Self Discovery

Stepping Outside
the Comfort Zone

By Raphael

My boyfriend owns a big snake named Caesar, aka Boo-Boo. The nickname? Oh, that's his way of lessening my fear... Who can be afraid of a Boo-Boo, right? Smart boy.

Well, I'm deathly afraid of snakes. Or at least I was...

Imagine a dot (you) at the center of a circle. The circle represents the outer limit of your Comfort Zone. What fits inside that circumference? All the things you're comfortable with... Going to the store, swimming in a pool, getting a haircut, giving a toast at a family dinner.... being in the same pet store as a big snake who lives in a tank three aisles away...

What can be found *outside* the Comfort Zone? Perhaps giving a speech to 2,000 business people or swimming in an ocean... or petting a snake who lives in your boyfriend's bedroom.

When I first met Caesar, sitting in his glass house secured by a nice tight escape-proof top, it was tough for me to be in a room with him. A shuddery sensation would course through my body if I stood in the vicinity of his tank and if, God forbid, my boyfriend would take him out, it'd send me packing to the opposite side of the room. No offense, Boo-Boo. "None taken."

 
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