Joining me in this episode to dig deeper into the benefits of first times and new experiences on learning and memory is James M. Hyman, PhD, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at UNLV.

"Being in new situations helps us be in new situations" Dr. Hyman explains how non-specific learning through exposing ourselves to novelty benefits us because we are constantly updating what we know about the world for future use, and learning to regulate our emotional states.

In this episode, I share with you the key highlights of how I've tremendously changed and benefited from my journey of first times and new experiences.

The reason I do what I do is because of how impactful and powerful it's been in my own life and this is an attempt to help you understand that.

In this episode, I explained what the five types of first times are and which ones you should add to your #365FirstsChallenge list as part of the journey of first times and new experiences. The five types are: spontaneous/random/opportunistic firsts, planned firsts, earned firsts, unexpected firsts, and next level firsts.

Please support the crowdfunding campaign with whatever amount you can: https://ifundwomen.com/projects/365firstschallenge-movement

In this episode of the First Time Story series, my guest was Jake Gallen, the host of the popular Las Vegas podcast & talk show, The Guest List, and he shared the story of going to his first electronic music festival.

Going to EDC for the first time is one of three life changing events to take place in his life. Jake explains why this first time was so impactful and why everyone should go at least once in their lives.

Next, we played the first time lightning round and discovered an interesting place where Jake went skinny dipping.

Joining me in this episode is Mary Rensel, MD, the owner of Brain Fresh, and Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine to dig deeper into the benefits of first times and new experiences on the health of our brains.

In this episode of the First Time Story series, my guest was Ed Sullivan. Ed shared the story of his first time "making the leap" from a comfortable life at a "real job" into the entrepreneurial fray selling the first laser for lasik eye surgery he engineered.

Ed Sullivan is serial entrepreneur who has built several successful companies each over $30M in revenue. Most recently he founded Trust Exchange and Aria Systems. He started a newsletter and online community for like-minded entrepreneurs: edsull.substack.com

Joining me in this episode is Paula ‘Must Try Harder’ McGuire to dig deeper into the benefits of first times and new experiences to overcome anxiety. Her story is insanely inspirational!

Paula is an adventurer, author, motivational speaker and life coach – but above all, she’s a trier. After 30 years of surviving with chronic social anxiety and depression, Paula started to really live with it in 2012, using adventure as her means to recovery. She has since been a wing-walker, an athlete, a pilot, and even a trainee astronaut, and spends what spare time she has encouraging others to turn barriers into climbing frames.

In this episode of the First Time Story series, my guest was Ronit Plank. Ronit shared the story of the first time she ever went to a giant community coven Wiccan gathering at a Unitarian Church when she was in college.

Next, we played the First Time Lightning Round™ and learned that Ronit loves getting hot stone massages and if someone can teach her how to safely do a handstand, she'll give it a go!!

Ronit is a freelance writer, host, and producer of the podcast And Then Everything Changed, and author of the new memoir When She Comes Back. When She Comes Back is a story about Ronit’s mother leaving her, twice, in order to follow a group during her childhood, which led to Ronit growing up without her mother but later reconciling.

Joining me in this episode is Marta Brzosko, the founder of the Self-Awareness Blog to dig deeper into the importance and value of self-awareness and to discuss how to go about developing our self-awareness.

We started things out by defining "what is self-awareness?" Which led to highlighting the dangers and issues with pursuing self-development and self-improvement without having proper self-awareness.

Next, we explored how to raise self-awareness through feeling our emotions and getting out of our heads. What about mindfulness? What is the role of mindfulness in self-awareness?

This led to having a conversation about how first times and new experiences are key to helping us be more mindful as well as making us more self-aware.

We then discussed the balance between pursuing novelty (first times and new experiences) and the need for a pause/downtime for assessment and full integration of what we have learned and how we've changed.

Marta Brzosko is a writer and founder of the Self-Awareness Blog. She advocates for developing self-awareness and mindfulness before "improving" ourselves. She escapes her own tendencies to overthink by running in Nature, drawing, and doing things for the first time.