Thursday, February 16, 2006
Move Out of Your Comfort Zone (my speech for tonight's TM meeting)
Are you in your comfort zone? It’s the area you feel safe, easy, fearless, stress-free, pain-free, and / or you can do the tasks with your eyes close. Let’s rewind the clock. Imagine that you are an infant, don’t you feel comfort in your mother’s arms. Imagine that you are learning to walk, don’t you feel comfort around the sofa. Imagine that you are learning to swim, don’t you feel comfort near the edges of the swimming pool. For me at this moment, I feel comfort near this lectern when I speak. My fellow toastmasters encouraged me time and time again, “Move out from that lectern”. The truth is that if you want to do better than where you are and transform to a better self, you must move out of your comfort zone now.
Running was not in my comfort zone. I used to do my two miles walk every morning. I was very comfortable with two miles walk. Until last May, something happened to me when my daughter invited me to do the thirteen miles run that was held in last September. I had never dreamed that I can do thirteen miles run. However at that moment, I wanted to do something together with my daughter, I wanted to build a stronger body, and I wanted to have new challenge. I took my first step, accepting the challenge. I moved out of my comfort zone. I started the training, running two miles first, and slowly building on one mile at a time. After three months, I reached my goal, able to run thirteen miles. I built up my endurance and I have yet to build up my speed, kicking higher and stretching farther each time. Because of moving out of my comfort zone, I accomplished a seemingly impossible goal. I am sure that you too have some dreams and hope to pursue them. Take your first step moving out of your comfort zone and you too can accomplish more and have much success.
Speaking was not in my comfort zone. I would much rather get busy with my hands doing than with my mouth talking. There are some old sayings which I took to heart for a long time: The righteous women are the silent ones; Silence is Gold. Although I believe in many situations, they still hold true, something happened to me two years ago, when I attended the graduation of one speechcraft class. I watched and listened to all these young adults presenting their graduation speeches so well that I asked myself why as a mature adult I cannot express myself with such confidence. Both instructors were very encouraging and urged me to sign up for the next class. They said I can be like those young adults one day if I am willing to give time to develop my communication skill and they can help me. With no hesitation, I signed my life away. I have moved out of my comfort zone speaking in front of the class every Sunday for eight weeks. I felt the improvement but far from comfort. Especially when I had a break and started to speak again, I felt the uneasiness all over again. Fortunately, each time was less than the last time. In order to keep making speeches without a break, I signed up for the speechcraft class the second time and joined two TM clubs. Here I am positively developing and moving out of my comfort zone a little by little at a time. In what areas, are you still in your comfort zone but want to be better? Take small steps moving out of your comfort zone.
Looking back, if you kept staying where you were comfortable would you still be in your mother’s arms? Would you still be walking around the sofa? Would you still be swimming at the edge of that swimming pool? However, you are not. Somehow you have grown and moved out of your comfort zone. As an adult, sometimes we have to make conscious choice. For me, I would not have run thirteen miles if I didn’t move out of my comfort zone. I would not be in this contest speaking in front of you if I did not move out of my comfort zone. Comfort is good and where you are is nice. Only if you want to be better, it’s time for you to move out of your comfort zone. Beyond that there is much greater success and there is a better self waiting for you. Just move out of your comfort zone.
Are you in your comfort zone? It’s the area you feel safe, easy, fearless, stress-free, pain-free, and / or you can do the tasks with your eyes close. Let’s rewind the clock. Imagine that you are an infant, don’t you feel comfort in your mother’s arms. Imagine that you are learning to walk, don’t you feel comfort around the sofa. Imagine that you are learning to swim, don’t you feel comfort near the edges of the swimming pool. For me at this moment, I feel comfort near this lectern when I speak. My fellow toastmasters encouraged me time and time again, “Move out from that lectern”. The truth is that if you want to do better than where you are and transform to a better self, you must move out of your comfort zone now.
Running was not in my comfort zone. I used to do my two miles walk every morning. I was very comfortable with two miles walk. Until last May, something happened to me when my daughter invited me to do the thirteen miles run that was held in last September. I had never dreamed that I can do thirteen miles run. However at that moment, I wanted to do something together with my daughter, I wanted to build a stronger body, and I wanted to have new challenge. I took my first step, accepting the challenge. I moved out of my comfort zone. I started the training, running two miles first, and slowly building on one mile at a time. After three months, I reached my goal, able to run thirteen miles. I built up my endurance and I have yet to build up my speed, kicking higher and stretching farther each time. Because of moving out of my comfort zone, I accomplished a seemingly impossible goal. I am sure that you too have some dreams and hope to pursue them. Take your first step moving out of your comfort zone and you too can accomplish more and have much success.
Speaking was not in my comfort zone. I would much rather get busy with my hands doing than with my mouth talking. There are some old sayings which I took to heart for a long time: The righteous women are the silent ones; Silence is Gold. Although I believe in many situations, they still hold true, something happened to me two years ago, when I attended the graduation of one speechcraft class. I watched and listened to all these young adults presenting their graduation speeches so well that I asked myself why as a mature adult I cannot express myself with such confidence. Both instructors were very encouraging and urged me to sign up for the next class. They said I can be like those young adults one day if I am willing to give time to develop my communication skill and they can help me. With no hesitation, I signed my life away. I have moved out of my comfort zone speaking in front of the class every Sunday for eight weeks. I felt the improvement but far from comfort. Especially when I had a break and started to speak again, I felt the uneasiness all over again. Fortunately, each time was less than the last time. In order to keep making speeches without a break, I signed up for the speechcraft class the second time and joined two TM clubs. Here I am positively developing and moving out of my comfort zone a little by little at a time. In what areas, are you still in your comfort zone but want to be better? Take small steps moving out of your comfort zone.
Looking back, if you kept staying where you were comfortable would you still be in your mother’s arms? Would you still be walking around the sofa? Would you still be swimming at the edge of that swimming pool? However, you are not. Somehow you have grown and moved out of your comfort zone. As an adult, sometimes we have to make conscious choice. For me, I would not have run thirteen miles if I didn’t move out of my comfort zone. I would not be in this contest speaking in front of you if I did not move out of my comfort zone. Comfort is good and where you are is nice. Only if you want to be better, it’s time for you to move out of your comfort zone. Beyond that there is much greater success and there is a better self waiting for you. Just move out of your comfort zone.
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