Do What Scares You

It’s easy to become complacent and settle when you retire. You get pushed along by the rhythm of the day, and suddenly a week, a month and a season has rolled by. I could feel it happening to me and I didn’t like it. In an attempt to grow, I chose to do something that scared me and I’m so glad I did.

New Stuff Is Scary.

I chose to go somewhere I’d never been before, and go there by myself. That scared me. I’m not particularly good at navigating to new towns and I almost never go on vacation alone. I chose to spend a long weekend with a bunch of strangers. That scared me even more. What if I didn’t like them and they didn’t like me?  We’d be stuck together for three days!  I wouldn’t have a friend or family member by my side. As I drove to my retreat, I wondered why I had made such an uncomfortable decision to do this. 

Look What Happened

But as I drove home again three days later, I knew I would do this again and I would explore more opportunities. I met many people who shared so many different perspectives on a wide variety of topics over meals and in the workshops. I have a handful of names of people that I genuinely connected with and could be new friends.  I learned new skills in the workshops by watching, listening and trying new techniques. But mostly, I learned about myself.

I Grew ☺️

I learned that I can find new places eventually, if I don’t worry about turning around when the GPS stops working properly. I can introduce myself to new people continuously for a whole weekend. It was tiring, but I can do it. I can enjoy chatting with them and listening to their ideas. The result of doing something that scared me is that I have more confidence in myself and courage to go places by myself. Now, I can expand my horizons even more. 

Have you travelled by yourself recently? What were your experiences? Comment below.

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