One of the things I’m committed to working on to be more “brave” this year is getting out of my comfort zone more frequently.
Ugh! It’s so hard!
But worth it. Yes, yes it is!
Something that definitely takes me far beyond the boundaries of my comfort zone is public speaking. I can do it, I just don’t like to do it. It freaks me out, causes great anxiety, and leaves me in a tailspin until the moment I step up to the podium and start speaking.
I thought this quote seemed so appropriate – bravery doesn’t mean you aren’t afraid or full of doubt or insecurities or worries, it just means what you are doing is more important than giving into those things.
Last week, I was supposed to speak at a luncheon. I wrote my speech, spent hours practicing it, had some fun little giveaways to give each attendee all ready.
I went through my usual rundown of anxiety, fear, doubts, worry, insecurities as I prepared for the event, but I realized I was looking forward to the luncheon, too. To meeting new people and sharing my books with them, and finding out more about them, as well.
Then it snowed, and snowed some more, and melted and made ankle-deep slush, then froze and snowed again. Oh, it was a mess. And the morning of the luncheon, the organizer called to say it was cancelled.
Normally relief would have flooded over me, but this time, I felt disappointment for something I realized I’d been looking forward to.
So maybe, just maybe, I’m inching forward in being brave.
