Push Your Comfort Zones Any Chance You Can.

As I write this, I'm two hours from stepping through the doors of the world famous Second City for an improv class. I've never done a class like this before but have always wanted to. I'm nervous with slightly sweaty palms even as I think about what I might be asked to do. But honestly, I'm more than ok with pushing my comfort zone tonight. I welcome it and embrace the opportunity actually. In the past, when ever I've stepped outside my comfort zone, I've NEVER regretted it.

For example, last Fall, I rode a mule down the Grand Canyon. As one who is totally afraid of heights, I thought this would be a great way to get over my fear. I was so excited about the journey, I mean, excited like a little kid at Christmas. My mule's name was Cracker, and she was beautiful. I was sure I wanted this experience, but there's just no way of knowing what it'll be like until you're in the midst of it. Once we started down the first switchback, my excited turned to sheer terror. We sat through a 45 minute orientation before the ride at which point we were cautioned again and again that this wasn't for the faint of heart. No amount of warnings from the wrangler could truly prepare you for the experience if you've never been down the switchbacks of the Grand Canyon let alone on a mule (and Cracker didn't seem the least bit interested that I had never ridden before and that I was scared to death.) There was literally no turning back. All I could do was surrender to this creature, to the experience, and trust her sure-footedness as well as rely on the fact that poor Cracker didn't trust I wouldn't make her jump over the cliff side the way horses can be trained to do. I'll tell you that the experience was life changing and I would do it again in a heartbeat. In that moment of surrender, I learned so much about myself, about nature, about those amazing creatures. I learned how brave I am. And that has transpired into many other areas of my life since then. It also made me a bit of an adrenaline junkie (which I always suspected I was).

So I suppose if I can ride a mule into the Grand Canyon, a beginning level improv class at Second City might be easier than I suspect. I will have pushed my comfort zone yet again. There are only rewards to those experiences. You learn what you're capable of and that's an exciting thing to know. Even better, living life in this way means living without regrets. A very good thing indeed.

I definitely will expand on this topic of comfort zones again in the future, especially in how it relates to my art, and how these adventures provide content for the stories I want to write and illustrate.

So your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to think about how you can push your comfort zone, and then do it. Or if you have a story of how you've pushed your comfort zones, please share it here. If it helped your art, definitely share it here!

I'm looking forward to hearing your stories! Thank you!!