Comfort zones can be deadly. It is in comfort zones where people become too content. There are no boundaries to push and no challenges to overcome in a comfort zone. Some people may be fine with this, and I’d say most people are on instinct. However, if you never step out of your comfort zone, how are you supposed to learn anything new? How are you supposed to experience new things? The idea of staying within my comfort zone is something that I often find myself giving in to. I don't normally make formal resolutions for the new year, but I was actually inspired to hold myself to one this year. I want to break outside of my comfort zone as much as possible for the sake of learning, experience, and growth.Over winter break, I went on a cruise. I had been on a cruise last summer, so I had an idea of what to expect, or so I thought. My experience with this cruise was completely different from the previous one, and for one main reason; I stepped outside of my comfort zone. I would say although I'm a pretty friendly person, I don't really go out of my way to make new friends. In many aspects, this has held me back from having the more comfortable social interactions I probably could have. On many cruises, there are “teen clubs” for teens to engage in activities that are more geared towards them. In all honesty, the first time I heard about it, I thought it was going to be completely ridiculous and childish (typical teen attitude). I was completely against going to it, and I felt embarrassed when my younger sister pleaded with me to go with her. I was pretty much forced into going, but I can say now that I am so glad I went.
As soon as we got there, almost everyone already knew each other, and my inability to spark up a conversation with someone new was completely holding me back from any interaction. Luckily, some people had introduced themselves to me and invited me to tag along with their group. Throughout that night, I met so many new people. The rest of that night, and for the rest of the cruise there on out, I opened up a great deal. I met a bunch of really awesome people, and I got to make some incredible memories. We got pretty close with one another in such a short amount of time. Once the cruise was over, I shocked myself with the experiences I had. It didn't seem like it had even happened. I completely stepped out of my comfort zone, and as a result, I had an amazing vacation. I still talk to several of the people I had met on the cruise, and those friendships hold a lot of value to me. In a way, they symbolize that reach from my comfort zone.
It’s something I want to experience over and over again, forever. Therefore, I feel as though I must make this a resolution. I experienced how stepping outside of my comfort zone opened the door for so many more fun experiences. I really hope that I can hold this resolution this year. I want to experience as many new things while I am still young and easily able to.
I too really want to step out of my comfort zone sometimes, but I can't always do so. I have been on a few cruises as well, and I always have envied the kids that make new friends because I never could. I am glad you were able to, that environment can be intimidating! It has been a goal of mine to step out of my comfort zones for a while now, and maybe this year I will succeed!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome that you stepped outside of your comfort zone! I totally agree; the best things in my life have come from doing things that initially made me feel uneasy, but I'm so happy that I did. My life is different because of it. It makes me wonder what life would be like if we lived in a world where everyone left their comfort zones regularly. I think that we would have a much more open and exciting world. Fear and hesitant may sometimes keep us safe but it also keeps us from amazing experiences.
ReplyDeleteThat is really great that you were able to experience that. I completely agree that stepping out of your comfort zone can help you grow as a person. I think that we all kind of get scared of reaching out and meeting new people. I wonder why that is, though. The worst that could happen is the person says, "sorry, I don't like you." But if anyone would ever say that to a person who is trying to be their friend then I wouldn't want to be their friend anyway. Still though it's very difficult for people to reach out to others. I often find myself struggling to get out of the house or asking people to go do something but I am always glad that I did in the end. I think that stepping out of your comfort zone is a great goal to set for yourself and one that we can all try to be a little better at!
ReplyDeleteI think it's great that you were able to step outside of your comfort zone and enjoy yourself. Sometimes getting out of our comfort zone can be very hard, but once we do there is a whole new world to experience which is why I think it is so important to do so. Although I find it hard to do sometimes, I try to get out of my comfort zone to make experiences more enjoyable rather than holding myself back. We also learn so many things when stepping out of our comfort zones as well which makes it even more important to step out of them.
ReplyDeleteGetting out of your comfort zone is extremely hard and scary,but I think it takes a strong individual to do so. Once you do something that is out of your usual routine it feels so rewarding. I think its so amazing that you got to get out of your comfort zone and you liked it. It shows that you can grow and gain a new experience that you might of thought you'd never get the chance to reviece.
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