A comfort zone is a situation or place where someone feels at ease or safe. No stress, no pressure, and no need to fear anything. A very nice place for some. But in this zone is where I wasted the past years of my life. Does this place give comfort? Yes. But the real question is, will you grow and improve in that place? A big NO. And getting out of that zone took me a lot of courage and willpower.
Before going out of my comfort zone, I see myself as a shy, incapable, and weak person. I've got a lot of insecurities that prevented me from unleashing my full potential. I think low of myself because I was not able to go to college, because of my physical appearance, and because all my batch mates seem so be living the best days of their lives. While here I am, still struggling and did not accomplish anything. I used to compare my life with others. I had very low self-esteem. These things were like chains that prevented me from going out and exploring the vast outside world.
My fears also blocked the way out of my comfort zone. My fear of criticism, fear of trying new things, and fear of failure. Fears and excuses that I just made in my head.
When I decided to fix my life and set things straight, one of the initial steps was getting out of my comfort zone. And getting out of that zone means I need to face all those fears and insecurities. And I did.
I started watching self-help videos and reading articles on how can I overcome those. I learned to forgive myself, to trust myself and my capabilities, and learned to have a different mindset. This is the hardest part because I needed to eliminate many years-old beliefs and perspectives. I needed to change them with something that will help me grow and will bring me closer to my goals. Because I learned that our truths are the things we chose to believe.
The above photo is one of the things that help me change the way I think. I placed that at the back of my door and read it every morning and night. I keep those in mind and tries to act how someone like those mentioned above will act in every situation. Some people may call this Fake it till you make it process, but I prefer to call this Be it in your head until you become it. And doing it helped me to step outside of my comfort zone.
I also tried live selling, together with a friend. For someone shy–who I thought I was–it took lots of courage to do it. We tried to sell our thrift shop items via Facebook live. We've sold only a few items, but I was really happy at that time. I was proud of myself and it boosted my confidence. Getting out of my comfort zone was hard, but the result felt great. Greater than the comfort that the comfort zone can give.
The next step I did was to vlog. I never thought I can do this, but I did! And here it is. \^.^/ My first Youtube vlog. Together with @appleskie who is a good friend of mine for almost 7 years now.
Shooting and uploading this video was an achievement for me. Aside from getting out and showing myself, I also learned new things. I am still a baby when it comes to vlogging but I know, with the small steps I am making, I will improve soon.
So for all those who are afraid, face your fears and go out of that comfort zone. The world is so wide for us to explore. We may face pains, struggles, embarrassments, and setbacks along the way, but we should not let these stop us from reaching our goals. Nothing is impossible as long as we are willing to work for it. With consistency and commitment, we can do this. And to end this article, I am leaving you this great quote from one video I've watched.
"It is never too late to be great. It is never too late to amaze yourself and become someone no one thought you could be, not even you."
...and you will also help the author collect more tips.
Great thinking and good Sharing