Stepping Out Of Your Comfort Zone

When it comes to your comfort zone and specifically stepping out of it, I feel like there's different levels to it. Imagine like a video game, you start as a beginner and as you get more experience and you level up, you get better and better at it. When I was a kid for example in school and in class...stepping out of my comfort zone meant things like raising my hand in class to answer a question or presenting in front of the class. As I got older, it became things like being in public settings and talking to new people or just meeting new people in general. There's different levels to stepping out of your comfort zone and it depends on the kind of person you are and what level you're at. I think no matter what level you're at, meeting new people will forever be something that's hard to do because it's not natural for most people I feel. For me, one of my personal goals and challenges to myself these past couple of years has been to step out of my comfort zone, like really make a conscious effort to do things I'm not comfortable with. So like signing up for Teens Conference for one was a big step out of my comfort zone. I've been going to so many interviews lately and been putting myself in so many situations to talk to random people that holding or starting a random conversation with people I don't really know isn't as scary as it once was, it's still scary, but not as scary. I'll forever remember my talking to my cousin and when I was talking to her, I was looking at my feet and she was like Rodmond, one of the most important things to learn is eye contact, it lets people know you're engaged, that you're there and not zoning off somewhere lol. But yeah, one of my goals as of late has just been to challenge myself to get out of my comfort zone...one thing that's kinda been on my mind is to possibly go out of the country to teach...now that's like on the extreme spectrum, that's like full out jumping out of my comfort one at full force, it's also something that's not that likely to happen tho lol. It's funny when I think about the opposing situations because for an introvert like myself, a super loud and in your face situation is uncomfortable whereas I've seen a lot of extroverted people feel uncomfortable in quiet and/or isolated settings because they're so used to being in situations where people are always talking or things are always happening, so I guess it kinda goes both ways. But yeah, that's been the challenge for myself and I'll even issue that challenge to you...wherever you're at on the spectrum...I challenge you to do something that's uncomfortable, that you're not used to. Maybe raising your hand in class, approaching someone new, or maybe it's being quiet and finding time for yourself...what's that thing that's new, that's different, that's uncomfortable for you...and challenge yourself to do it.