Comfort Zone

Failure and rejection have been two of my biggest fears since I was a wee lass growing up in Missouri. The fear of failure and rejection has made me too afraid to do some things like apply for certain jobs and apply for other colleges. It has made me too chicken to be completely honest with people sometimes about my feelings and so on. This fear often causes me to stay in my "comfort zone."

I've learned that staying in my comfort zone for too long can lead to the feeling of being in a rut. I have made conscious efforts in my adult life to get out of that comfort zone from time to time. The biggest way I did that was moving from Missouri to Texas when I was 25 and dealing with my "quarter-life crisis." I think it's one of the best decisions I've made.

Small things can make almost as big of an impact on getting out of a rut...like when I joined a co-ed volleyball team a few years ago despite completely sucking at team sports. Almost two years ago I went through major rejection in a relationship and found myself again in a rut. I faced the fear of more rejection and failure and decided to use my photography to make cards having no idea what people would think of them. As most of you all know, one of my favorite local stores liked them and agreed to sell them. This was also the time in my life that I decided to put more effort into making new friends. I had to step way out of my comfort zone for that one and am so glad that I did.

Despite being happy and grateful for my life, 2009 started to give me that feeling again, like I needed to get out of my comfort zone. Everything I've done lately to try to step out of my comfort zone has been pretty small, but it all adds up and has helped.

1. As ridiculous as it sounds, my ponytail has been a part of my "comfort zone" for quite some time now. I chopped it off. It wasn't a drastic haircut, but enough to make me feel fresh and new :)

2. I accepted the nomination to serve on the executive committee and become secretary of the professional organization I'm in. I always stay away from duties like this because I'm afraid I'll screw things up, but I'm in it now and so far everyone has been great and I've learned so much.

3. I applied and was accepted into a professional development program at work.

4. Some coworkers and I volunteered at a soup kitchen, something we'll be doing once a month. This isn't stepping out of my comfort zone, but the job I volunteered to do was...mingling and talking to the patrons. Mingling and striking up conversations with anyone is way out of my comfort zone. I met so many different people from all walks of life and got to hear some interesting and colorful stories.

5. I submitted some embarrassing diary snippets to Mortified and have a meeting set up in three weeks with the producers. I am not expecting to get into the show (live show in Austin), but am stepping out of my comfort zone and again facing the chance of being rejected for the sake of going through a new experience. I have been a fan of Mortified ever since I was introduced to it on This American Life TV. I went to a live show last summer and had a great time. It's a project I have huge respect for and am thrilled to get a glimpse at how it works behind the scenes. If by some miracle I do get into the show, talk about getting out of my comfort zone! I can't even imagine the nerves I would have on stage so I'm just taking it step by step. If the show happens I'll figure out how to deal with it then! In the meantime I'm just having fun focusing on this new endeavor and getting out of my rut.

I have no business giving advice. All I know is what works for me, but if you are reading this and you are feeling like you are in a rut...try getting out of your comfort zone in a small way or a big way. It just might make you feel better. The better you feel about yourself, the better person you'll be able to be...at least that's how I see it.