Today, I want to challenge you with something: Be willing to experiment.

If you're going to live a life true to you, then you've got to be willing to try some things. That’s right, I’m talking about being willing to experiment.

Sometimes, we don’t know what we want (or don’t want), what we like (or don’t like), or what we should be allowing into our lives. The best way to figure that out is by trying new things. In order to figure out what’s best for you, you’ve got to be willing to experiment. When you're willing to experiment and try some stuff, you're going to find the things that are you. You're going to find the things that are true to you.

[share]The life that God has for you—the life that’s already in you—is bigger and more fun and more amazing than you can imagine.[/share]

I’ve gone through many different phases in my life as I’ve tried experimenting with what was right for me. Right after college, I decided to move to a 40-acre farm—a real-life farm. Turns out it's a lot of work and really, really hard. But you know what? It was an experiment. It was fun. But during this time, I asked myself: Is this me? Am I a cowgirl? Turns out, I’m not—but it was a fun phase.

I also decided it would be fun to take Latin and ballroom dance lessons and play on an adult soccer league with all Guatemalan men who spoke no English (my Spanish got really good during that time). All of these things were me trying to find myself and figure out: What is true for me? What kind of life do I want to lead? What kind of person do I want to be?

All of us have an opportunity to experiment, try some things, and see if it works for us. But too often, we’re placing labels on ourselves and unwilling to try new things.

Friend, don't place labels and limitations on yourself. Be willing to push the boundary. Be willing to break outside of the box that you put yourself in. Try something new. Expand your world.

So, what are the things that you tell yourself? Maybe you’re thinking: “I'm not a fun mom. I'm not a businessperson. I'm not athletic. I'm not a runner . . .”  But you have to be willing to experiment. You have to be willing to go for a run, put on some crazy heels, launch a business idea, or do something really fun and weird with your kids.

And guess what? You might just surprise yourself. You might already be that person. She's in there. She's just buried beneath the expectations of everyone else. So, be willing to experiment. Be willing to try some stuff.

When you do, you might just find that the life that God has for you—the life that’s already in you—is bigger and more fun and more amazing than you can imagine. And that’s a life that is true to you. You just don't know it yet.

Journal Questions:

• What are some things in your life that you'd like to try?
• What are some areas of your life that you'd like to experiment in?

Write that down and then join us for part two of this series: 5 Ways to Be True to You.