While scrolling through my Instagram feed, I saw this quote posted by someone I follow. It caught my eye for a minute because the quote made me think. Though, as I do for every other Instagram post, I gave it a quick “like” and kept scrolling. A short time after while thinking about my life, something in my head reminded me of this quote. It was then that I realized the truthfulness to and importance of it.
A comfort zone is a safe space. Your comfort zone is your safe space & my comfort zone is my safe space. We all have various ideas of what our comfort zones are, but what similarly connects them all is the fact that great, unthinkable results can come about when we step out of them.
We find comfort in familiarity, therefore doing things that require a sense of discomfort is not particularly appealing to us. Putting yourself out there is not a task that comes as easy to as many people as one may think because it takes time, patience, and strong motives. It may seem like something so small for some people, but for those who constantly live inside of their safe space, taking this action could be one of their greatest fears.
As a young adult, I spend my days figuring out who I am. I focus on reaching my fullest potential & I make steps toward completing a college education as well as eventually pursuing a career. I know I am not alone when I say that I sometimes struggle with putting myself out there due to fear of the unknown. I don’t know what the outcomes will be, I don’t know how people will react and I don’t know exactly how to handle myself in an uncomfortable situation. Sometimes not having the answers to those fears is what makes the journey out of our comfort zones more exciting. I used to believe that good things come to those who wait, which I was content with because it did not involve me participating in things that made me uncomfortable or fearful. Though, through my own recent experiences I have found that gaining a sense of courage and stepping out of my comfort zone is much more effective. I have realized that if there is something I truly desire, I must pursue it by putting in 100% of my efforts. With that being said, these realizations are not just beneficial for me, but also could be for anyone wishing for something that they may be hesitant to pursue.
Journalism has always been something that interested me because I love to write. Though I was always very self conscious about others reading my work until recently. A few months ago I decided to write for my university’s newspaper, a month after that I decided to start blogging, and now I write for The Odyssey Online. All of these things were once uncomfortable thoughts that I never thought I would be able to do. Though now that I have, the people I have met and the opportunities I have been given would have never existed if I didn’t allow myself to experience brief periods of discomfort. One important note that I’ve taken away from my experiences is that I have yet to have any regrets. The regret would only be present if I stayed within my comfort zone. My life would completely different.
In my opinion, by leaping out of your comfort zone you are essentially achieving greatness and bettering yourself. You may be challenged to take on opportunities. You may accomplish things that you never thought you would. You may meet new people, go new places, & experience new things. In doing all of this, you can instill a sense of pride and happiness in yourself knowing you made the decision to take the leap. Having the courage to make that leap is something to be proud of. Sometime down the road one day, stepping out of your comfort zone may seem so small in comparison to the tremendous things you have gained. Ultimately, coming to that realization will give you a sense of happiness and satisfaction with yourself because you had the desire to challenge yourself by doing something that made you uncomfortable. No one did it for you.
