Look around you. Stand up, walk to the nearest window, and peer outside. There is a whole world out there. What have you experienced? What have you seen? What have you touched, smelled, heard, spoken, tasted, felt, cried over? If your answer is “not much,” then you must break the box you’ve built around yourself.
One of the most frustrating things is to hear friends or peers say no to a new experience simply because of their fear of commitment, humiliation, failure, or even their fear of fear itself. By no means am I declaring myself perfect, free of fears, or lacking the word “no” from my vocabulary. In fact, these characteristics of fear and doubt are what make us human, and they are what make stepping out of our comfort zones a highly important and valuable experience. Comfort zones -- our tiny, precious boxes around us -- are quite the opposite. They are your worst enemy.
Comfort zones, by definition, are the places where one feels safe or at ease and without stress. Feeling comfortable and relaxed is necessary, at certain points. However, stepping outside of your box of confinement -- going on a spontaneous adventure, talking to that person you were always too scared to talk to, or simply saying yes, instead of no, to a proposition -- is what is necessary for growth.
Without daring myself to jump, take a chance, or challenge myself, I would not be the same person. For seven summers of my childhood, I spent a week at my favorite summer camp where I learned about God and gained many experiences. Naturally, I went on to work there for three whole summers in a row, sacrificing time at the beach with family and friends or relaxation for constant 24-hour days of expending energy on little children. It was one the most rewarding and worthwhile experiences of my life, teaching me about myself more and more each summer. It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t always ideal. It wasn’t in my comfort zone. It was essential for my growth, and the memories will last a lifetime.
Yes, I’ve traveled to Iceland for two weeks, climbing behind waterfalls to gaze at the rainbow in front me, driving over glaciers, going into an Icelandic middle school, and diving into the Blue Lagoon -- and I desire travel and new experiences every day because of that experience. Yes, I’ve eaten alligator and frog legs. Were they gross? Absolutely they were, but it shows I am brave and open to adventure. Yes, I’ve ventured across many ropes courses of terrifying heights, been raised hundreds of feet in the air to fly down and be caught by a bungee cord, and screamed in terror on many roller coasters. Was it scary? Yes, it absolutely was at first, but I had so much fun doing all of it and now I’m eager for thrill.
While some experiences and challenges are extreme, stepping out of your comfort zone doesn’t mean you have to go cliff-diving or hop on a plane to a random country. However, drowning yourself in the same 50-mile radius, with the same routine and same sights and experiences every day, will not provide the sustenance for growth.
This world is more than suffocating underneath the same routine every day of your life. Pyramids, mountains, bridges, castles, cities, oceans, jungles. Sounds, sights, smells, tastes, textures. Beauty, thrill, growth. Step out of your comfort zone. Your life begins now.
