Being scared to try new things is ridiculous.

This is what I learned from my cat today: being scared to try new things is ridiculous. Here is the whole story:
I got this beautiful tabby, Bengal mix named Sahara. She's orange, about 2 and just cuddly. I like her a lot and she's helped me when the nights got too lonely to handle. But, like my roommates have said, I was worried she was getting too lazy and fat. So, I made the brilliant decision to buy her a collar and leash so I could go outside and relax and she could come too and I wouldn't worry about her running a muck and getting gobbled up by a Rottweiler while I looked on helplessly.
Well, I got her blingin' fantastic collar and leash to match and tried to get her to go outside but she seemed reluctant. I picked her up and carried her outside and she was FREAKING OUT; ridiculously afraid of a beautiful meadow of grassy paradise bathed in sunlight. I'm not that big of a fan of nature unless it's the ocean, but I was ready to relax and enjoy the moment.
Out of my love and genuine desire to help her connect with the outdoors, I remained outside with her puffy-self and tried to coax her into chill-axing but nothing doing. She was a spaz. In the end, I decided alright, enough torture, lets get you inside.
If I had thought she wasn't happy outside, I nearly passed out at the amount of strength that small hairball put into her fight trying to get inside again! Yowling, vainly scratching the air and going nearly exorcist on me, I finally got her back in my apartment and promptly opened a can of the good stuff (wet cat food reserved for emergencies) and let her unwind.
So, the next time I'm feeling worried about the unknown, I'm going to remember Sahara and the ridiculousness of the situation. New things can be fun and enjoyable. Don't fight it, just accept it and have fun! Don't become a pussy-cat :).