Stepping out of our comfort zone can be a very scary yet exciting experience. Many of us are perhaps too scared to venture forth into the unknown and thus stay exactly where we are, living life without challenging ourselves to grow beyond our safe little bubble. Others are constantly doing things that terrify them in search of the excitement found in a fleeting rush of adrenaline. For some that excitement can only be attained through extreme and potentially life threatening activities.
I am definitely not an adrenaline junkie! In fact, I am the complete opposite. I’ve been “little Miss Cautious” ever since I can remember…always weighing out the consequences of every action, every decision. It’s definitely kept me safe physically and out of trouble as a teen, which I am grateful for, however, it has also hindered me in many ways. Sadly, fear has often accompanied my cautious tendencies and has prevented me from experiencing life with the sense of adventure and wonder that makes life fun and worth living.
Over the past few years I’ve been working hard to break through my safety bubble. Albeit, I am still approaching every opportunity to step out of my comfort zone in the only way I truly know how…cautiously….weighing out the consequences. However, now I am saying “yes” to more things that scare me, whether that fear is legitimate or not. Slowly but surely I am facing some of my fears head on simply because I know I can grow from even just attempting to conquer them. Don’t get me wrong, I still refuse to do things that I deem are life threatening or too dangerous for my liking…although ironically, I do want to go skydiving some day…like so many people I have a fear of heights.
Earlier this year, for my 40th birthday, I decided it was time to begin my 4th decade of life with a bang. To make this decade the best one yet. What better way to begin this new journey than to conquer my fear of heights. No I didn’t go skydiving…not ready for that one yet. Baby steps! However, I did round up a group of friends to celebrate this new commitment to myself and we all went ziplining in Nanaimo, British Columbia. We had such a great time. It was a lot of fun and wonderful to be supported by such amazing people, but you know, it wasn’t quite the adrenaline rush I thought it would be.
I realized that my fear of heights isn’t as intense if I feel safe. I watched attentively as I was being hooked into those wires; I felt how sturdy my harness was; I scrutinized how everything was securely bolted to the tree I was departing from. There was no way I could have fallen. And you know what, if by some random occurrence I had fallen, it would have been truly meant to be. so I surrendered and took the leap from my perch and zipped across a fairly wide river about one hundred feet off the surface of the water with complete faith that I was safe. Woohoo for me!
My fear is by no means cured, but at least I did it! For the leap I took that day has far more significance than a mere physical jump to conquer my fear. It was the first giant step in me truly stepping out of my comfort zone, and thus serves as a metaphor for the change I am creating in my life. To challenge myself in ways that I would have never deemed possible for “little miss cautious”. It symbolizes the courage that lay dormant within me for so long. It revealed to me that fear is far worse in it’s anticipation than in it’s execution. It’s a reminder that the mind makes everything so much scarier than it actually is. Thus following through on facing this fear has opened my mind and heart to more amazing possibilities. Like actually going skydiving some day for instance. Not sure when that will happen, but it WILL happen.
Until then, I continue to consciously say yes to things that previously would have had me remain stuck in my safety bubble of monotony, and am living life a little more fully with every new adventure. Facing one fear at a time and growing more and more into the being that is within me to be. With every new challenge I welcome into my human experience, whether a success or failure and regardless of it’s nature, I develop more courage and faith within myself that enables me to cultivate the self-confidence to believe that anything is possible when we simply step out of our comfort zone.
Photo Credit
“Photos do no justice” 3N @ Flickr.com. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
Speaking of comfort zone ..Looking for some one to do the amazing race with..If u r up to it reply.
What a wonderful way to get out of your comfort zone Kylen! I’ve been a fan of The Amazing Race for several years. I’d love to think about trying it – but it’s the eating detours that have always held me back. I watched the one in Hong Kong last night, and miles of sushi to sample is my worst nightmare! Not ready for that! 🙂
But kudos for you for making the declaration and putting it out there! I’ll cheer you on when it’s your turn! And tell Phil to iron a shirt once in a while! 🙂
Dan
I find it’s the times when I step outside my comfort zone that I really grow as a person…in fact it’s those times that accelerate self-development and self-awareness. Good for you, Kylen, for trying ziplining! I had one of the best days of my life out in Sooke on the zipline. That moment when you step out and you have to have faith…in yourself…in the zipline…in your guides…in the universe — it’s the perfect metaphor for life. Thanks!
so true…thx Kerry!
i could have ziplined all day 🙂