I’ve never considered myself to be a risk-taker. I’m not afraid of trying new foods, I’m not scared of heights, I’m outgoing and I’m not boring, but I don’t really take risks. Even though my comfort zone is a pretty big space, I tend to stay inside it. This has never bothered me in the past. I’ve always been fine accepting the fact I’m not the person to spontaneously go cliff jumping or sneak out at 2 a.m. Truth or dare has never fazed me-- if you want to get me to do something, I’m going to need a reasonable argument complete with a thesis statement and 3 supporting details, not just, “do it, you won’t,” because, in all honesty, you’re right, I probably won’t.

But recently I’ve begun to realize doing things out of your comfort zone isn't always these huge crazy adventures. Sometimes all it takes to step out of your comfort zone is approaching a guy you think is cute or voicing your opinion when you know others’ may not agree. Lately, I haven’t been stretching my boundaries very far, and that scares me. I’m content with the way I live, day to day, going to work, going to the gym, watching Netflix. While I do hang out with my friends, (don’t get me wrong, I promise I have a life!) I hate the idea of falling into a pattern. Now, it’s worth noting I knew going into this summer I would spend the majority of my days working, but there are even little things I know I could do to push myself.

We, as humans, hate being uncomfortable. The majority of us hate change-- why? Because it’s unfamiliar. Because it’s not what we’re used to. Because we have schedules and we like to stick to them. But there’s a classic saying, “you’ll never know unless you try” and, although we’ve heard it time and time again, if you really think about it hard, it’s so true. Think about your life, your daily routines, the people you interact with, the hobbies you enjoy. There was a time when none of that existed. There was a starting point to all of it. But as we get older, I think we grow too comfortable and we lose interest in what is new and exciting. And maybe you do have enough friends, maybe you are super busy doing ten different things a week, but chances are, there’s room for more.

I don’t like to entertain the notion that we’re running out of time, I just don’t think it’s the best way to live. I don’t want to live like I’m dying because, quite frankly, that’s just morbid. I want to live and explore because that’s what living is, not because I feel pressured to do crazy things before I die. I’m nineteen, I shouldn’t worry about dying tomorrow.

So, maybe I won’t start my new lifestyle by going skydiving or getting my tongue pierced. But I will say hi to someone new just because I can, I will have the confidence to attempt yoga or kickboxing for the first time. I really think if everyone just did one thing everyday, no matter how small, that pushes their boundaries a bit, a world of opportunity could open up. Embrace what makes you uncomfortable. Lean into what is unknown and scary, welcome change.