Something I’m horrible about is getting set in my ways and refusing to try new things. I like things to be black and white and to have all my ducks in a little row. In short – change scares me.
This means that when something is outside of my comfort zone odds are I’ll turn my nose up at it and continue on my way. Sometimes, though, I’ll get brave and try something out of the ordinary. Here are five times that worked in my favor.
Shopping. Y’all – I hate it. I’m plus size and the majority of the stores out there don’t understand how to make clothes for us bigger people. It’s a nightmare.
One day I was fed up with spending money on jeans that fit for three days and then became so stretched out for the rest of eternity that they forever fall off (don’t tell me to wear a belt because I won’t do it) that I gave Torrid a chance.
They had fans in their changing rooms. Also, everybody that worked there was plus size too so I felt understood. It was love at first sight and I’ve been obsessed with my two pairs of jeans ever since. I haven’t been able to buy anything else *insert crying face here* because their clothes are so expensive but one day I’ll go back.
Historical fiction. This is a genre that does not mix well with me. Several years ago though I was sent an ARC of The Valiant by Lesley Livingston and I gave it a shot.
It was so good! I was honestly shocked! Nothing against the genre at all but for my taste it normally just moves way too slowly. The Valiant was fast paced and exciting which made it capture my attention. I think the fact that it was about female gladiators really helped too.
Cooking. I am not a person you will ever want in your kitchen. Seriously. Just trust me on this. When I started being a stay at home mom I wanted to take a shot at making yummy dinners so I went on a big adventure.
Somehow, in the span of just a couple weeks, I went from somebody that ruined boxed macaroni and cheese to making pork tenderloin with rosemary maple glaze and roasted potatoes and blackened shrimp bowls. I’m still not the greatest cook but I’ve realized that I can actually do it and it’s not even the least fun thing I’ve ever done.
Medical things. I used to be the person that passed out at the sight of blood. To be honest I’m still that person when it comes to my own blood. Having a medically fragile child though has changed all of that.
I would never be able to be a nurse and take care of other people, but it’s the best feeling in the world knowing that I can 100% handle any of the care Elliott needs. I’ve seen his beating heart, given him twice a day injections, inserted feeding tubes, you name it I’ve done it. And while I wish we didn’t have to go through these things – I love that I’m able to do it and we don’t require at home nursing care.
Blogging. Putting so much of myself out there for the world to see and judge has been terrifying but so very rewarding. Starting this blog was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I’m so proud that I’ve kept up with it! At times it’s very stressful and makes me anxious but overall I think that blogging has positively impacted my mental health and I’m glad I gave it a chance.
What is something you’ve done outside of your comfort zone that ended up being a good thing? Let me know in the comments!
Top Ten Tuesday is hosted each week by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl. Visit her blog to see how she steps out of her comfort zone and find other’s lists as well!
Also, a huge shoutout to Caitlin Althea for showing me how to make font different sized fonts in the same blocks in her post full of WordPress tips! It adds such a fun element to everything and I’ve been wondering how to do it for a while.
Love this post. Putting yourself outside your comfort zone can be so hard but so rewarding. One of mine is putting myself into social situations I know will make me anxious, as it is always okay and I always learn something
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Thanks so much! I have social anxiety so I definitely understand how scary a lot of social situations can be. That’s awesome that you try to put yourself in ones you know will make you anxious so you can overcome it!
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Ah then you tally get it! Yeah, and it’s been so good, it sucks at the time but I feel a lot better for it!
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Yes! My husband gets it too. We have a really good understanding where we know we can ask the other to go talk to somebody for us (if we’re at a store or restaurant) if we’re having a particularly anxious day which is really nice!
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That’s really nice, it’s so good to have that sort of support – I have the same in my partner, and it’s so nice to be able to rely on each other!
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I’m so glad you’ve found that, too!
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I adore this post, Mari. It’s so honest and hell yes, I hear you on being scared of change. Good on you for trying these new things!
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Thank you, Verushka! Stepping outside of my comfort zone is always scary but I’ve learned it’s usually always a good thing too!
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I have trouble with medical things, too. I’m glad you’ve learned how to give Elliott what he needs.
My TTT.
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Medical things are so hard! I think us spending so much time in the hospital with Elliott helped me get comfortable with everything because I was able to get a ton of hands on training from nurses.
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Torrid is so expensive!! I hope your wallet is doing fine 🥺 i also hope that Elliott is doing okay! It must be so hard to balance caring for him and blogging. Sending you all the hugs 💘
And blogging was out of my comfort zone too, but I’m so happy that I’m kind of thriving in it haha!
