See Ya Later Comfort Zone
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Why would I ever leave my comfort zone?
It's all warm ... fuzzy ... safe ... familiar ... secure ... comfortable ... constraining ... impairing ...
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There have been three big times in my life that I have taken the plunge out of my zone:
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The first was 2007...
For too long, I remained in my comfortable bubble of Boston. I went to high school, college and then grad school in the Boston area. I didn't leave Massachusetts until 2007 when I was 24 to move cross country to San Francisco. Talk about a change...
In 2007, I switched jobs (from tickets to PR) and left my hometown team of the Boston Red Sox to join the San Francisco Giants. I left my high school and college friends on the Right Coast to join the Left Coast where I only knew my uncle and his family.
I fell in love with San Francisco as soon as I got there ... and I was lucky enough to find a great group of friends right off the bat. This made the transition a lot easier.
I learned in that move that I could be independent ... and survive. I could move away from what was familiar with me and thrive. I wouldn't trade my time in San Francisco for anything.
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The second was 2008...
I lived in San Francisco for just 10 months before returning to Boston for my second stint with the Red Sox. I ended up being back in Boston for about three months before I was offered a job with the Cubs ... and off to Chicago I went in January 2008. Now the biggest difference in moving to Chicago was that I didn't really know anyone. I had two people I knew there, but other than that I was finally moving to a place where I didn't have any family to fall back on. Also, I never thought I would live in the Midwest.
Again, I was lucky enough to find a core group of friends within a week of moving (thanks to a coworker who opened his crew to me). Finding a group of people to turn to while in an unfamiliar place makes any transition easier.
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The third and most important instance was joining Weight Watchers.
I remember walking in to the first WW meeting and being scared to the core. I was going in to a new experience all by myself. I had no one with me. I was facing this big change with me. But, it is the biggest - scariest - and best decision of my life because through weight watchers I have taken my comfort zone and broken all of the walls that surrounded it. Okay, I didn't break them - I blew them up so bad they can never be repaired.
Through my first two "out of comfort zone" moves, I always had a voice in the back of my mind telling me it was a bad decision. That little voice telling me these people didn't really want to be my friends. The little freakin' voice in the back of my mind telling me I wasn't good enough to enjoy my successes. That little person sitting behind my brain telling me I should just run back to the familiar ... to head back to Boston because I wouldn't thrive. I wouldn't succeed in what I was doing.
But, then Weight Watchers stepped in to the picture. The little voice was there at the beginning. Telling me I wouldn't succeed - saying there was no way I could lose that much weight - telling me to just give up.
But, the pounds started coming off and the little voice in my head started getting smaller and softer. I will not lie to you, he is still lurking in my brain today, but the voice has turned into a squeak. It is so soft I can just poof it away...
(Note: I want to be completely honest that losing weight has not solved all of my problems. I still have a lot of issues to work through, but confidence has risen partially because of my weight loss - not solely because of.)
Since joining Weight Watchers, I have eaten foods I never imagined I would try - and even like ... I have found the confidence to start Spinning classes ... I have rekindled my love of running ... I have worn a bathing suit in public in Hawaii ... I have embraced social media and share my journey with so many through Twitter and Facebook ... I have opened my heart, mind and soul to all of you through this blog ... But, what is the most uncharacteristic thing I have done so far? I have started to accept and even love myself - imperfections at all.
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There are times I wish I could go back and show the young unhappy teenage me what I have become with a couple leaps of Faith, hard work and determination! To show the girl that wanted to just disappear that I am loud, proud and happy to be alive. To show the girl that wanted to end it all a couple times that not doing it has paid off and I have been able to share so much with the world ... and more to come.
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How will you push the boundaries of your comfort zone today? This week? This month? This year?
