I’ve gotten pretty skilled at being in my comfort zone. I’m good at it, comfortable in it and cozy. That said, I rarely stay in it. There’s something magical about leaning out and looking around. I’ve come to learn it’s safe out there, but also very unknown and very uncomfortable. Learning new things requires leaving your comfort zone. Meeting new people requires leaving your comfort zone. Most people don’t know this about me but I’m quite shy. It takes a conscious, calculated effort on my part to meet new people and engage in conversation with them. This is another thing that I’ve become good at because no way I’m staying in my comfort zone and missing out on meeting someone new. There’s too much to learn from them.
This weekend I lept out of my comfort zone and tried something new and was rewarded 10 fold. I got a Mat Pilates certification. I know it’s in the fitness industry which I’m already a part of, but this discipline is unlike anything else I’ve done. This was so far out of my comfort zone I froze. I froze when it was my turn to talk/instruct and that is something that maybe hasn’t ever happened to me before. That feeling of redness as it filled my cheeks. and the sweat under my armpits. I wished I could crawl under the mat and disappear. I couldn’t so I just had to stand there. What happened next was how I always know that I can step out of my comfort zone and be okay. As I stood there frozen, I looked at my classmates faces, then turned to look at my instructor. They smiled and nodded and without saying anything at all, I felt their encouragement, and knew they were telling me I had it, I know it, keep going. This is how I managed to get the words out of my mouth and finish what I started. There are always people who have been where you are and are willing to show you how strong and confident you can be.
Go ahead and love your comfort zone, but don’t stay there too long. There are too many amazing people to meet and things to experience to stay put. My life is so full because I reach my head out and look around, only to be pulled out by a new experience or amazing person that I can learn from.
—Lindsay Forsberg, Certified Personal Trainer, Spin, Fitness and now Pilates Instructor
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