My heart was racing. My emotions were all over the place.

It’s been a really long time since I have dipped my toes in unknown territory, let alone completely immersed myself into it. When I say a long time—I mean years.

Recently I decided to do something that was completely out of my comfort zone: write. Not only did I write something, but I also wrote about a very personal and vulnerable topic. Added cherry on top: I shared it on my social media for everyone I know to read.

I mean, talk about a moment of bravery. My chest tightened up. I was pretty sure that I had several heart attacks for the first six hours after making this bold move.

The doubts were running through my head: was what I wrote even good? Now everyone knew one of my biggest insecurities. Was the topic I wrote about relatable? I should just delete it before anyone else sees it.

Do you know what happened next? My best friend called me and was raving about it. She loved it—she actually truly did!

Eventually, the phone calls, texts, and messages came flowing in. All the while, I remained an anxious mess, but the nerves were now coupled with excitement. So many people were supporting me in something that I was absolutely terrified to do. I received more support than I ever anticipated.

At some point, my nerves turned into complete excitement and a feeling of empowerment. I was driving down the road and started crying tears of joy. My chest finally loosened, and I felt like a total badass.

I did it—I did something that scared the crap out of me, and I didn’t fail! At that moment, I felt like I was unstoppable. I had finally taken the first step toward a new journey. A journey that I would have entirely missed out on if I hadn’t taken the leap.

I realized right then and there that I had been holding myself back from doing something I truly enjoyed all this time simply because I was afraid. The amount of times I chickened out after starting a blog is uncountable. I always told myself that it wasn’t something that I could actually be good at.

I was capping my potential, and I vow to never do that to myself again.

The rush has stayed with me for almost a week, and I have decided not to stop. The very next night, I was still on my high and decided to write again. Finally, I understand that I can do absolutely anything I put my mind to—no matter how intimidating it may be.

This may not have been a big feat for someone else, but we all have dreams and we all have fears. Writing is something I have wanted to do since I was in high school.

Being a wallflower with as little attention on me is where my comfort zone typically stands. So to get out there and basically draw attention to myself was uncomfortable and fearsome for me. However, it was a huge opportunity for me to prove to myself what I was capable of.

I dare you to do something once a week that pushes you out of your comfort zone. The only way to grow is to challenge ourselves in ways that may scare us to pieces, but I can assure you that you will never feel bad about doing something that challenges you.

Just do it!

Run that race you’ve been thinking about, write that book that’s been taking up space in your mind for so long, go back to school even if you’re worried you won’t do well. Bank on yourself—and just do it.

All it takes is a moment of bravery, and then the rest falls into place.

A moment.

We have thousands of moments a day, and all we need is one to dive into unknown territory—I promise, you won’t regret it, and neither did I.

~