Life Is An Experiment: 100 Experiments To Change Your Life

By Frances Vidakovic

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”

Many of us spend our days as if we are going to live forever. We dream about things we never do. We think about things we never say. We sit and hope and expect things to fall into our lap but guess what? They never do. 

If you want something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done before. If you truly want to achieve a goal or a dream you will find a way. If you don’t, you will find an excuse. 

This book is a compilation of 100 life experiments or what can also be considered to be a bunch of dares. I dare you to do them all to prove you are awake and alive in this world. These life experiments are going to force you to get outside your comfort zone. You will need to get over your fears, try something different, stand up for yourself and learn how to have fun again.

Ultimately it is going to be up to you. Are you ready to take action? Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try. It’s time to remember what it feels like to be alive again.

 

To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people just exist. Oscar Wilde

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frances Vidakovic
• Release date: Apr 29, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386798033

Book preview

1 Throw 50 things away

Clutter causes stress, and clutter is one of the main barriers of productivity. Charisse Ward

Whether we like it or not we live in a more materialistic society today. Humans have a tendency to collect stuff but our brains are not equipped to deal with that much stimulation. If there is stuff everywhere you look, there’s a good chance you are feeling stressed and anxious as a result of this clutter, even if it is organised clutter.

If you want to find your purpose and discover what really matters in your life, get rid of everything that doesn’t matter.  Don’t think clutter doesn’t matter because it does. It matters because it takes up space – not just in your physical surroundings, but in your head.

I challenge you to throw away everything you don’t love or need. If it doesn’t bring you joy or isn’t useful to you, now is the time to bin it. You need to throw out a minimum of fifty things but you are welcome to keep adding to the bye, bye pile if you like.

Watch what happens when you clear the clutter out of a space. Your mood may instantly change. You may feel more at peace, more focused and more serene. The effect is potentially profound.

2. Speak to a stranger

I have always depended on the kindness of strangers. Tennessee Williams

It’s funny because when we are young we are taught NOT to speak to strangers, because there is a secret fear strangers can cause us harm. Then you grow up and discover through experience that speaking to strangers can be both an eye-opening and sometimes life-changing event.

The truth is not every stranger needs to become your best friend. Yet strangers can become your best friend as easily as best friends can become a stranger. Remember every good companion of yours once a stranger. You didn’t miraculously have a strong, fabulous friendship from day dot.

Friendships take time and commitment to grow and we all start off by not knowing anything about a person. Then you discover either quickly or over time just how much you have in common with that person.

Find the courage to open up to strangers. Ask questions like:

How are you doing today?

What’s your name?

What do you do?

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

What was your life like growing up?

"What were you like in high school?’

What do you dream about achieving?

Who is your role model?

"What is your most treasured possession?

"What are you most grateful for in life?

What is your greatest accomplishment in life?

What does friendship mean to you?

Would you like to be famous? If so, in what way?

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

How are you…really?

Questions are the easiest way to make a connection with another person. Questions lead to shared communication and the ones listed above are designed to get to know other people quickly.

They will usually lead to interesting heartfelt conversations. Some strangers will love that you have showed interest in their life…others may clam up and not appreciate the intrusion but that’s okay!

With a world population of seven billion it is postulated humans can only comfortably maintain around150 relationships. Known as The Dunbar Number, this is the estimated amount of fulfilling relationships we sustain, without feeling overwhelmed.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t take every opportunity to open your world to new people and new experiences. Some strangers may only be in your life for a few minutes; others may stop and stick around for a while.

So seek out people who intrigue you, who catch your eye and make you want to learn more about them. If you are curious about a stranger don’t let them pass your way without making contact because there is a good chance you may never see them again.

Remember every person in this world has a story to share and the potential to bring some value or lesson to your life.

3. Say I love you to someone special

This seems to be a simple enough task. I mean, honestly, how hard is it to say three words out loud? For some it will be easy, especially if you have grown up in an environment where affection and feelings are shared freely. For others it will feel like the hardest thing in the world. In fact it brings new meaning to the phrases a cat has got your tongue and got a lump in my throat.

