Sometimes you have to be a little bolder and step out of your comfort zone. Go somewhere you’ve never been, meet people you never thought you’d meet, do something you've been too afraid to do, without thinking twice.
Being as shy as I am, sometimes it’s hard for me to get out of my shell in social situations. And for those of you thinking, “there’s no way she’s shy!” well you’re wrong. Most social gatherings give me anxiety to the point of feeling sick. More often than not, I would go through strange sick episodes before high school dances, college parties, social events and gatherings of any kind. It wasn't until I hit my early twenties when the episodes slowed down a bit.
When I first moved to LA, I was going to go to a fashion networking event but I got so nervous, I ended up spending the night in instead. I remember sitting on my bed, listing out all the reasons why I should not go to the event, justifying myself and my negative thoughts. Why would I go to the event anyways? I don’t know anybody, and I'm not anybody worth talking to. Especially in LA, you have to "be somebody" to be somebody. And I'm basically nobody.
Wrong. So wrong. Not worth talking to? Talk about believing in low self worth.
That right there, is exactly why I should’ve gone.
I recently came across the quote, feel the fear, and do it anyways, which resonated with me perfectly.
So this time around when I was invited to attend an LA fashion event, I remembered that quote. I put my big girl overalls on, slipped into my heels and drove out to LA. I spent the night sipping champagne, talking life and passion with other bloggers, creatives, and designers. I remember feeling like I was in the right place at the right time, and I knew it was because I took a leap of faith and took a chance in trying something new. After that night, I decided I would no longer live a life of fear or hold myself back. I am capable of much more than that. We, as women, are capable of much more than that.
Being bold, stepping out of our comfort zones, and challenging ourselves is so important for our self development. We should be doing more of what scares us, and less of what comforts us. That's how we grow. That's how we learn about ourselves, realize our worth, and understand that we have so much more to offer than we originally thought. We see ourselves differently, and we're more open to experiences and relationships. We feed our fire and develop our confidence. Sure, there's a lot of ugly in feeling uncomfortable, but there's a lot of beauty in it too. If we seek that beauty, we can accomplish more and truly live to our fullest potential. So, let's be a little bolder today. Do something that scares us, even if all it gives is the slightest feeling of nervousness. We'll conquer it, live through it, grow from it, and probably kick ass while doing it.