Stepping Out of Our Comfort Zones

I've always believed that it's important to step outside my comfort zone. I recently read a quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of the former U.S. president, who once said: "Do one thing every day that scares you." It's a powerful idea, because growth rarely happens when we stay within familiar boundaries. By gently pushing ourselves to try new things, we expand our comfort zone—and in doing so, we often feel more connected to life and the world around us.

What's less talked about is who we meet when we take those steps. When we try something unfamiliar, we often discover a whole new group of people who have done the same thing: people who were curious, a little nervous, but brave enough to say yes anyway. That shared experience creates a powerful sense of comeraderie.

This idea reminds me of one of my favourite books, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Jonathan was different. While the other seagulls focused on the routine, day-to-day tasks of life, he wanted to fly higher, faster, and better. Because of that, he was teased and misunderstood by his friends and family. But that didn't stop him.

At first, Jonathan felt isolated. Yet as he kept pushing his limits, something changed. He found others who shared his passion—seagulls who cared less about the mundane and more about what was possible. By daring to be different, he didn't lose community; he found a new one.

Learning improv is one of the gentlest ways I know to practise stepping outside our comfort zones. Many people think it's all about being funny, but in fact, the first skills we develop are confidence, focus, and empathy. As we build these skills together, we connect more deeply with others and learn to embrace uncertainty with curiosity instead of fear. Each improv class is an opportunity to stretch, experiment, and discover new strengths.

There's a whole world of possibilities out there, and I for one, hope I never stop having the courage to keep exploring my own. 

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