of springtime and comfort zones

 

The tulips are blooming in my yard. The crocuses are long gone, the daffodils are waning and now it’s hyacinths and hundreds of flowering trees. The air is heavy with sweet floral springtime. I’ve migrated to the backyard for my workouts, soaking up the sun after a mild but gray winter.

Years ago, I made a pact with myself that I would do my best to never pass up an opportunity to do something different. To me, something new = something to learn, and though I may be lacking a degree to show for it, I  love learning more than many things in life. Even if it looks like a lot of work, or even if I’m not sure I can do it, or even if I’m terrified, I have tried not to let myself take the safe, changeless, apathetic path if I can possibly help it. I am timid and quiet and introverted and perfectionist, and these are the things most people notice about me immediately; however, at the same time I’m bold and daring and persistent and determined.

So I have striven to let the latter traits trump the former in as many cases as I wisely can. Though I haven’t gone as far or wide as a lot of people, I’ve traveled at every chance and seen huge portions of Washington and Oregon, visited Canada and Montana, lived in Florida and Pennsylvania, and spent two weeks in Israel. Though I was only eighteen and had never lived away from home, I went to Bible school in Florida. Though I didn’t follow the beaten path and go to college for a four-year degree, I did embark on the grand adventure of marriage at a relatively young age. I am writing a book despite long-standing insecurity about exposing my musings to others; I am running a photography business despite the overwhelming task of finding a niche in a saturated market; I am teaching gymnastics and ballet despite having no personal experience with either one. It is one of my primary goals to push the boundaries of my comfort zone ever wider, even though it can be a bit uncomfortable.

Two weeks ago I made the decision to stretch them yet again by signing up as a Jamberry nails consultant. One of my dearest friends recently became a consultant with Arbonne, and she inspired me to consider doing something I never, ever, ever in my life would have pictured myself doing. Sales? Presentations? Parties? The possibility of failure and the inevitability of rejection? If you know me at all, you know that none of these things come naturally to me! But what better reason to give it a try?! I have no idea whether I’ll do well at this, but I do know without doubt that I will learn something—probably many things. So it’s well worth it. ;) (It does help that I get to sell a product that I love without reservation!)

And before I end this post, I want to leave you with a word about the man who inspires me every single day not to give up, not to stop reaching for even the things that look most difficult. This is my husband, Sam, and last night I pinned his Olympia Fire badge to his uniform at his fire academy graduation. He has persevered through weeks of unbelievable stress, pain, sleeplessness, and studying in order to realize his ultimate goal of becoming a firefighter with Olympia—and he still had energy left over to spur me on in my goals, to remind me to give them all I have and not let fear hold me captive. I love him. A lot.