Outside the Comfort Zone

I’m so thankful for the supportive people around me.  I would have never been able to reach, and continue to pursue, my personal goals without them and their gentle nudges.  They help me to move beyond my comfort zone.  I think that in order to really make progress and grow I need to step outside that zone.  Every time I push my limits I gain a little more confidence.  Every time I gain confidence I get closer to reaching my goals.  Ten years ago there is no way I would’ve ever thought that I would be doing what I’m doing now.  When I was younger my fear of judgement, and lack of confidence stopped me from pushing outside my comfort boundaries.  Now, I’m excited to be challenged.  Even if the outcome of what I’m doing isn’t the desired one, I can still learn from it, and try again.  It is okay to make mistakes.  Pushing beyond your own comfort zone, and personal limitations, is critical for personal growth.

My husband and I are involved in a really cool project right now.  The project involves working with Ocean Mind and diving off of the NOAA vessel here on Maui.  Friday was our first day out.  We only worked on drills and emergency response for some situations we may be up against.  Some of these situations included, divers lost at sea, unresponsive diver, CPR/O2 administration, and victim transfer from the NOAA boat to the Coast Guard vessel.  The experience was so fun and at the same time extremely uncomfortable and challenging.  Probably my favorite part of the day was the missing divers drill.  Myself, my husband, and our other dive buddy Daniel were dropped in the channel in our full dive gear.  The boat then distanced itself from us by about a mile.  We floated adrift for about 10 minutes before deploying our surface markers.    Looking into the water underneath us, we couldn’t see the bottom.  Just the diffused sunlight through the blue water.  As we were sitting and waiting a pod of humpback whales cruised by.  It was pretty surreal, very peaceful, and incredibly intimidating and nerve-wracking.  I loved every minute of it.  The purpose of the exercise was to see how visible we are from a distance and how hard it can be to find divers separated from the boat.  It is moments like that where I think that mental road blocks are chipped away, confidence grown, and personal growth takes place.  But you don’t have to be dropped into the middle of the ocean to make that kind of growth.  A culmination of experiences that are uncomfortable lead to personal growth, fulfillment, and confidence.  Those experiences are different for everyone.  For some folks, heading to a coffee shop and mingling in a crowded environment is extremely difficult.

Creativity in packing the dive gear.

NOAA and USCG vessels

Daniel our dive buddy with Ocean Mind who is heading up this project.

Todd my wonderful husband and my favorite person.

Underway with bailout tanks secured

Hey! That’s me! (Pic by Todd)

Meeting up with the USCG vessel on the water to practice victim transfer.

Ed discussing procedures.

Morning briefing

Me and Chris, one of the other dive team members. (photo by Todd)

Team Zissou Daniel (photo by Todd)

This project really pushes some of my skill set and personal comfort levels.  I’m excited to see where my new skills and confidence from this experience will lead me.  I encourage you to move out of your comfort zone and take the steps to meet your dreams and goals.  A lot of times the only thing that stops us is our limiting beliefs.  Turn those beliefs around and stay positive and true to yourself.  If you need a nudge, drop me a line.  I’d love to hear about your dreams and give you the push you may need.  As always, thanks for stopping by.