We are all guilty of putting a psychological limit on ourselves whether we realize it or not. This limit is what many people call their comfort zone. I am beyond guilty of living in my comfort zone. I, like many others, decide it’s best to stay where I’m comfortable. To step out of your comfort zone would be extremely difficult and maybe even a bit intimidating.

Within the last three years, I have done a few things my past self would almost pass out in shock over. One big thing I did was read a poem to an audience. Not to mention that this poem is my most personal poem wrote to date. I was terrified but the whole next day following I felt like I was on top of the world. That was two years ago in June but I still can’t believe I did it.

I made a personal goal at the beginning of this semester to step out of my comfort zone and actually talk to people. I know that may sound extremely easy to a lot of people but I have been shy my whole life. I was so shy I feared being voted Most Quiet my senior year for the Senior Superlatives, luckily that didn’t’ happen. I have already talked and met more people this semester than I have in my many years of college.

I want this to be an encouragement to anybody worried about doing something out of their comfort zone. It may be scary and if it’s something really big start smaller. I just happened to go a little backwards and start with reading a poem and end with talking to people. When I say it’s the end it’s far from being the end.

Every day we’re faced with new opportunities and lessons to learn. We just have to keep our eyes open and not close our eyes when something new comes our way. However, I don’t want to see anyone become like Jim Carrey in the movie “Yes Man” that just brought nothing but trouble.

We limit ourselves for many reasons, we could fear rejection, failure or many other things. The problem is when we let the comfort zone win we never know whether we would have failed or been rejected in the first place. Every opportunity could be a lesson learned we just have to trust ourselves and allow for whatever to happen.

I know it’s scary but look back on how far you’ve already come in life. Look at the things you were brave enough to do on your own. Maybe it was going away from your family to go to college or maybe it was making the decision to take the promotion at work. Whether we start big or small every step out of our comfort zone gives us a new experience.

I think it’s easier to encourage others than to encourage yourself to do something new. It scares me even though I understand it how it could be worth it to take a step out of my comfort zone. I don’t want to see an opportunity pass by me and I wonder “what if I would have tried?” Always encourage one another, go to a friend if you have to but always encourage yourself as well!