How Often Do You Leave Your Comfort Zone?

 I leave my comfort zone every morning when I take the cat litter out. It is by far the most revolting thing I have ever done. We have an evil cat who likes to flip the litter over just for the fun of it, a fat three-legged cat who hasn’t quite mastered his aim, and two kittens that prefer using the litter box as a play pin. I also have a dog who thinks the kitty litter is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Yes, the litter box has become quite the party location.

My parents are clean freaks and want this done three times a day, and I happen to need extra money to support my Starbucks addiction. Thus, I agreed to be the designated cat shit box attendee. I am sure that changing the kitty litter would fall outside nearly everyone’s comfort zone. You would think I’d get used to it by now, right? Not at all. Never gets less disgusting. Beyond picking up feces, my comfort zone is rather expansive. 

In junior high, I used to come home complaining to my mom daily about how boring school was and she gave me advice that I use to this day. She told me that humans crave novelty, so be creative, make it interesting, and “do something at school that scares you, daily - maybe then, school would be a little less boring.” After that, I challenged myself to get better at small talk (awkwardness being one of my worries). I started making it my goal to get to know a new student each day, forcing myself to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. 

Over time, my “something scary” changed based on the day. I started trying new foods and sports, experimenting with public speaking, and making jokes. I sang the National Anthems in front of thousands of people at State Farm Center (more than once), I became a certified scuba diver, and started performing harp publicly.
Donald S. Waybright was the cranky old man who coached diving at one of the local high schools. Everyone would talk about his practices and coaching style saying his divers would belly-flop over and over again, him on the sidelines with no remorse. I always wanted to try diving but I never had the guts to give it a shot. Thanks to those wise words of my mother, Wayb has coached me for 5 years and I now plan to dive in college. As an insider, I will tell you, it’s true what they say. Wayb could care less if you smack, in fact, tears could be streaming down your face and he will make you get back up and try again. But that’s what makes him such a good coach. He pushes you just the right amount. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?

Until writing this, I didn’t realize how much of an impact my mom’s words had on me. Risk-taking will inevitably involve failure but her simple advice taught me to roll with the punches and to see failure as nothing but a teacher. My life would be so boring if I didn’t do things that scare me. The best way to expand your comfort zone is by making it a priority to accept discomfort. I like to think of myself as brave, but I don’t know that I will ever accept the disgustingness and discomfort of picking up clumped together wads of urine.