Out of Comfort Zone Experience

My out of comfort zone experience comes everyday in trying new things. Since the day I changed my traditional major from International Business to a non-traditional major of International Relations at First College, I have been out of my comfort zone. The biggest out of comfort zone experience for me has been my fear of failing. I was raised as the only child who through sacrifice of family has been given opportunities that they didn't have. For me growing up, I felt pressured to be perfect without realizing the sacrifices made to help get me where I am until recently.

We all talk about when I am this age, I will do this. When I retire, I will do this. How many people actually do those things they think about in their head? Being out of my comfort zone has been very uncomfortable, but luckily, I have support system and it has been a rewarding experience. When each door closes, another one opens. When I think I can relax, another opportunity presents itself to me. I think the path we take, opens up another path and another. It took taking Perspectives 301 to realize my life is my own and regardless, success of failure, I can live with those decisions or not. It is my life to live. I have met many people within the past year who have thrown me out of my comfort zone. It has inspired me to pursue ideas that were once dreams that are now a reality.

Through all of the things I have accomplished in the past year, finally I got where I wanted to be which was to start volunteering. I found out through a friend who was doing an internship through the Ordway about the International Children's Festival. What attracted me to it were kids from Uganda coming over to the United States to perform in and raise money for their AIDS charity. I have always been a big advocate for AIDS every since I was in my teens when I first heard about it. I asked how I could get involved. I was given a list of activities at the International Children's Festival I could choose from to volunteer for. I picked easy things such as helping to set-up and tear down. Based upon my artist background I had shared with this friend, she put me at the booth to help make puppets out of brown paper bags. Now I knew I could do this task. My only reservation was that I had never worked with children. I freaked out and got on the phone and called my mom. I asked her, "How do I talk to these children?" She told me that being the creative person I am, I would remember what it was to be a child and it would be no problem.

I showed up for the first day scared and planning out how I would do this. The first child arrived and I stood there looking at them. The person next to me interacted with them right away and simply asked, "Do you want to make a puppet?" What happened next for me was amazing. The child's eyes lit up and said, "Yes." With enthusiasm, this child went to work to create their very own paper puppet. The next kid came up and I asked that simple question of, "do you want to make a puppet?" and got the same response of, "yes." Throughout the four hours I volunteered, I watched the kids eyes light up as they created and again light up when I showed them my creative side. Not one puppet looked the same. They showed their appreciation with a thank you, a wave from their puppets and were off. By the end of the day, I was at ease having conversations with them and having fun. I remembered what it was like to be a kid when the first kid came up to our booth and start creating.

Now you may ask why all of this worrying about volunteering with kids? Well I didn't think that I could relate to them in any way. I find out I was wrong. The kid whose eyes are open with curiosity and wonder still exists in all of us. I found out that I can inspire and be inspired. My focus has shifted not in the causes I will volunteer for, but who I direct more attention to which is children. It only takes one person to show them something new. The connections we make with people, in particular children sometimes we think are nothing, but those kids that I did come in contact with, a future artist and/or leader may evolve from that experience of interaction.