In so many ways, our comfort zone is a sanctuary and benefits us immensely. When life gets tough, when we are upset and have nowhere to turn, there's nothing more uplifting than having the ability to retreat back to that homely, consoling place that provides protection and rejuvenation like no other.
A place that is free from judgment so you can indulge in whatever catharsis works for you; whether it means eating a tub of honeycomb ice-cream while sobbing over The Notebook or cuddling up in bed with your childhood 'blankie' while you dwell over mournful music playlists on Spotify.
One thing I love about this space that each of us possesses is that it's unique to everyone.
Not one comfort zone looks the same.
Mine is my home, with my partner, eating pasta that my mum used to make me as a kid and watching "Friends." If I'm feeling overwhelmed and in need of escape, you can be sure that's where you will find me – and, no, that isn't an invitation.
The danger of this, however, is that some people become so dependent on the sentiment that the idea of stepping outside of it fills them with such anxiety or dread that they become stagnant. You see, in order to learn, grow and advance in life, you must do things that initially scare you. To thrive, you must be audacious.
Taking risks is the key component in life's repertoire of successes.
As I write this, I reflect on all the tumultuousness and turmoil, the melancholy and the hardships that I have faced—and I smile. The person I am today is derived directly from these experiences. The most liberating of opportunities wouldn't have manifested if I didn't believe, wholeheartedly, that I deserved them.
Moreover, my character wouldn't have become as enriched as it did if I didn't muster the courage to say "yes."
Over the past few months, some prayers of mine were answered. In a short space of time, I started writing for an online magazine, was interviewed by a German production company and accepted an invitation to Berlin to attend their annual political summer party – which you can read about here.
Each situation, as they transpired, were as momentous and exciting as they were initially terrifying. Before I took the plunge and said "yes" to each opportunity, it was at the forefront of my mind to dismiss them, as they appeared at first, far too good to be true.
I'm adamant that if I declined even just one of these opportunities, the others wouldn't have ensued, and I would be a lesser person as a result of it.
It's important to mention that it was after I uttered that magic word (which, at the time, felt very risky indeed), that I needed more courage than ever. Distraught with nerves, better judgment clouded by the appealing possibility of home and comfort, I thought: "I don't have to go through with this. I could change my mind."
What a shame it would have been if I did.
In essence, what I have discovered is that when you believe that you are worthy of what you desire, the road will rise up to meet you. Your comfort zone is permanent. Enhancing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities (in their particular form) are not; they are fleeting and rarely come around more than once.
So, go on! Visualize those aspirations then believe that you are worthy of what you desire so immensely that it has no choice but to manifest into reality. Then, when it does, take a plunge into the pool of uncertainty by saying "yes."
Yes - It could go wrong, but it could also go beyond anything you've ever imagined. If it's the former, you'll know exactly the place to go for comfort before getting up to try again.
In the words of William Faulkner, "You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore."
