During my senior year of high school, I attended a leadership retreat with my classmates over a weekend in the fall. Though I had attended the retreat since my freshman year, it was extra special my senior year as it was my last one, and it was the end of my favorite part of high school. The goal of the retreat is to allow you to get to know those better that you think you know well, and meet and get to know people you’ve never talked to before, and it did just that.

The theme my senior year was “When was the last time you tried something for the first time?”, and from that weekend forward, this question has always stuck with me. It made me realize that before that weekend, I couldn’t remember that last time I had tried something for the first time or had taken a risk. Throughout my life, I had always stuck with the status quo and never done anything that I wasn’t comfortable with.

I never stepped outside of my box, because the fear that I might fail or be rejected overwhelmed the benefits of doing so.

But my senior year changed that. When I was asked that question, it made me think and made me realize that my life was boring and stale and that I needed to try something that I had never done before at the age of 18, and see where it took me.

The first time I stepped outside my comfort zone was when I started to admit to the people around me that I suffered from anxiety and that I had been for years. This was by far the scariest thing I had ever done, but I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Allowing myself to try something new allowed me to be open and honest with not only those I was close to and everyone around me, but myself as well. Not having to hide who I was lifted a weight off of my shoulders, and helped me realize that taking chances and trying new things is the only way to move forward with your life and be the happiest version of yourself.

Since that day, I have lived by this motto that trying something new can only help you grow. Whether you succeed or fail, you put yourself out there and allowed yourself to try something that you had never done before, and that in itself is the biggest accomplishment of the whole process. I know it may seem scary, but stepping outside of your box and trying something new could be the best decision you ever made. It could be something as simple as trying a new food you’ve never eaten or trying a new workout plan with your friend, or as big as admitting to others something about yourself that you’ve always tried to hide.

It's the fact that you put yourself out there and tried something that you weren’t comfortable with that counts, and that makes all the difference in the end.

So I challenge you to ask yourself when was the last time that you did something for the first time? Go try something new, and see the results blossom in front of you because I promise you, you won’t ever regret taking the chance, you’ll only regret not taking it when you had the chance.