A Letter From Brooke: On Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

Welcome to July! It's the heart of summer now, and though we'd rather be basking in the sun or lounging by the pool, this month we're all about getting OUT of our comfort zones, being brave, and diving into something new—no matter how scary it may seem at first.

I've only really grown when I've pushed myself out of a comfort zone. I stubbornly say to myself, you may not be good at this now, but give it your best shot. You have to give yourself the power: don't think of it as something happening to you, but you being in charge. Reverse your mindset, and don't allow yourself to be a victim to fear. 

My first week of my freshman year in college, I thought I was not going to survive. I thought I'd made a terrible mistake—I'd never been away from home, never been on my own, never felt so scared and alone. I cried every day for a few weeks! I really let myself wallow for a little while, but then I thought, I've done it, I've cried, now how do I move forward? At the time, I really threw myself into my studies, eventually joined a theater group, and started to find my people. You learn that nothing lasts forever, even if a hard time feels endless. You just have to keep moving forward and let time broaden your view. 

I do think I'm inherently courageous, but that doesn't mean I don't fear failure. I've always feared failure—it's just not enough to stop me from trying. The great news is that when you're the worst at something, you have a good distance to learn! When I feel like I don't know what I'm doing, I like to start by asking every question, and then I pick someone who's the best and watch. I study. 

Of course, there are small ways to push yourself out of your comfort zone, too. Follow along on our Instagram for a BIN Challenge of the week, and we think you'll discover something about yourself that you didn't know existed. Let's take those steps, get uncomfortable, and—most importantly—grow.

Here's to being brave.  

xo, Brooke