Two things that suck when you get to the bottom of a Nutella jar: (1) it’s over, and (2) you can just never seem to get all of it out.
Stupid Design?
Just as you’re digging your knife (or finger) around the inside of that jar, trying to get every last bit out, Nutella knows: they’ve got you. They know that because of their stupidly over-sized inner rim, that most people will either (a) be pantry-ready with another jar instead of scraping around, or (b) planning to go get a replacement.
Either way, they’ve got you.
Clever design, after all.
Nutella and Ego
I sometimes like to use Nutella when talking to people about trying new things. Which sounds weird. But bear with me.
When people say things like “oh, travelling isn’t for me” or “university isn’t for me” or the more generic one: “I can’t do that”.
Referencing Nutella here is great. Let me show you why.
Say, for instance, that you’ve never had Nutella (or just chocolate or some other food that you love). Now consider me telling you “oh my god, you have got to try it.” And you, as stubborn as you are, respond by saying “nah, it’s just not for me.”
Do you see what I’m getting at?
How can you know what you like or don’t like if you never try it? Perhaps you would actually like travelling if you gave it a go. Perhaps you would like university if you gave it a go. Perhaps you would be able to do [insert every single activity in the entire world], if you just gave it a go.
If you take the plunge with something new, then you may find out how good it actually is when you spread it on rice cakes.
School and Ego
Speaking of university. There’s nothing like a bit of ego damaging, right?
Well, if you’re looking at achieving this, then head to class.
You see, every day you show up somewhere that has one main goal of schooling you (literally), you are always going to face things that you have never even thought about.
But not just at university. Perhaps it’s a new job, or the pursuit of a new skill or hobby, or the interaction with a new group of friends, or indeed another organic chemistry lab where you have only just figured out after 10 weeks what recrystallization is. Stepping outside of your little comfort zone enables the opportunity for you to be disheartened at how little you know.
“The more you know, the more you know you don’t know” – Aristotle
But, when has it ever been bad to not know something? I think it’s a far better situation to be in when you realize that you know nothing, rather than passing through life with your blinkers up and a cup full of stubbornness.
Keeping an open mind and willingness to grow are key traits that should always exist in a life. Being aware that every single person that you meet or know knows at least one thing more than you is exciting to say the least.
Tomorrow
Tomorrow, I dare you to do something different. Speak to that stranger, call that friend you haven’t spoken to in years, read that book you’ve been holding off on, sign-up for that thing you’ve been thinking about way too long, talk to that crush you’ve been eyeing.
I have an inkling that at the end of it all, we’re not going to be regretting the things we did, but rather the things we didn’t.