Blog Everyday: Getting Uncomfortable

 

 July 3rd: Update on Getting Uncomfortable in 2014 - What have you done out of your comfort zone this year?

I'll go with two things.... one is physical/mental and the other is purely mental.

First off, I participated in and completed my first half marathon in February. There was some running involved, but I'll call a spade a spade and 'fess up that it certainly wasn't all running.

To me, it wasn't just a physical challenge, but a mental one, as well. Running has NEVER been my "thing." I was the fat kid. The slow kid. I only ran when forced. So, to get myself in the frame of mind that I WANTED to run 13.1 miles was a feat in itself.

People who have casually followed my running journey (on FB/IG/etc) will ask me, "So, you really like running, now?"

My answer, "Nope, I pretty much hate it." tends to confuse them. I always have to explain that I started running *because* it pushes me so far out of my comfort zone. It's a challenge. It's something NO ONE ever expected that I would do. To pay money to run with a bunch of people? I'm sure some think I've gone insane.

So, yeah, I'm still not a fan of running. I don't get runner's high. I very rarely feel good when I'm doing it. But, I always feel accomplished and that's probably better.


Second part of getting uncomfortable......

I tend to be a people pleaser. I always worry about how other people will perceive my actions..... that they will misinterpret my intentions or that I will accidentally upset them.

This year, I have been learning to let that go.

I still never want to intentionally hurt someone, but I've learned that I have done a lot of hurting myself because I wasn't being me in order to try not to hurt someone else.

So, my new goal is to stop worrying about how other people will perceive my choices and just do my best to live the best life I can. It's uncomfortable, at times, but it's worth it.