Business Finds

Keep It Spicy

When you do something often enough, and it loses most of the mystery, it can become rather boring, even if you were once deathly afraid of it. In those situations it’s up to you to keep increasing the challenge to create new growth experiences. Turn it into a game, and have fun with it.

Earlier today I went with Erin to her Toastmasters club to watch her give a speech. She’s given many speeches at that club, but this time she was doing a new speech project unlike any she’d done previously. Her assignment was to tell a touching story that would impact the audience emotionally. She picked a story from when she was 12 years old and she discovered that a girl in her school was being physically abused. (The full story can be found on Erin’s blog right here.)

Since Erin never gave a speech about such an emotional topic before, it was hard for her to stay emotionally connected to the story without breaking down in tears. This kind of speech was outside her comfort zone, so she was nervous about it.

As Erin gave the speech, she got very emotional at certain points and began to cry, but instead of that being a problem, it only made the speech more impactful. The audience was deeply moved by the story, and many were wiping tears off their cheeks by the time Erin was done. Erin received many compliments from audience members afterwards.

Before the speech, however, Erin was having second thoughts. She asked, “Why did I volunteer to do this? I don’t feel good about this.” But afterwards, she felt elated. She was glad to have had the experience, and since then she’s been basking in that after-speech glow.

Life will occasionally nudge you in certain directions, but most of the time it’s up to you to step outside your comfort zone. If you stay inside your comfort zone for too long, you’ll begin to feel bored, apathetic, and disconnected. Life will feel like it doesn’t have much meaning. But when you push yourself to stretch boldly into the unknown, your senses light up, you become more centered and aware, you discover new talents, and you have a lot more fun in life.

Pick a Fear and Run Straight at It

Occasionally people contact me who are bored with their lives and don’t feel passionate about anything, and they ask me what to do. I often tell them to pick a fear and run straight at it. I encourage you to do the same. Pick a fear, and run straight at it — even if your pace looks more like a slow crawl. Move toward something that scares you. Your fears are the keys that unlock tremendous growth experiences.

You didn’t come here to hibernate. You came here to soar. But soaring may feel very uncomfortable if you’re used to hibernating. Don’t mistake that initial feeling of discomfort for something you should avoid. Take it as a signal that you’ve found something that really matters to you, and then pour your heart and soul into its pursuit.

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Personal Growth by Business Finds