I Challenge You

Comfort zones are wonderful little safe places we create for ourselves in our lives where things remain the same, where we feel nothing can hurt us or cause us to be fearful, where everything is just okay, but I challenge you to challenge yourself to leave this zone and explore who it is you are or can be or want to be in your life.

1. I challenge you to be honest

In a perfect world, we could be honest with everyone we meet, but the truth is, we have to build up walls sometimes, especially professional ones, or ones as parents that protect us from judgments or protect the feelings of others, but with at least one person in your life, be honest with them. Like really honest. Friend, bf/gf, parent, whomever. Tear down your walls and tell them something you've been dealing with, or a past hurt, or pain at a current situation, or something that's been on your mind for a while. Let them know and create a new safe zone for you where you can trust this person enough to be able to be vulnerable with them. We bottle too many things up sometimes because we feel we have to, and if you can never find a release or an outlet for what's pent up inside, it can manifest and stress, anxiety, or depression and come out in us in negative ways. Don't just assume the other person won't get it or won't understand you or will judge you. They may surprise you.

2. I challenge you to try something totally new

Don't just do the same old same old things you always do all the time. Take a right, instead of a left up the street, go to a restaurant you've never tried before, wear something you've never worn before, train for a marathon, learn to play piano, go on a vacation to a non-touristy area and get lost somewhere. Discovery is part of the genius of life. It keeps things interesting and fresh. You will never know what you like or discover new things, if you never say yes to actually trying to do them.

3. I challenge you to ask for what you want in the bedroom

Communication is big in relationships, but a lot of people falter when it comes to what happens between the sheets. If you like something, let the other person know. If you want to try something new, say something. If you don't like something, even more important, say something.

4. I challenge you to expand your mind

School may have ended years ago for you, but you are never too old to learn something new. You don't necessarily have to go all the way back to school, but find something you are passionate about and really dedicate yourself to learning about it. A lot of people never go the chance to really go after that dream or perhaps didn't pick the field in school they really enjoyed, but there is nothing to say that you can't still learn about it or maybe even pick it up now as what you actually want to do with your life.

5. I challenge you to change a habit and save some money

You may find whole pockets of money in your budget by changing a habit. Do you leave the lights on all the time or the a/c on blast, do you smoke, do you party way too much, do you have a whole desk full of candies and snacks from the vending machine, do you use tons of gas by never walking anywhere. Change a habit and see if it can't save you a little money.