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It’s ridiculous how expensive Torrid is because plus size people deserve clothes that fit too and we aren’t made of money! I had to open one of their credit cards just to be able to afford it but I honestly didn’t have much of a choice. But I could fill up an entire post with that complaint haha.
And thank you! Elliott is stable right now! He’ll require more heart surgeries in the future (next one probably in the spring) and he’ll always need special medical care but it’s all so worth it!
I’m so glad you stepped out of your comfort zone with your blog, too! Your posts are always so good!
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Great list! I’m also not a huge fan of change. I tend to get set in my ways as well. That’s great that you’ve been able to set outside your comfort zone in a few areas! Here is my Top Ten Tuesday.
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Thank you! Stepping outside of comfort zones is so scary but I’ve found that it normally ends up okay. It’s just hard to remember that!
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I hate shopping too (except for electronics and books). And I don’t care too much for cooking. Clothes are vehicles to cover a person up and food is the means to stay healthy, as far as I’m concerned. I’m glad you were able to enjoy some of these things, because they must be done.
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Oh yes, I can always shop for electronics and books. Those are fun to buy!
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For me to read Historical, they need to have romance, otherwise, I won’t read them lol So it’s nice to see that you’ve enjoyed them without romance! I should try one day and see if I like it again.
My TTT
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I’ve actually wondered before if I would enjoy some of the historical romances that are in mass market sizes? I should really give one a try! The Valiant kind of had a tiny bit of romance that was hinted at that I remember but it definitely wasn’t the main plot.
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Love your twist to this week’s TTT! Putting yourself outside your comfort zone can be terrifying but when it pays off, it’s really great. Over the years, shopping has been something that I’ve been increasingly uncomfortable with, especially after moving back to Asia where plus size is basically non existent in any and all stores. Blogging is actually a great one that I think many can relate to, at least I can 😝 Glad I took the leap though. Great list!
My TTT post
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Ah, thank you so much! I almost didn’t do this variation of the post since it was hardly book related but I guess you could say I stepped outside of my comfort zone 😂 Finding clothes when your plus-size I think is difficult for anybody but I can’t even imagine how much more difficult it would be in Asia! Their sizes are definitely way smaller than ours.
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I hate public speaking. I’ve never liked standing up in front of people and bringing attention to myself in that way. It doesn’t matter if I’m 110% prepared for it, I still get nervous.
It was kind of this unspoken/unofficial goal of mine, to be able to stand in front of people by the end of my college career and give a speech. Was I still nervous? F*ck yes. Incredibly. But I did it, and tbh I’m so much better for it.
I didn’t even realize this was a goal until I looked back, and saw that I had taken massive steps to making myself more comfortable talking in front of people.
This was a great post!
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I love that you took that step and were able to make a speech in front of people! I definitely get nervous being in front of crowds but I did so much competitive speech and debate and theater in high school that I forced myself to deal with it. For me the end result and the high that comes with being on a stage makes the beforehand terror 100% worth it.
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It was for an English Seminar class in college, and when the professor asked for 3 people to present the class project at this huge project fair at the end of the semester I found myself raising my hand? I had some serious inner reflection on WHY I was deliberately choosing to torture myself. LOL
I’m still not super comfortable with public speaking, but I’m a ton better than I was! And there was this high, feeling of accomplishment that definitely made it worth it!
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I don’t know why but speaking in college seems way scarier? I never did any sort of education after high school so the thought is just super intimidating. The feeling of accomplishment after doing something that terrifies you is always the best!
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hmmm idk.
Honestly, thinking about it, I’m not actually sure if it’s the speaking in public that terrifies me, or if it’s the being the focus of the attention that’s more terrifying…because I can talk for forever if given the chance.
I didn’t expect to be so introspective at 1 AM, but here I am LOL
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The middle of the night is always the best time for introspectiveness lol. I don’t even know if that’s a word but I’m going with it.
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Whether or not it’s a word, I know what it means😂and you’re right.
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Historical fiction is generally out of my comfort zone too. But I do often enjoy it when it is mixed in with fantasy. It helps a bunch for me.
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Having it mixed in with things definitely makes it more enjoyable! But when it’s strictly historical fiction it just has a tendency to be so dry?
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I love how you expanded this list to include non-bookish things! I can totally relate to struggling with cooking and being squeamish about blood!
Glad to hear that blogging has been good for your mental health and that you’ve gotten to the point where you can feel confident helping with your son’s medical needs!
Hope you have a great weekend! 🙂
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Thank you so much! I like to keep things mostly book centered here but sometimes it’s nice to branch out a bit.
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