Leaving Behind Comfort by Abigail

Leaving Behind Comfort by Abigail - April 2021 Scholarship Essay

As human beings, we love comfort. We prefer doing activities that are in our comfort zones. Oftentimes we miss out on so many opportunities because of our fears and anxieties.
I don’t want to look back thinking that I missed out on an opportunity because I was scared. So as an 18 year old who is ready to open a new chapter in my life, I want to live outside of my comfort zone. To my 13 year old self, I would give the advice of getting out of my comfort zone more often. Now let me be clear, this does not mean putting yourself in dangerous situations or that you can’t curl up on the couch to watch Netflix, but it does mean challenging yourself and seeking new opportunities for growth.
I give this advice to myself because comfort zones are not a place for personal growth. As someone who is pretty introverted, I find myself shying away from opportunities with friends because I am not always comfortable with social situations. I have missed out on meeting people and having fun because of this. So to my younger self, I would challenge myself to jump out of my comfort zone more often. Growth and progression comes best when we push ourselves by trying new things, meeting new people, and experiencing new opportunities. To grow we need change; we need challenge; we even need adversity. Obviously we enjoy spending time in our comfort zones because they are, well, comfy. Improving ourselves and learning new things requires us to leave behind the safety of these comfort zones and venture out into the unknown.
This means making a life resolution to push yourself, to do things you might not be good at, and to talk to people you usually wouldn’t talk to. I cannot go back and change how I acted 5 years ago, but I can choose to implement this advice into my life today. Although pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is hard, I know that when we look back on our lives, it will be worth it.