Beige Is Boring
Bold is better.
I used to spend about half my time on the road in the Midwest. I was working with men in discernment, but I often had to "discern" where to get some food.
Going to a chain restaurant was a safe bet. Chains are cheap and most especially predictable. A Culver's in Sheboygan is going to have the same burgers, frozen custard, and reliable wifi as a Culver's in Grand Rapids.
Going to a hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant can lead to some of the best food you'll find north of the border — or intestinal discomfort for days.
It can make sense to choose the chain, but the local joint is far more likely to lead to serendipity. It's the option of higher risk and higher reward.
Many of us could use a bit more serendipity in our lives.
Maybe we worry about what others will think of us, so we do not share our creativity with the world. Maybe we haven't fully outgrown our middle school fears of not fitting in, so we hold back our contrarian opinion.
Of course, recklessness is a problem, but for most of us, fear is a bigger problem. Our biggest regrets tend to be those things we did not do because we lacked courage.
We don’t reminisce about chain restaurants. The safe route is the boring route. Bold is better than beige.