Before I delve into a semi-deep blog post, I wanted to share details about my dinner tonight.  It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!  I know some of you may roll your eyes when I say this, but Tucson really does have some of the best restaurants.  AND the food is reasonably priced, which is always a plus in my book!

Dinner tonight was at Acacia, and honestly, I will not be able to do the restaurant any justice by describing it in my own words, so I thought I would share a description verbatim off the menu:

“Acacia is proud to announce the next generation of seasonal menu offerings. Emphasis has been placed on sustainability as well as value. We believe that locally produced foods are inherently fresher and contribute greatly to the Arizona economy. Whenever possible we buy local, all natural, pesticide and herbicide free as well as certified organic products. A special thanks to the micro farmers of southern Arizona, University of Arizona Agricultural co-operative and Meat Sciences Department for making many of their products available to us.”

How cool does that sound?!?!  I love restaurants that support their local communities and this one definitely places a lot of value and emphasis on its relationship with farmers in southern AZ!

For my entrée, I had the corn and chile custard with a variety of veggies that included spinach, asparagus, mushrooms, roasted red pepper, sweet potato, etc.  Here’s a fun pic (from my NEW camera that came in today!).

The custard was savory and creamy and really did melt in my mouth.  The veggies were perfectly grilled and seasoned and very tender.  YUM!

On to more serious things… 🙂

I think it’s important for all of us to keep an open mind when it comes to trying new and different things.  For example, I know that in the past I have missed out on a lot of cool opportunities just because I didn’t want to get out of my comfort zone.  I look back and realize that my mindset back in the day was just plain ridiculous!  You really don’t know what you don’t know!  Now, I love to try out new restaurants, new forms on exercise, new foods, etc.

A major part of all this is being comfortable with change.  And again, change was something that did not resonate well with me in the past.  I enjoyed the status quo.  Something Vishnu likes to say is, “you should never be satisfied with the way things are in life”…definitely did not live by that!  I’ve learned over the past couple of years that change is inevitable, and that the more I actively take part in my own life and the seek out new opportunities, the better I will feel about myself.  So now I seek out new adventures everywhere I go!  By adjusting my mindset, I feel like I’ve really grown as a person.  The old Parita would never go hiking and running outside.  She would never eat/crave oatmeal for breakfast.  She also would not have taken the initiative to follow her heart and start this blog.  (She was kinda boring). 😉

So, the next time you find yourself being complacent, please go out and actively look for something new…a new place to eat, a new recipe, a new friend, a new book, etc.

This post reminds of a great quote I read at work, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”  –Alvin Toffler

We should all strive to continue growing and learning.  As my high school teacher used to say, “we are all a work in progress, never complete but always growing.”

What is something new you’ve tried recently?   Do you find yourself getting complacent and ok with the status quo at times and how do you combat that?