your mindset, habits or relationships, allow this innate dynamism to inspire you — you can make shifts happen that are important to you.

3. You are capable of evolving in significant and fresh ways.

a. The mental and physical equivalent of the “Yuck!” face closes you off from opportunities for new experiences and growth.

b. Think about the biggest, hairiest things in your work or life to which you regularly give the equivalent of the “Yuck!” face. What possibilities could open up if the opposite became true for you?

So, when you go to next try something you’ve disdained or avoided in the past, I dare you to put on a smile, relax and get curious about the experience.

I’ll remind myself of this as well as I approach my next hurdle – goat cheese.

Wish me luck!