Discomfort = Progress

I worked at another new school yesterday. I steeled up my courage and walked through one more new set of doors and confronted yet another new experience. Oh, how I long for routine in my days ...

I had a hand full of small issues/questions about my new car (ie: "How do you open the hood?"). My Son would not just tell me the answers. He insisted that he show me and that I learn with my own eyes and hands. I would have rather stayed in the house where it was warm.

I went to see my nephew perform at a bar last night. I left the house ... alone. I met up with some cousins and watched the show along with them. Then I walked back to my car ... alone. I stepped far out of my comfort zone.

We watched 13 comedians stand up in front of their audience and vie for the cash prize. At the end of the evening, we walked past a table where a lot of them were sitting together. I listened to the encouragement among those that weren't among the 'Top Five'. Life experience does not come without a little pain and humiliation.

Learning curves.

Whether we are learning something in the privacy of our own home ... or out in the big, scary world of a new job ... or in front of a sold out crowd. There is a curve that we all must endure.

It is not comfortable to put yourself out on display and find out through trial and error, what works and what doesn't. What is worth having, doesn't come easy. Success doesn't come without failure.

We watched seasoned performers last night. Others were working their way up. The contrast between experience and inexperience was vast. The courage that it took each one of them to get up in front of an audience and sell themselves was enormous.

It takes courage to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, take what you have learned and keep pressing forward. I couldn't do what they do.

I stepped out of my comfort zone yesterday. At work and at play. I had to pay a small price to get where I wanted out of the day.

I was spent. Yesterday took a lot of energy. Now it is time to summon up the energy to do it all over again.

I need to step out of my comfort zone, to get where I want to go.