Stretching Outside Your Comfort Zone

My nine year old daughter gave me the confidence to participate in a speech contest the other day. It was through her attitude and her behavior that I welcomed the opportunity to experience the contest. I had a bunch of excuses initially….”I’m too busy”, “it’s not a good use of my time”, “I’m not good enough”, “it really doesn’t matter”. Then, remarkably it was something about her determination and courage to audition for a play that motivated me to just give it a shot.

I have experienced this same type of self-doubt from clients, as well. They hide behind their super busy life as an excuse to avoid risks or make changes. This experience brought me more self-confidence in exchange for a small investment of time. It provided an opportunity to experience participating in a contest against other skilled speakers. It provided a positive affirmation that I am an excellent speaker. Ironically, after I had my turn to speak and felt satisfied with my results, how I was evaluated by the judges didn’t matter. The fact that I had come to the event with a strong intention to do my best and to enjoy the experience was gratifying enough because I followed through on my commitment and stepped out of my comfort zone. I am pursuing my dream to become an excellent professional speaker. Winning first place in the contest and getting excellent feedback from the audience was the icing on the cake!

So, when you are faced with a situation that stretches you outside of your comfort zone to help you pursue your dreams and goals….remember, it is worth your time and attention even though you are a super busy parent!

Sincerely yours,

Coach Natalie