Sometimes we are afraid to tell people we love them for various reasons. Maybe it is the fear of not hearing it back. Maybe it’s the fear of opening our hearts up to rejection. Maybe it’s because it’s new and scary and the thought of it sends a shiver done our spine.

Either way we must take the risk and say it anyway while we still can. Do you love someone a lot? Do you love your parents, your partner, your children, your siblings or your friends?

You may find it easy to share these words with some of your loved ones and not others.

You will know you are doing this experiment right when it slightly scares you. Never pass up the chance to say I love you because tomorrow isn’t promised. You shouldn’t say I love you unless you really mean it. But if you mean it, you should say these words often.

If you love someone tell them because hearts are often broken by words left unspoken. So speak up! Say the words out loud to those who you find it hardest to confess your true feelings of affection and admiration to. You will be glad you did.

4. Write a thank you letter

Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy and change ordinary opportunities into blessings. William Arthur Ward

How often do you say thank you to all the people who have showed you love and done good deeds for you in life? We may think we say it often. We may sometimes say it quickly in passing, without ever conveying how grateful we are for their help and support. There is nothing sweeter than receiving a thank you letter – a card that someone has taken the take to choose and write.

Think about what exactly you are thankful for? Is it someone’s patience, kindness or support? You can never have enough gratitude.

It only takes a moment to say thank you but your thoughtfulness will be remembered a long time. Saying thank you is more than just good manners.

So this is your dare for today: take out a piece of paper and spill your heart out onto the sheet. Never let the things you want make you forget the things you have. It is not happy people who are thankful. It is thankful people who are happy. Do it on the spot, right now. The power of gratitude alone is best expressed when you show it to somebody who means something to you.

We tend to forget that happiness doesn’t come as a result of getting something we don’t have, but rather of recognising and appreciating what we do have. Frederick Keong

5. Spend no money for a week

Almost half the world, over three billion people, lives on less than $2.50 per day and struggle simply to survive. At least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day. And then there is the other 20% who are spoilt with riches they don’t even realize they have. They have the opportunity to buy things they desire, even if they don’t realize how blessed or fortunate they are.

This experiment involves buckling down for one week and spending money on only the absolute essentials.

No spend rules involves spending money only on the essentials (if they absolutely can’t be postponed for another week):

You may make essential purchases only (such as petrol/gas and simple groceries)

Or agreed upon purchases that are time-sensitive (such as birthday presents or baby gift)

In order to succeed at this experiment you will need to do the following things:

Cancel your plans for the week: 

If it involves going out with your friends and family and spending a lot of cash you need to nix it for this week. It’s a tough call but remember it’s only temporary.

Go through your pantry:

Given that you won’t be splurging on expensive dinners or even cheap fast food, it’s time to take a stocktake of what you currently have in your pantry and fridge. You may be surprised to find what you have collecting dust or sitting unused in the kitchen. Plan your meals around what you currently have in stock.

Hide your credit cards:

If you don’t have it on you, they can’t be used.

Make some extra money:

Now is the perfect time to look around your house and see what you sell. Go through your things and see if you have anything of value you no longer need.

This is the quickest way to bring in extra pocket money when you are having a tight week. It is also a great way to assess what you already have at home, which should hopefully deter you from buying needlessly in the future.

Think about how it feels to spend less money on yourself and your family. Does restricting your spending deprive you or make you feel more in control and more alive?

6. Disconnect from technology for 24 hours

I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots. Albert Einstein

Think about the last time you took a break from technology…Was it a while ago? Was it before the invention of the computer, cell phone, and TV (which for most people is too long ago to remember?) Can you recall the last time you went a single day without using your cell phone or switching on your laptop or TV?

In many ways technology is a fabulous thing as it enables us to stay connected to people and the world. It is amazing that it enables us to bring people together. But many of us have crossed an imaginary line where we are connected more to the machine than people.

No one likes to throw the word addiction around lightly due to its negative connotations but ask yourself now: could you possibly be addicted to technology? Addiction can only be understood when the object is taken away.

I am not asking you to give up technology forever but to abstain for 24 hours. What will you do with yourself and all these extra hours you now have at your disposal? You will