Blog #102 – The Courage to Try Without Knowing

Permission to try something new without knowing how it will turn out, without being good at it, without explaining yourself. This is where evolution actually begins.

Flower or mantis? Adaptation says YES! This is an orchid mantis.

Most of us were trained out of this instinct early on. We learned to aim for competence, not curiosity. To minimize risk. To choose what we could already do well. But life never worked that way. And nature certainly doesn’t.

One of the first things Darwin noticed was this: life stays alive by producing variation. Tiny differences. Experiments. Quirks. Attempts. Some work. Many don’t. And that’s the point.

Variation isn’t chaos. It’s how life gathers information.

By the time we reach our third chapter, the stakes can feel strangely higher.

You’ve already built a life. You’ve already proven yourself. You’ve already survived enough awkward beginnings to last a lifetime.

So when the urge to try something new arises—a class, a creative project, a shift in how you spend your time—it’s often followed by a quieter, sharper thought:

What if I’m terrible at it?What if this is indulgent?What if it goes nowhere?

That hesitation isn’t laziness or fear of growth. It’s the residue of a culture that rewards polish over process. But evolution moves through curiosity. Through what if.

In the natural world, variation is constant. Plants send out multiple shoots, not knowing which will take root. Species adapt through small deviations. Life does not require a business plan before it experiments.

Trying something new isn’t reckless. It’s how systems learn what fits their current environment.

And here’s the part we rarely say out loud: Post-menopausal women are especially well-positioned for variation.

Not because we have nothing to lose—but because we’ve already learned that loss is survivable. Because we’ve carried responsibility. Because we’ve adapted before. Because we know the difference between real risk and imagined embarrassment.

What looks like “starting over” from the outside is often refinement from the inside. Variation does not mean blowing up your life. It means:

• changing one small variable

• loosening one habit

• testing one curiosity

A different walking route. An afternoon spent making instead of managing. A conversation you’ve been avoiding—or one you’ve been craving. Variation asks one question only: What happens if I try this?

This week, try one small experiment. Choose something that:

·       carries mild curiosity

·       has no obvious payoff

·       does not require mastery

Do it once. Not forever. Not perfectly. Then notice:

·       Did it give energy or drain it?

·       Did time stretch or contract?

·       Did your body relax or brace?

That’s data. Not judgment. Not a verdict. Evolution runs on information, not self-criticism.

Life does not evolve by waiting until it’s ready. It evolves by trying, observing, adjusting. The courage to try again—without knowing how it will turn out—is not immaturity or indulgence. It’s instinct. And it’s one you still have.

Share your adaptation with others, including WonderCrone!